The New Era of Social Media Isn’t About Feeds: Why Personas Fail

The New Era of Social Media Isn’t About Feeds: Why Personas Fail

In the ever-evolving world of social media, there is a paradigm shift happening. Facebook's ad campaign to defend personalized advertising against Apple's new privacy measures is just one example of this change. But it's not just Facebook that is embracing this new era. Clubhouse, the audio-based social networking app, is also focusing on intentionality, context, and sustained attention.

What's interesting about these new digital media products is their shift towards low-volume, high-attention relationships rather than high-volume, low-attention feeds. They are encouraging users to post freely and engage in meaningful conversations. However, there is a downside to this approach. These platforms are still optimizing for engagement, which often leads to a feed full of attention-grabbing content.

As a user, this can be overwhelming. You start to feel shouted at, manipulated, pandered to, and ultimately, overwhelmed. The constant barrage of content can take a toll on your mental health and make you question the authenticity of the platform.

This is where the concept of personas comes into play. Personas are fictional representations of your target users who exhibit similar attitudes, goals, and behaviors in relation to your product. They were created with the intention of providing a clear picture of specific user types that everyone can focus on and align around. However, despite their potential benefits, personas often fail to deliver the desired results.

One common reason for the failure of personas is the lack of buy-in from leadership. Personas are created, but they are not used effectively. Without the support and endorsement of leadership, personas become nothing more than a research deliverable, gathering dust on a shelf.

Another pitfall is creating personas in a silo and imposing them on people. Personas should not be an isolated endeavor undertaken solely by the UX team. The most successful personas are created with involvement from the end users themselves. This ensures that the personas accurately reflect the needs and expectations of the target audience.

Communication failure is yet another reason why personas fail. Many people simply don't know what personas are or why they're useful. For personas to be effective, there needs to be a clear understanding of their purpose and how they can be utilized to inform decision-making. Educating colleagues and referring to personas in meetings can help solidify their importance and relevance.

To overcome these challenges and make personas work for your organization, it's important to take action. Here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Put together an action plan: Outline the steps needed to create personas that are aligned with your organization's goals. This includes conducting research, involving end users, and defining the scope of work that the personas will impact.

2. Pitch personas to leadership: Clearly communicate the value of personas to your organization's leadership. Show how personas can inform decision-making, improve user experiences, and ultimately drive business success.

3. Communicate the business value of personas: Continuously educate your colleagues about the importance of personas and how they contribute to the overall success of projects. Share success stories and showcase the wins that were gained by having specific user representations to work with.

In conclusion, the new era of social media is shifting away from feeds and towards more intentional and meaningful interactions. However, to truly understand and connect with our target audience, we need to utilize personas effectively. By addressing the common pitfalls of personas and taking actionable steps to overcome them, we can harness the power of personas to inform our decision-making, improve user experiences, and drive business success in this new era of social media.