Is Social Media the New Search Engine?
We’ve been saying for a while that social media is ousting informative publications like the Yellow Pages, tourist brochures, and the like. A brand’s social media presence can be more influential than a five-star Google review when someone is deciding which restaurant to visit or which business to support. Through an account’s profile grid, you can get a sense of a place — for example, whether you should wear a leather jacket or a denim one. And if you have a question, it is easier to send a DM on Instagram than it is to pick up the phone and make a call. But is social media really powerful enough to dethrone Google, or any search engine, as the go-to platform for information?
In some ways, it already has. For example, I was out of town last week. Instead of typing “local favorites,” “cheap eats,” or “best brunch” into Google, I went to TikTok. Once I determined where I was going, I checked Instagram to see the general ambiance of the restaurant so I could pick an outfit and see images of the food I might want to try. Does this go against my “chill, go with the flow” persona? Maybe. But did my multi-platform search yield great results? Definitely.
The rise of social media platforms as the new search engine is largely due to their visual aspect that Google can't compete with. Experts know that Gen Z is more attracted to visual media and keeping things brief helps maintain attention. Interacting with information with your eyes on visual platforms feels like a more genuine connection compared to reading about it on a massive search engine. Why read a 4-star review when you could watch a video of a TikToker giving their take on the establishment while simultaneously putting on their makeup? The visual media creates a parasocial relationship that makes the user feel like they’re getting advice from a friend vs the internet.
Will TikTok completely dethrone Google for the information motherboard it is? No, but it will, for the time being, continue to make it sweat as info-seekers jump away from the search engine and opt for social media instead.
-Alexis Banda, MFBS Account Manager
