Top Social Media Trends for 2024

Social media is getting bigger each day, with 5.07 billion people in the world using different social media platforms to search for specific types of content. Moreover, the social media marketing space is experiencing seismic shifts and artificial intelligence is playing a critical role in influencing how users interact with content on different platforms. From AI-generated content to the phenomenal rise of social commerce, a lot is going to change in social media marketing. Therefore, as a business, it is important to keep a close eye on key social media trends for 2024, shaping business strategies and user behavior.

Major Trends Influencing Social Media

Each business across industries and sectors needs to be aware of social media trends, as companies need to closely watch their target customers’ behavior on different platforms. As meme culture gains popularity and influences the type and format of content that businesses produce to expand their reach, some trends change quickly. This calls for having updated information on specific social media platforms and posting either regularly or weekly to enhance the visibility of the brand. Other trends could be long-term, impacting the overall social media strategy and yearly content calendar. These types of changes reflect a monumental shift in user behavior, like opting for short videos or any change in the functionality of the platform, allowing users to engage in on-platform shopping experiences. Therefore, it is important to consider the significant changes that are influencing social media marketing in 2024.

1. Short-form Video is in, but Long-form Video will Gain Traction: Users across social media platforms prefer short-form videos, and brands and content creators follow the trend to enhance their followers and gain better traction. They use YouTube shorts, Instagram reels, and TikTok videos. But now TikTok is testing the waters with long form videos spanning one to ten minutes, asking creators to create videos with a longer span. A report from TechCrunch says that TikTok is planning to increase the length of long-form uploads to 30 minutes. They have already tried limits of 3, 10, and 15 minutes. However, it doesn’t mean that your business shouldn’t focus on short-form videos; instead, it should inculcate storytelling aspects in long form videos to stay relevant.
2. Expansion of Social Media Commerce: The trend on TikTok named #TikTokMadeMeBuyIT got everyone’s attention, and that too for the right reasons. With the official launch of TikTokShop in late 2023, the social media platform is pushing ways to make shopping via their app easier and more effective. So, the trend of interactive shopping experiences along with live interactions is going to see a major rise in the coming years. Brands will benefit from the live shopping events, which bring elements of entertainment along with offering instant purchasing offers. Therefore, if your business has not experimented with selling products and services on social media, it can be a high time to try out this trend via Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok shops as per your requirements.
3. Building Engaging Social Media Communities: The majority of businesses view social media platforms as a way to build their brands and increase their reach via sharing content. But the truth is that these platforms are not just for sharing content but also to build communities and engage with them on a regular basis. It helps to foster loyalty and win trust among customers through constant engagement and monitoring of social communities. The market experts reveal that due to longer nurture and conversion cycles, it is important to have an organized system in place and ensure proper follow-up with all members of the community to build real and authentic connections. It has been viewed that small scale businesses can leverage the benefits of engaged communities by engaging with targeted customers, boosting their sales. Moreover, the time to streamline the sales process by engaging with communities is ripe, and many businesses are leveraging this benefit.
4. Rise of Social Media for Searching: Gen Z is making a transformative shift from traditional searches done on popular search engines and opting for social media platforms for product discovery. Moreover, instead of opting to search online for products, they prefer brands to make suggestions to them on the best products in their feeds. This factor is going to reshape the social marketing strategy of businesses, as they need to focus on building relevant strategies to attract Gen Z and sell their products. Studies reveal that every one in four people prefers to search brands on social media, and 22% admit searching products more on social media than traditional platforms, and there has been a 47% increase in searches as compared to past years. Therefore, brands optimizing videos, garnering positive views from influencers, and making it easier for consumers to buy products are going to win the game. Research shows that Gen Z trusts Reddit for gaining insights into product reviews after getting input from review sites, family, and friends rather than searching on search engines.
5. Authentic Content is Still the King: Even though artificial intelligence is making waves across industries, people still prefer to have authentic content when connecting with the brand. Even though there is a rise in creator and influencer economies, people intend to associate with brands that have an authentic voice, fostering trust and loyalty among consumers. This trend is going to continue throughout 2024, where human connection and creativity play a pivotal role in drafting unique brand messaging. Organizations of all sizes should use authentic content creation by working with influencers and building clear messages for their customers, all while focusing on best practices for business. Recent studies show that 63% of consumers feel that companies share authentic content, while 59% feel that content is tailored to their needs. Therefore, more than 90% of marketers will continue to spend on creating authentic content reflecting their brand values in 2024.

Conclusion

To conclude, the above top five trends are going to shape the overall social media strategy of businesses. With the advent of artificial intelligence and augmented reality, people consume more content on social media, not just for entertainment but also to search for brands and products, moving away from traditional search engines. Therefore, companies have to sharpen their social media strategies to attract Gen Z, a crucial part of the economy, and influence them to buy products. This growing trend is paving the way towards social ecommerce and opening new channels of revenue generation for businesses. Overall, coming times will witness an upward trajectory in social media usage, and businesses need to gear up and strategize their marketing plans around these platforms, targeting Gen Z with authenticity and unique brand value.