3 ways to adapt content for the era of social media entertainment

In the span of 26 years, social media has transformed from a simple communication tool to a powerful marketing platform. From the early days of Six Degrees to the rise of TikTok and the introduction of Threads, brands have had to adapt to this constantly changing landscape. And as a result, so has the role of social media managers.

From content creation to community management, the responsibilities of social teams have expanded significantly. And with the popularity of video, it's clear that entertainment is critical in your social media content strategy.

As a brand, it's important for you to adapt to this shift and engage your audience in a more authentic and personal way.

In this article, you’ll learn how social media entertainment grew and ways you can approach it for your brand to increase your loyal customer base while staying relevant.

We also share excerpts from Sprout’s Webinar Masterclass series, where Rachel Karten, social media consultant and creator of the Link in Bio newsletter, shared her thoughts on creating clever content that resonates with your audiences.

What spawned the era of social entertainment?

Social media used to be a way to communicate directly with your community and the algorithm barely had any influence over your feeds.

So if you followed a brand on social media, you would see their posts on your feed regardless of any optimization. Today, every post is influenced by factors like format, creativity, hashtags, how people engage with it and the ever-changing algorithm. Plus, everyone is competing for attention.

As a result, social media has become just as important for building brand awareness as fostering community, and it requires authentic storytelling and curating a unique voice to stand out. It’s also become a source of entertainment, which audiences are craving more than ever.

Let's break down how this evolution in social media entertainment came about.

The pandemic made lo-fi content a necessity

With most people locked in their homes during the pandemic, the average time US users spent on social media in 2020 climbed to 65 minutes daily—a significant jump from the previous year. This rapid increase forced marketers to ditch traditional practices and get creative with their ideas.

Enter lo-fi (low fidelity) and personality-driven content. With audiences craving authenticity and more human interaction, polished content was no longer enough. Brands like Oreo were some of the first to adopt lo-fi content and enviable creativity.

Had to jump on this spooky trend… how’d we do? 👉👈 #GhostPhotoshoot #oreo #spookyseason

♬ original sound ' OREO