Laura Dascau Jan 5, 2024
A digital marketer’s life is never boring. After all, how could it be given the plethora of changes happening in the social media scene?
However, we all know that is not as horrifying as it sounds, all the shifts also coming with a feeling of curiosity and the opportunity to let your creativity come out and play and experiment with a bunch of interesting concepts, features, and platforms.
Adapting to the latest social media trends can indeed be overwhelming but also incredibly exciting. And speaking of those, what exactly are the social media trends dominating 2024? Let’s find out!
Social media trends for 2024
1. Why do you need to integrate the latest social media trends into your strategy?
Adapting to the latest social media trends is a way of making sure you keep your brand fresh and your customers hooked.
Meeting your audiences on the platforms they are spending time on nowadays or leveraging the content formats they like to consume are the strategies that will put your brand on the social media users’ radar and inspire engagement.
More than a channel that generates sales, social media should be about creating a relationship with your audiences, which can only happen if you “speak their language”, which means adjusting to their navigational patterns. Aka leveraging the latest trends in social media.
Getting feedback and learning about your customers’ needs is the secret to creating interest in your brand and fostering brand loyalty.
As Ann Handley - a digital marketer & content expert, said: "in 2024, it's all about recognizing that social media's superpower is its ability to help us build more sustainable relationships more slowly."
2. Social media trends you need to take into account when creating your marketing plan
Thinking about what the future may hold in the world of social media may be scary. But it can’t be scarier than having no clue when it comes to social media trends.
Here are a few of the 2024 predictions for social media trends hat you can rely on when adjusting your social media strategy.
2.1. TikTok will grow even more popular
We already sensed this. TikTok is here to stay. Some may even bet on BeReal, but I’m not so sure.
TikTok has grown in popularity in 2023 and it will continue to grow, as more and more users lock their eyes to their screens for even more hours.
You’d be so lucky if your videos appear in the “discover” section. Virality would be your best mate.
A lot of marketing managers dream about virality, especially because it appears to have no pattern when you try to accomplish it.
The current number of TikTok users is 1.677 billion. This may slowly transform into billions.
2.2. Reels will continue to rule on Instagram
Since short-form video content rulz, on Instagram Reels will continue to be the most engaging type of content. However, its success does not overcome the one of TikTok videos.
Instagram will remain one of the top social media platforms used by brands, increasing in popularity.
This social platform has over 2.35 billion monthly active users while the number of daily active users is estimated at 500 million.
About 62% of Instagram active users use the app to research for products and brands. The app’s algorithm favours Reels, heavily prioritising this type of content.
The important thing about making Reels is using viral audios to increase the video’s chances for virality. That’s the main secret.
Find out which are the latest Instagram Reels trends here 👈
2.3. LinkedIn will no longer be just about jobs and professional content
LinkedIn has gradually grown out of its black suits and it’s now a rebellious Millennial. Just kidding.
This platform is no longer only about posting jobs, finding jobs, or complaining about jobs. Users started posting more raw content inspired from their experiences.
And that’s the quality content everyone was looking for. Everyone on LinkedIn is now showing their true colours about juggling with tasks, taking mental health time and finding it difficult to get inspired.
This social media platform is growing into a more personal one, with posts where you can find advice about, well, almost anything.
The take on more personal posts on LinkedIn started during the pandemic and it will keep on going. However, it’s not yet clear whether the algorithm favours this type of posts than the professional ones.
How personal can you be when writing a post in such a way that you also keep your distance and remain professional?
That’s still a topic to be debated.
2.4. User-generated content created by Gen Z will increase
Oh, Gen Z, the generation that uses social media to document their lives, journal and post about everything.
They are the heavy users of short-form video content and the ones that post more about the brands they use or fancy.
That’s why, user-generated content created by Gen Z will surely be more popular in 2024.
Instagram and TikTok users who are ready to share their opinion after trying out a service or a product are brands’ favourite people.
Via their user-generated content, brands get to grow their follower count, community, brand awareness and engagement rate.
2.5. SEO on social media will be even more powerful than hashtags
Search Engine Optimization is like the Holy Grail when you want Google to love your content. This research shows that 40% of young adults (18 - 24 year-olds) are using social media like a search engine.
This led to the growing importance of social media SEO. Most likely you have also used TikTok as a search engine, “abusing” the power of that little search button.
SEO will continue to play a big part in the virality recipe of posts compared to hashtags.
The next post you’ll see in your “For you” tab will not be there because of hashtags, but because of the right keywords.
