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Social Media Trends 2024: 10 Ideas To Elevate Your Strategy

A whole new social media platform (read Threads), a massive rebranding of a popular social media platform (of course, we’re talking about the story of Twitter becoming X) – yes, the social media landscape saw several white-knuckle moments in 2023. So, what do all these add up to? How do these changes plus the advent of AI features affect the social media trends 2024? That’s what we’re here to discuss today. 

Well, you might say that it’s too early to talk about social media trends 2024. But is it, really? As they say, it’s never too early to start strategizing your business’ social media strategy.

Are you ready to clear the decks and welcome a new year, a new window of growth for your brand? Then without further ado, let’s get started with the list of the anticipated social media trends 2024.

10 Anticipated Social Media Trends 2024 

1. Get ready for an era of long-form text posts 

There’s a new social media post format to worry about in 2024 – long-form text posts! Text posts and social media? Are we going back to the social media stone age? Perhaps! When vintage happens to be the new black in graphic design and fashion, why not? What are we talking about? Twitter (now X) retracing its steps and prioritizing text posts! 

In February, X announced the introduction of long-form Tweets to Premium subscribers. In September, Elon Musk announced that long-form Tweets were garnering about 3 billion views per day on the platform. 

This is a clear sign of X evolving from its microblogging site status to something different. Therefore, this is one of the hottest developments to discuss on our list of social media trends 2024. 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

Whether you are a marketer handling your business’s X page or a content creator with a strong personal brand established on social media, you need to pivot your approach to tackling X in 2024. You cannot just repurpose all your images and videos from the other platforms. You need to steadily focus on creating informative and conversational long-form Tweets to stay ahead in your X game. 

2. Video content will rule the game, again! 

Okay, so the text post format is going to make it big! We hear that sigh of relief assuming that you can momentarily shift your focus from videos! But, wait! Videos are not going anywhere. Just because X is shifting its attention to text posts we cannot start ignoring videos because other platforms are not! 

But one thing sure is changing – 2023 was more about short-form videos but we believe that 2024 will see a balanced focus on both short-form and long-form videos. 

Earlier in 2023, the fact that TikTok removed its 10-minute video uploads reinforced the emphasis on short-form videos in 2023. 

However, a little later, in October, there was news that TikTok was testing long-form videos. Reportedly, the platform was allowing a select few users to upload videos up to 15 minutes long. So, possibly one of the most popular social media trends 2024 will be a balanced surge in the consumption of both long-form and short-form videos on social media. 

This is in line with the fact that more and more people are using social media to gather information and get answers (more on that in the next section). 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

Brands need to revisit and create a robust video content plan for their business which includes a mix of entertaining short-form videos and educational long-form videos. 

KIMP Tip: When creating long-form videos, remember that you are still catering to an audience with short attention spans. So, it’s all about making your mark in the first few seconds. Therefore, powerful and convincing intros matter now more than ever. But at the same time, stay away from clickbait that hampers your authenticity. Instead, add an irresistible hook. 

3. Carousel posts are changing 

So videos are a lasting trend, we get it! But does that mean you can ignore other post formats? Like carousels for example? Not at all! In fact, according to Hootsuite, Carousels see more engagement on Instagram than Reels. 

So, yes, Carousels are the other crucial formats to focus on in 2024. However, remember that a few things are changing about Carousels on various platforms. For example, Instagram now allows you to add music tracks to photos in your Carousels. 

On the other hand, LinkedIn announced that it’s bidding farewell to carousel posts. Therefore, you need Document posts in place of Carousels on LinkedIn now.

And finally, X is reportedly testing video carousels where you can slide through a carousel of different videos in a single post! 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

So, one thing to remember about the social media trends 2024 will be to keep your content strategy diverse and optimized to your business requirements. Reels are good for expanding your reach especially when you incorporate trending audio tracks or even explore buzzing video trends. On the other hand, to win the trust of your followers, to educate them and to establish your authority, you might want them to save your content more and Carousels work better in this case. But that’s just for Instagram. 

As we discussed earlier, X seems to be prioritizing long-form posts now. And LinkedIn is going big with its Collaborative Articles, reportedly planning to give them a better Reach. 

