Social Media Decline? 😮

[Mari gets on her soapbox!] Greetings {NAME}! Do you think traditional social media as we know it is ... dead?! 💀 Do people prefer to connect through messaging apps and group chats instead? "Social media is dead. Group chats and messaging apps killed it." 😳 That's the attention-grabbing headline on a Business Insider article that just came out. Well, my friend, I do not agree with this premise!! So I got on my soapbox and recorded my thoughts! 😁 You can find the 22-minute video on my [Facebook Page]() and [YouTube Channel](. Would you like to watch? [I've included some summary points below as well]. [Social Media Decline?]( There is definitely a mega agenda being pushed by Meta, YouTube and TikTok. It's all about CREATORS these days. And short form videos. And AI-powered personalized feeds. [Unless you live in the EU... change is afoot for you: an '[off-switch](=)' is coming to disable such personalization.] It's about creating as much user 'stickiness' as possible (read: addiction). More content + more eyeballs = max money for these platforms. 🤑 But that is *their* agenda. Not yours. Not mine. 🙅 No. Social media is not dead. But there IS a sea change happening that I've been talking about for the past 18 months or so. And that is: Marketers need to stop obsessing over public-facing vanity metrics. Instead, keep focusing on building genuine relationships, creating thriving communities, and growing your business on your *own* terms. Of course, another sea change is the proliferation of AI, which Meta plans to bake into every aspect of all its platforms. And, social saturation is a real thing. Too many platforms and excessive content can be utterly overwhelming for savvy marketers and social media users alike. What is *never* going to die is genuine people-to-people interaction regardless of which platform or format that happens on. 💞 What are your thoughts? You're welcome to reply to this email, and/or [watch my video on Facebook]() or [YouTube]( and leave a comment there. I'd love to hear from you! Cheers 'til the next time! Mari Smith CEO, Mari Smith International, Inc. Premier Facebook Marketing Expert Top Social Media Thought Leader Author, The New Relationship Marketing P.S. You're always welcome to come connect with your fellow marketers in my [Social Scoop Facebook Community]( - celebrating 23k+ amazing members. P.P.S. On a personal note, I've been doing my level best to deal with hazardous air quality due to wildfire smoke here in Southern Oregon. Two weeks straight. Ugh. We finally got a reprieve yesterday when the AQI dropped to the 50s. Just in time to enjoy the beautiful [super blue moon]()! If you have any questions or feedback, you can reply directly to this email. If you prefer not to receive any emails from me, click to [Unsubscribe]( from all communications, including my Social Scoop newsletter. [OR, you can update your details on that same link!] Mari Smith International, Inc. 1467 Siskiyou Blvd #7 Ashland, Oregon 97520 United States (858) 215-3001