Gazing Into Our Crystal Ball: 2024 Social Media Trends to Watch

It’s time to compare notes! There’s no shortage of predictions on 2024 social media trends to watch. After all, the end of one year is a welcome time to look ahead and be curious about what’s next. Is AI going anywhere? What will be the digital world’s buzzword and call-to-action in the coming year? Which platform will reign supreme and dominate conversation?

Of course, this time of year we turn to our favorite and most-trusted social media publications for guidance. So, let’s compare and contrast! Below are the themes that consistently popped up when reviewing predictions for what 2024 has in store.

Let’s dive into the top five (and some honorable mentions).

If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, AI is not going anywhere. If it’s not already part of your social media process, you should consider it. AI has slowly been adopted into the workflow of numerous social media marketers. According to the HootSuite 2024 Trend Report, “61% of organizations say the #1 reason they use AI for social media is to reduce staff workload.” AI won’t replace a great social media manager or copywriter, but it can certainly help get the juices flowing. Additionally, many tools like Sprout Social have included AI Assist in their platform, to help social media managers in their writing process.

If you are looking for ways to incorporate AI into your workflow, consider using it to help you batch content or write post copy. Just be sure you tweak it to fit the voice and tone of you business!

Is “authenticity” our new social media buzzword for 2024? Yes! Walking hand-in-hand with AI is authenticity. Influencer Marketing Hub said it best:

“60% of consumers expressed their belief that trustworthiness and transparency reign as the most crucial brand attributes, surpassing all other qualities.”
13 Social Media Trends in 2024 You Can Follow to Take Your Social Media Strategy to New Heights

If you aren’t already being your authentic self on social media, it’s time to start. Get your front-facing staff, as well as your C-suite personnel, in the mix. Having the real people and leaders who are working behind the scenes will show consumers how deeply your business is invested in the product (or service) you put out!

That said, we know it can be difficult to get buy-in from team members to participate in social media. Start small. For example, content could feature photos from community service days, a video of office arrivals, or a lighthearted post about the morning coffee order. From there, build in more similar content. Think bigger: How can you demonstrate the “why” behind what you do?

Here’s some great news for industries everywhere: Whether you’re a small local business or a large national corporation, there’s a creator or influencer for you. Yes, it’s true, and it’s up to you to find the right connection. Now that creator and influencer earnings are not just pigeonholed to brand partnerships, it’s becoming more important to find brand ambassadors and creators who want to work with you.

How do you find those elusive creators and influencers? Check the audience that already follows you! Those creators likely already use your products or services (or are considering it) and are more likely to want to work with you — potentially long term. If you’re looking for a tool to help, influencer marketing programs like Tagger by Sprout Social will help you find, manage, and maximize your influencer campaigns.

Everyone has something to say when it comes to the length of the content you put out. Video tops the charts of the type of content you should be creating (on all platforms, not just Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube). Almost everyone agrees: More video in 2024 is the way to go. However, short-form or long-form video will depend on what your audience prefers. Videos can be anything from cute and quick “a day at the office” snippets to engaging “this is how we…” explanatory pieces.

Don’t have a fancy camera? No problem! Using a cellphone creates an organic feel to your content. Plus, this style leans into the spontaneous feel that comes naturally to social media. With platforms like TikTok entering their “Facetime Era”, those casual off-the-cuff videos will fit right in!

There are a lot of different platforms to be on. Here at Epic Marketing Consultants, the advice we give is “be where your customers are.” Yet, this can prove to be difficult when your potential customers are on multiple platforms. With the launch of Threads this past year, it forced many companies to evaluate whether to join the platform. Did they have the bandwidth to really utilize it? You should be doing this reevaluation regularly! With many users utilizing social media for customer service, it’s important to keep those platforms updated, and the audience engaged.

The best way to gauge the platforms you should stay on? Talk to your social media manager and data team. Don’t have a dedicated social media manager? Perform a social media audit — and now is a great time going into the new year.

Other Predictions We’re Watching:

- Shopping on Social Media: With the launch (and success) of TikTop Shop, we’ve seen an uptick in Facebook and Instagram efforts to match the ease and appeal of shopping on social media.
- Data: We’ll see a larger push in the corporate world to understand and utilize the data that social media gives us — especially when it comes to ROI.
- Search on Social: Many users now head to Youtube and TikTok when they are looking for recommendations and how-tos. Therefore, it will be important for social media teams to think about how their content can be found as if the platforms are search engines.