In conclusion, while you need to have a solid video content plan for your business, the key to sustained growth is to broaden your approach and have a good mix of content formats to cater to the varying needs of your audience. 

4. The social media and search engine overlap 

Why do we think that one of the most notable among social media trends 2024 will be an overlap between search engines and social media? There are two parts to this trend: 

  • Firstly, in May 2023, Google added a new feature called Perspectives to Search. With this, Google introduced the option for users to find useful information from discussion forums and social media sites directly on the Google Search results page. 
  • Secondly, a few months ago, we got news that TikTok might soon start displaying Google Search results on the platform. 

Both these developments clearly indicate one thing – the era where social media posts did not influence your brand’s search rankings might soon come to an end. 

Additionally, the below image shows the most popular reasons why people use social media (based on Statista’s data from 2022). 

Source 

As can be seen, from reading news to finding inspiration for things to buy, and finding products to purchase, people use social media as a search engine for information and ideas. 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

If you wish to stay ahead in your content game, create content that answers questions. To achieve this, understand the search intent of your target audience, the types of questions they have and create content that educates them and creates value for them. These strategies hold good for both social media content and website content like blogs. In conclusion, focus on people-focused content rather than merely prioritizing the algorithm. 

5. Spotlight on the “social” component in social media through DMs and more 

For a long time now, brands have been focusing on Feed post engagement across platforms as a measure of social media engagement. But possibly one of the most important social media trends 2024 is the shift in focus to more personalized communication through DMs. 

We live in times when about 62% of consumers expect brands to deliver hyper-personalization. Therefore, one-on-one interactions take center stage. This includes channels like emails and DMs on social media platforms. 

Additionally, Meta announced Broadcast Channels, first on Instagram and then on WhatsApp. Broadcast Channels allow brands to reinforce the “social” component in social media. This feature comes in handy for brands looking to grow their audience and increase their engagement on these platforms. From giving instant updates to news coverage, gathering opinions through Polls, and providing a curated Feed brands can tap into Broadcast Channels in many ways. 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

Brands should focus on delivering prompt customized DM responses in a way to deliver better customer service through social media channels. And leveraging Broadcast Channels is a powerful move to look forward to in the coming year. 

The rising focus on DMs also brings us to another crucial trend that many are anticipating for 2024 and that is the rise of messaging apps. 

6. Growing focus on social messaging apps for marketing 

Until now, when we talk about social media marketing, most brands concentrate on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok and other content-focused channels. However, recently, there has been a steady rise in the use of social messaging apps. Let’s look at the below data from Statista to better understand the scenario. 

Source 

As can be seen from the graph, social messaging apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram have been on the rise. Therefore, 2024 is a good time for brands to start thinking about reaching out to their customers through these social messaging apps. That’s yet another way to personalize the approach and deliver targeted ads that have better chances of converting. 

Yet another development in this favor is a recent announcement from Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp about upcoming refinements to business chats on WhatsApp. Steps like these show that the platforms are gearing up for this emerging trend as well. 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

From transactional updates to personalized promotions, exclusive coupon codes, and customer chat support, brands can leverage these social messaging apps in several ways. 

7. Preparing for ad-free subscriptions 

Currently, X Premium+ users have an ad-free experience, and X Premium users see 50% fewer ads than free users. Furthermore, Meta recently announced an ad-free subscription model in Europe. 

Reportedly, Snapchat is also testing an ad-free subscription. All of these mean that ad-free social media might be one of the biggest social media trends 2024. 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

There are a few things for brands to know based on this trend:

  • Brands need to widen their approach and choose more credible and personalized strategies like working with content creators instead of betting high on paid ads alone. More on this in the next section. 
  • Additionally, brands need to start focusing on fostering meaningful connections through social media rather than looking at these platforms merely as advertising channels. When your social media content engages and entertains your audience effectively, they will be willing to follow your brand and click on that link in your Bio! 
  • Finally, with the growing competition and reduced ad exposure, every single ad opportunity counts. This reinforces the need for creating attention-grabbing visuals and engaging content for social media advertising.

