Designing around User Experience (UX) is by no means new. If anything, it’s a staple in the digital age of rapid information consumption, shorter attention spans, and convenience. Similarly, social media marketing is far from new as well.

From access to vast audiences to a means of delivering personalized, hyper-focused content, it is too lucrative to overlook. However, what’s relatively new is the identification of deeper synergies between the two. Indeed, it’s simple enough to say that UX design refines social media content. It’s equally simple to say that social media insights can inform UX choices.

However, that’s not where it ends. Marketers embrace that social media and UX can work together in deeper ways.

What Is UX?
UX is relatively easy to define. In essence, it’s a design principle that centers on the user experience – as the name suggests. UX design will focus on attributes such as ease of use, sales funnel stage-specific copy, visual appeal, and so forth.

In turn, UX can overlap with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), and other marketing practices. For example, UX design may dictate that a page layout needs to be simplified, which benefits SEO. Conversely, it may often dictate that a conversion page’s mobile version needs to be easier to navigate; that’s CRO. Similar overlaps and grounds for synergy exist with other practices as well, notably – in the context of this article – including social media marketing.

The Mutual Synergy Of Social Media And UX
Now, it should be clear that the above examples highlight a specific synergy; UX promotes what other practices need. One could reasonably reverse them; for example, SEO dictates fast loading speeds, which UX hinges on. In much the same way, social media and UX can work together in mutually beneficial ways. That is, it is not simply that social media fuels UX, or that UX enhances social media copy. Very often, as we’ll explain below, it’s both.

How Social Media And UX Can Work Together
Having highlighted the above, then, let us delve into specifics. In no particular order, consider the five following examples of grounds for synergy.

#1 Revisiting Your Social Media Strategies
Initially, if you’re reading this article, chances are you might have existing social media strategies in place. Even if you don’t, it may be you’re researching to deduce if strategies of old will work today. In either case, UX now plays a much more crucial role, and certain factors in more heavily. Social media is already a field that is constantly changing, and shifting customer standards and perspectives only complicate UX further. To support this point, consider the three following examples of shifting trends.

Video Overtakes Image
Using images certainly remains valuable, as we are visual creatures by nature. The continued success of Instagram, Pinterest, and other image-focused platforms should attest to that. However, among other social media trends, SproutSocial asserts that “the use of video as [Instagram] Stories will increase since they appear to outperform photos.” To back this up, they cite a SocialInsider study’s findings:

A graph on average exit rates for video Instagram Stories compared to those of Stories with images.
Alt-tag: A graph on average exit rates for video Instagram Stories compared to those of Stories with images.

This does matter for social media content strategies, especially given that “51% of brands are already using videos in Stories.” More specifically, it matters regarding UX; simply opting for video over images won’t suffice if UX falters. That is, brands need to both incorporate video and ensure it augments the user experience.

Ethical Drivers Take Center Stage
Similarly, customers increasingly value perceived ethical drivers more than competence as regards company trust. The 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer highlighted this shift in no uncertain terms:

A pie chart on the value of ethical drivers and perceived competence as regards company trust.
Alt-tag: A pie chart on the value of ethical drivers and perceived competence as regards company trust.

What’s more, the 2021 report only stressed this further, partly in light of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic:

Now, one might assume that this only leaves UX with a marginal role....read.... https://alabiansolutions.com/blog/how-social-media-and-ux-can-work-together/