Study looks at how Channel Island businesses are using social media

There’s lots of global data about how businesses are using social media but there aren’t many statistics when we look at social media locally. We asked Channel Island marketing professionals how they’re structuring their social media teams, which channels they’re investing in and what’s in their 2023 content strategy. These key insights will help us to shape our services.

Our survey, which targeted those working in the Channel Islands’ communications sector, found that 32% of those working for small and medium-sized businesses are on TikTok.  

More channels are coming into the corporate communications mix with businesses utilising YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest. The challenge for small teams is how this demand is going to be met.

Video is on the up - video will be a popular tactic used by local businesses in 2023 with 92% saying video is in their social media strategy for this year. 46% also said that they are focusing more on short form video, but long form uptake is growing worldwide. According to Adweek, 80% of short videos drive less than a third of total engagement. 

For some years now social media has focused on short-form video to capture short attention spans. This is changing. Younger audiences, in particular, are ready to watch longer videos. Social media managers need to be aware of how the social media landscape is evolving so that they can get the best results from their campaigns.

Most local businesses aren’t utilising influencers - 86% of respondents are not using influencers or content creators despite, according to Morning Consult, 75% of millennials following influencers on social media. 

Only 36% of respondents are using an agency for their social media strategy and 44% don’t have or aren’t sure if they have a social media marketing policy. 

A social media marketing policy matters because having one can not only protect your company’s reputation, but it can also inspire employees to advocate for the company online. Providing clear guidelines will reduce confusion and help protect your business from a PR crisis and brand dilution.