Need help crafting stunning social media ads for your brand? Get KIMP! 

8. Creator marketing to take prominence 

Brands have steadily been increasing their spending on influencer marketing and this is likely to continue in 2024 as well. In fact, the below graph from Insider Intelligence shows how resilient the spending on influencer marketing has been in comparison with traditional social media ad spending over the past few years.

Source 

Additionally, data shows that about 92% of brands have plans to spend more on creators in 2024. All of these clearly point in the direction that creator marketing is likely to take prominence in 2024. 

Previously, we spoke about a possible rise in competition in terms of social media ads and the shifting ad landscape on various social media platforms. So, collaborating with content creators is a great alternative for brands looking to overcome the changes in advertising in the social media realm. 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

It’s a good time for brands to start investing in creator collaborations. Furthermore, choosing relevant creators whose values and target audience align with those of the brand is crucial. That’s when the creator collaboration actually helps boost the brand’s authenticity and following on social media. 

9. Clearing the path for AI and AR 

Most social media trends 2024 strongly indicate that AI and AR might become a critical part of social media in the coming years. 

For starters, brands are now more open to using AI to ideate content and create designs or edit them and generate copy and captions for social media posts. In short, AI has drastically enhanced the social media content workflow. 

Moreover, social media platforms are adding AI-powered features as well. For example, LinkedIn uses AI to drive its recently popular post format, Collaborative Posts. On the other hand, Meta introduced a range of AI-powered features across its platforms including AI stickers, AI-image editing, and more. 

Source 

Similarly, AR is also booming in the social media realm. For instance, Snap announced Lens Studio 5.0, an AR development tool. The tool allows creators to create AR filters and more powered by generative AI features that let them use text prompts for editing. 

What does this trend mean for brands? 

The fact that several social media platforms are aligning with tech advancements like AI and AR, brands need to keep their eyes open to watch out for such AI tools within platforms. Moreover, you should also prepare to venture into creating immersive experiences for your audience through AR filters and other options. 

10. Social media platforms to focus on in 2024 
  • Facebook – with over 3.03 billion monthly active users, the platform continues to appeal to diverse demographics and is therefore suitable for most brands across various industries. 
  • Instagram – this visually-driven platform is a great space for brands to showcase their portfolio and connect with their audience. 
  • X – despite the mixed responses to its rebranding and the endless number of updates, the platform continues to be a top priority for engagement and reach. 
  • YouTube – with video still ruling the game, this platform continues to be a space for brands to entertain their audience and educate them. 
  • TikTok – now having brought in Photo Mode in addition to the video posts, brands looking to keep things fresh and work on continuous engagement find this platform to be effective. 
  • LinkedIn – there’s no other platform that can currently replace LinkedIn when it comes to B2B marketing. 
  • Snapchat – its popularity among brands with a young audience is growing consistently. 
  • WeChat – brands looking to make it big in the Asian market cannot ignore the fact that this platform has over 1.3 billion monthly active users. 
  • Telegram – its privacy-focused features are among the many reasons behind this platform’s current popularity. 
  • Pinterest – with a lot of new personalizations and customizable interface updates like the “body type ranges” the platform continues to be a popular source of shopping inspiration. Hence, a worthy visual catalog for brands! 
  • Reddit – for brands looking to build strong communities. 
  • Discord and Twitch – for brands looking to connect with niche audiences. 

These are just a few to explore. Compare the audience demographics in each and understand your brand’s social media objectives to find the most relevant and the most effective social media platforms to include in your marketing strategy. And in the end, quality always matters more than quantity on social media. 

Tackle All Your Visual Content for Social Media With KIMP

In conclusion, there’s a lot to look out for when it comes to social media trends 2024. But one thing remains the same – the focus on visuals! Even with X’s new long-form Tweets, you can include in-line images to make your posts more engaging. So, as these trends unfold, having a designated design team to take care of all your social media design requirements makes a big difference. That’s where a design subscription like KIMP comes into the picture. Unlimited designs and unlimited revisions for a flat monthly fee! Register now for a free 7-day trial! 

Posted On

16 Jan, 2024

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