Last year, The New Yorker declared that “the internet isn’t fun anymore.” An essay written by Kyle Chayka lamented the current state of our online lives, criticizing the changes Elon Musk had made to the now-defunct Twitter and the difficulty of finding content created with people rather than algorithms in mind among Google’s top search results, along with other millennial complaints.
The article sparked a collective outpouring of frustration from a generation that grew up seeing the internet as an oasis of creativity and endless opportunities for connection. If Google is no longer the gateway to the web, giving way to social search (we’ve already talked about this here), we need to understand what’s behind this phenomenon.
Beyond the desire to consume different formats, both millennials and younger generations are moving away from Google because companies, desperate to secure the top spots in search rankings, have invested more in SEO and less in connection.
What does it mean for a brand’s content strategy when its primary objective shifts away from people — informing or entertaining them, for example — and starts prioritizing numbers instead? How does generating a steady flow of visits that ultimately leaves consumers frustrated contribute to building a reputation?
And the recent boom in generative artificial intelligence doesn’t make the outlook for the internet any brighter. The increasing ease and speed of content generation are creating a flood of empty information, designed to generate ad revenue or fill publishing schedules focused exclusively on hacking social media algorithms. Try searching for “ending explained” on YouTube, and you’ll come across some of the most lifeless videos you’ve ever seen.
Life: that’s where our prediction for the year begins. On an internet dominated by content created by robots or designed to please them, conversations between people will stand out both online and offline. We believe that investing in a genuine narrative, built on real stories and experiences and communicated from person to person, is the way to capture the attention of an audience exhausted by the cacophony of our times.
Throughout the final months of 2023 and all of January 2024, we had extensive conversations with our clients about trends and future perspectives, listening to their aspirations and understanding their challenges. And we identified three initial approaches to putting people at the center of the narrative.
1) Don’t be afraid of authentic spokespersons
People like hearing from “real people.” Podcasts and videocasts attract large audiences willing to listen to hours of conversations exploring the stories and experiences of individuals who are often spokespersons for their own brands or CEOs of major companies. The interest is there, but we need to overcome the fear that makes most executives speaking on behalf of companies sound scripted, as though they’ve stepped straight out of a media training session.
The secret is to invest in what makes us unique. Combine corporate messaging with personal experiences, insights, life stories, and individual perspectives. Purpose is a great place to start. Connecting personal purpose with the company’s purpose allows us to build a personalized narrative full of life, one that encourages people to identify with the speaker, whether it’s a journalist conducting an exclusive interview or a listener tuning in to a popular podcast.
2) Empower your team and discover the power of internal influence
The collective development of a corporate narrative, allowing different people to contribute complementary perspectives on the same subject, brings authenticity to companies’ stories, especially when social media is involved. According to a YOUPIX study, employees who post about their companies bring more than 500% greater credibility.
Building an internal influencer program, with guidelines that encourage and organize digital content creation by employees, is the beginning of an influencer journey that will certainly foster more genuine, people-centered conversations.
3) Creating together is much more enjoyable (and engaging)
Brands are increasingly embracing user-generated content (UGC) both within and beyond their owned channels. The term refers both to content spontaneously produced by consumers and to paid content created in collaboration with influencers for publication on corporate social media channels.
This trend is gaining ground precisely because it offers an effective and engaging way for companies to participate in relevant conversations without necessarily carrying the weight of their corporate identity. After all, interacting with a person, even digitally, is much more enjoyable than interacting with a brand.
These are just a few initial approaches. Want to explore one of them or discuss other possibilities? Just drop us a line!
Filipe Pereira
