Social media is constantly changing. This constant change also gives a fantastic opportunity for marketers to search for new and innovative ways to contact their target demographic. Following social media trends that are predicted to dominate this year is critical for a successful marketing plan.
Social media usage is increasing and will continue to do so. With approximately 4.74 billion active users, this represents a 4.2% increase over the previous year’s figure. That equates to 59.3% of the global population using social media.
This sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? With more users, you may seek a larger market share. This can soon lead to content saturation, user engagement fatigue, and budget overruns. So, let’s look at where you should concentrate your marketing efforts.
Social Media Trends to Watch in 2024:
The social trends outlined below can help you stand out and increase the visibility, market reach, and user engagement of your business. Plus, Visit a Social media marketing company in Chennai to assist you in this process.
#1 Authenticity:
Aside from video content, which has consistently been on the trends list in recent years, authenticity has gradually become the defining component of success for social media sites. Authenticity, real-time updates, and posts that customers can relate to are more of a demand than an expectation in an age of overly-edited photographs and videos and customer cynicism.
#2 Short video:
When it comes to video content, YouTube, unsurprisingly, remains the undisputed top. This is especially true for the 92% of marketers that see it as an important aspect of their marketing strategy. As major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn expand their video capabilities to keep up with the growing popularity and new trends, the video momentum has only grown.
Short-form videos have become a popular trend among younger audiences. It’s easy to see why short, compelling videos are so popular. They are simple to build and quite inexpensive, resulting in some excellent user-generated content.
Instagram took the first move toward the shorter video format, introducing Instagram Reels to its platform. Despite the fact that their primary demographics differ, this sort of video “microcontent” has grown in popularity with them as well. This content tendency will only worsen as people’s attention spans diminish from generation to generation.
#3 Micro-influencers:
In terms of influencer marketing, this tendency will be even more prominent this year. As more people purchase from home, your brand promotion approach will be determined by collaborating with influencers who have a large following. Influencer marketing is an efficient social marketing tactic, but it may be expensive.
But you can choose micro-influencers because macro-influencers have large followings, and it is difficult for them to engage with their followers. Micro-influencers, on the other
hand, have smaller audiences but a higher level of involvement. They are also less expensive to collaborate with.
Collaborating with multiple smaller influencers who are better suited to your relevant market can result in a higher return on investment for your business.
#4 Popular social commerce:
Go where your customers are, or even better, go first and set up shop. That’s certainly what Facebook and Instagram had in mind. They were the first platforms to provide social commerce capabilities. They had the right idea, given the gradual shift to online commerce and the influx of new active users.
So, if they haven’t already, the Facebook Shop and Instagram Storefront will quickly become two of the most popular services on their respective networks.
Buyers today are more knowledgeable than ever before. They are thoroughly investigating your brand and services. As a result, this method of commerce has enormous potential. Prospective customers value convenience.
As 54% of people use social media to research items, this means locating information about you and your offering in one spot. Customer contact and reviews, as well as how your business is represented, assist customers in making informed decisions and purchasing more quickly.
#5 Customer Service:
Social media networks have come a long way from being simple means for connecting individuals and sharing content with one another. It is critical to have an open channel of communication with your consumers in order to resolve potential difficulties as soon as possible.
What better approach to engage with them than to use an already available function that allows you and your consumers to communicate practically instantly? It’s also good PR for brands when they publicly respond to customers and assist them.
Twitter, for example, does not have a dedicated customer care tool. Customers can draw the brand’s attention by tagging it or commenting on an official tweet. By tracking your brand mentions, you may also go around this and optimize the process. To assist
your business, Facebook includes specific tools such as a common inbox, automatic responses, and a chatbot.
#6 Social media personalized ads:
Paid advertising is effective, which is why more than half of firms intend to increase their social media advertising spending. Given the increased popularity of video and graphic content on social media, it’s no surprise that Instagram will receive the majority of social media ad spending. Not to mention the recent increase in audience the platform has seen.
Ad traffic and content promotion will also increase on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. These channels are the most successful in helping them achieve their company objectives. And they are quite beneficial for all forms of business growth.
#7 Social Listening:
Social listening can be utilized in a variety of ways. For example, if your brand is mentioned, you want to be there, especially if a customer has a problem or a query. A prompt and helpful response does more for your brand’s image than any advertisement could possibly achieve.
But it’s not just about being reactive when you can also be proactive by anticipating emerging topic trends and monitoring how people respond to them.
#8 Communities that are close-knit:
The unexpected growth in social media users isn’t ideal, at least not for everyone. For some users, noise is becoming a concern, and they are looking for alternative modes of communication.
Preferably in smaller communities of like-minded people, where they can freely produce and share information. These micro-communities have smaller audiences but high levels of involvement.
Facebook and LinkedIn were perfectly positioned to capitalize on this trend, and it shows. Facebook Groups experienced an increase in the number of groups, which corresponds nearly perfectly with the current situation in the world, as people are
socially oriented and want to communicate with others. Companies have also noticed this trend on social media and are increasingly interested in growing their communities.
You may take advantage of this by simply focusing your audience’s attention on a focal point, which can be anything from your brand or a specific product. Collect feedback, provide useful material, gather vital insights, and lead the conversation with your audience. Giving your supporters and consumers a sense of belonging strengthens your brand.
#9 Brand involvement rise:
More and more corporations are deciding to engage in public dialogue on social media about problems of social justice, politics, and the environment. This might be a bold marketing strategy or genuine involvement, both of which could have a negative impact on a segment of the audience.
More than half of social media users, particularly younger viewers, appreciate the trend of business activism and would like to see your company actively participating in controversial issues.
This can also help to humanize your brand by integrating it into the content on a specific issue that your customers are interested in. It might boost their good attitude and devotion to you and your brand. Just be mindful of how you handle a delicate subject and ensure that you have the permission of your audience.
#10 Bringing social media and email marketing together:
The distinctions between various digital marketing channels are becoming increasingly blurred. Marketers aim to bridge the gap between them in order to collect as much data as possible and use it efficiently.
As a result, a multichannel approach has been developed with the purpose of providing users with complete brand immersion. To make this marketing plan work, you must establish and maintain your brand’s tone, as well as align your social and email campaigns.
Using both channels for distinct objectives is an excellent method to combine them. Social media platforms are excellent for increasing brand exposure and consumer interest, whereas email marketing is primarily concerned with conversion. A
cross-channel campaign, such as a social gift in exchange for a subscription to your email newsletter, is an excellent place to start.
Social Media Trends are changing every day. Popular trends start out modest. This is why you should keep an ear to the ground on social media and keep an eye out for chances.
But be careful not to overextend yourself. Concentrate on a few trends that you may incorporate into your marketing strategy and execute them properly. Discover what works best for you and your brand while keeping your target audience in mind.
Author Bio
Nandhini founded consultusnow.com – A Digital Marketing Agency located in Chennai at the age of 25. She has been running the organization for 3 years successfully and has served 50+ businesses.
