The year 2020 and the pandemic changed all our lives radically. These changes can also be seen in our collective behavior as a society. And to no one’s surprise, with social distancing in place, social media or media, in general, has become more important than ever. Facebook studied these emerging consumer entertainment shifts. Here’s a look at the main insights. Hopefully, this will also help marketers adjust their strategies in accordance with the new trends.
The Key Elements of the Consumption Trends
The report talks about consumer entertainment shifts under 5 main categories:
- Content Economy talks about the main shifts in the consumption patterns of video and music.
- Communal Consumption talks about the ways people connected digitally during the pandemic.
- Inclusive Diversity talks about the expectations of improved and more diverse representation on media.
- The Proliferation of Choice talks about the different platforms and their algorithms. It talks about how these algorithms are helping users find more of what they like.
- Streaming Sustainability talks about the increase in the number of streaming services and the longevity of these streaming services.
What do the Consumer Entertainment Shifts Say?
Each of the sections mentioned talks about a range of insights based on Facebook’s survey and data usage. Here are the main insights discussed in the report:
1. Growth in Streaming Content
The report shows graphically how there has been a huge growth in streaming content discovery due to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
Video streaming users across the world watched content that they probably wouldn’t have under different circumstances. In simple terms, major countries have all witnessed growth in video streaming primarily because of the pandemic.
The reason why the report talks extensively about video streaming is that there has been a major shift here. More and more people are watching more content. This shift makes it important for marketers to note the trends for future references and strategies.
One graph also shows the share of users who watched a live stream during the pandemic for the first time. These viewers said they plan to continue to do so in the future.
2. Growth of Facebook Groups
One of the most interesting developments surrounding these shifts is the rise in the number of Facebook groups. Facebook tracked the fastest-growing groups on Facebook during the pandemic. The subject matter of these groups is really interesting.
It’s evident that most countries saw a growth in groups that discussed shows and movies. Some insights from these conversations inform us that consumers want more representation across all media. There’s been a demand to include a diverse cast and represent people from different value systems.
These trends and shifts should not be coming as much of a surprise for brands who have been listening to social chatter for the last few years. Social media chatter is the best place to track such actionable consumer insights and trends. How does it help your brand? These insights provide you inspiration for your next campaign!