Div Blog 01 JAN Meta fact checking 02 1

How Meta’s changes will shape the social experience for brands

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Meta’s recent announcement to end their third-party fact-checking programme and move to a Community Notes model introduces a big change in the social media space.  

What we already know is that Community Notes is currently being used by X (formerly known as Twitter) because it empowers their community to decide when posts are potentially misleading and require more context. This lets users add notes to specific posts so they can provide extra information. The visibility of notes depends on a diverse group of users agreeing to their accuracy and relevance.  

This is a crucial movement that will transform how users and brands engage online. While there are exciting opportunities, it also raises important challenges that must be addressed. 

Div Blog 01 JAN Meta fact checking 01

Opportunities that come with the Meta announcement

Beginning with the opportunities, here are some of the brand benefits that come with the change. 

  • Strong brand communities
    Brands will remain connected with people who are genuinely interested in their content. There will be a shift from the basic broadcasting of information on social media to engaging in a genuine two-way conversation, allowing brands to actively participate in the community. This creates more meaningful conversations, builds trust and understanding, and deepens relationships. 
  • Authentic brands will thrive with this change
    Brands that focus on community building and authentic engagement will adapt quickly ensuring they remain relevant and connected with the needs of their community.
  • Greater audience ownership
    When platforms hand over moderation responsibilities to their audience, it creates a sense of empowerment and ownership. This approach encourages users to contribute to the conversation, making them feel heard. Naturally, this will lead to more engagement, with community members offering valuable insights and working collaboratively to build a space they feel a part of. 
     
  • The human touch will outperform automation and AI
    As the competition for attention grows, brands will be compelled to innovate and create higher-quality, more meaningful content that resonates with their audience. In an era where AI-generated content is prevalent, authenticity and relevance will be key differentiators.  

    Audiences are increasingly seeking genuine, human-driven interactions that provide real value, which sets brands apart from automated or generic content. By focusing on creating content that shows genuine insights, experiences and emotions, brands can establish trust and stand out in a crowded digital world.

Challenges that come with the Meta announcement

With every change comes challenges, so here are some of the things you need to be mindful of. 

  • Risks of reduced moderation 
    With less moderation, harmful content or misinformation may appear more often, putting younger or less experienced users at risk. 
     
  • Time to check what’s genuine and what’s not 
    We’re already overwhelmed with daily messages, leaving little time to think critically. With more AI-generated content flooding our feeds it will take more time to read between what’s genuine and what’s not.  
     
  • Standing out amid content overload 
    In a less moderated environment, the large volume of content can make it tough for brands to stand out and connect with their audience. When there’s an overwhelming flow of posts, messages and updates, it’s easy for even great content to get lost in the mix. For brands, this means they need to work harder to create content that grabs attention, feels authentic and resonates with their audience. 
     
  • Relying solely on community fact-checking 
    Without independent fact-checks in place and relying solely on the community to verify information, there’s a risk of misinformation spreading quickly. To avoid this issue, it’s important to educate users on how to spot unreliable information to create a safer environment. 

Diversity’s approach to Community Notes

We’re keeping a close eye on these developments to ensure our approach on social stays up to date with these changes. We’ve had many conversations over the last few days with clients and our initial consultations have revolved around the following: 

  • Continue to build and nurture brand communities with content that delivers real value and creates genuine connections. 
     
  • Implement content strategies that align with brand values to manage the risk of association with harmful content. 
     
  • Emphasise the creation of high-quality and meaningful content that resonates with the target audience. 
     
  • Stay vigilant against harmful misinformation by collaborating with trusted content creators. 
     
  • Support a balanced approach to freedom of expression that keeps users safe while maintaining a welcoming and inclusive online space. 
     
  • Continue using social listening tools to track conversations, monitor sentiment and spot emerging trends in real time. Our team stays on top of brand mentions and reviews content for accuracy and relevance.  
     
  • Use insights from social listening to understand our audience needs better. 
     
  • Enhance community engagement, by actively interacting with audiences to provide personalised experiences that build all-important trust and loyalty.  
     
  • Stick to our core principle of bringing the human touch. Real people manage the communities, building human relationships, and in this AI age, we believe that people will value this even more.

Meta’s decision to move towards more community driven moderation could reshape social media, bringing both risks and exciting opportunities. For brands, the challenge will be finding the right balance between staying authentic and visible. For users, the goal should be to create a safer and more meaningful experience online.  

Image credit: Askar – stock.adobe.com

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