A research from Hootsuite showed that the social media posts which relied heavily on great SEO manage to have a higher engagement rate (30% increase).
This social media trend will continue to make a difference in 2024 and map out those brands who really put their sweat into their copy.
Social SEO practices will set the distinction between brands that put in extra effort when it comes to their posts on social.
That’s why your social media strategy for next year should also feature “keyword research”.
2.6. Video captions are paramount
In today’s social media, posting videos without captions is like trying to eat without a fork: not that comfortable.
The number of social media users who watch videos without sound is bound to increase in 2024. Hence, a persisting social media trend would be to add captions to ALL your videos, no matter the platform.
We are all busy and in a hurry. When we’re on the commute or in public places, we surely watch videos without sound if we cannot find those earbuds in the purse.
So being able to get the same infos from the captions just like you get from listening to it, it is definitely a great opportunity to increase engagement, interactions and follower count.
Moreover, captions will increase your content’s chance to be discovered since people may use the keywords from your captions when searching.
That’s why you have to make sure you use the appropriate keywords for your video post.
Another benefit is that video captions also allow and facilitate those who suffer from hearing impairments.
2.7. Social commerce will increase
Social commerce will play an important role in the marketing world in 2024.
This is another social media trend that is bound to rise, thinking consumers have already got used to social platforms’ shopping features.
There are a lot of social media users who are still sceptical when it comes to making purchases via social platforms.
For 2024, marketing managers need to adapt their social strategies to thrive. To attract more buyers, you can offer them discounts, easy refunds and returns, showing them reviews from other buyers.
This will encourage them to buy as well, increasing sales and revenue for your brand. Also you should try to invest in shoppable ads on Instagram and Facebook to get them going.
On TikTok you should also consider the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt to encourage more users to purchase your products.
2.8. Private spaces will rule
Private spaces like groupes and communities on social media will continue to appear and connect even more people interested in the same topics.
Groups are already popular on Facebook and in 2023 Instagram implemented the use of channels. All these get people closer and helps them create a safe space to discuss their common interests.
2.9. Staying original will change the game
We all know that brands can no longer reinvent the wheel to be considered original. However, not being a copycat is good enough.
As long as you tell your brand's and your products' stories and you manage to build a whole experience for your customers, you are on the safe side.
Your audience will be thrilled to see how you interact with them on social media and how you show them empathy in the way you care about their pains.
Originality doesn't always mean revolutionary products (although it's also that). Originality lies also in the way you approach a customer service issue or how you respond to comments.
2.10. Using employees as influencers makes a difference
Sure, influencer marketing is great, but have you tried using your employees as influencers?
This could both great and cost effective. Should you pay them extra for doing that? I don't really know but that's surely something to be discussed with them.
Imagine this: your employees are your brand's greatest fans. They know your brand inside and out, you wouldn't have to brief them about anyting. Moreover, they also know what and how you post on social media. Isn't this amazing?
Your employees will not only advertise your brand's products in their social media posts, but they will also be the strong link between your brand and your audience.
They will be there to answer all your customers' questions and maybe even plan giveaways to attract more users.
Final thoughts
Keeping up with all the emerging social media trends can be easy if you use the right tools. Using social listening and social media analytics tools can ease your work, helping you discover emerging trends.
Make sure you plan your social media strategy ahead, but be flexible when it comes to rethinking or introducing the latest trends into your calendar.
Your audience will be ready to engage more and turn into a loyal community.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What social media is becoming popular?
TikTok. As mentioned, short-form video is one of the most popular, top-performing, and highest ROI trends. Given this, it's no surprise that TikTok usage has increased YoY as it caters to short-form videos. Marketers reported that TikTok offers the second-highest potential to grow audiences in 2023.
2.What trends are currently in social media?
Short-form video is still the king.
YouTube is alive and kicking.
Social commerce will continue to rise.
The content creators hold the power.
Community over followers.
Narrow-targeted social media ads.
Digital trust is crumbling and reshaping LinkedIn.
3.What are the social media visual trends in 2023?
In 2023, expect to see less white space and more vibrant colors, bold color combos, contrasting patterns, rich textures, quirky fonts, and layered images. There might be a lot of different elements, but everything is intentional.
4.What is the future of social media 2030?
"The term social media will fade out and become a mass media form in 25 years. By then, there will be three significant trends: There will be more personal ownership of data. Individuals will be able to manage data across platforms in a more centralized way.