In today’s fast-paced digital world, social media constantly evolves and shapes how we connect and communicate with one another; as well as the way we consume content.
With new platforms emerging and algorithms changing, staying updated on the latest trends is crucial for anyone looking to maximise their digital marketing presence.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the most impactful social media trends of 2024, exploring how they’re influencing brands, content creators, and everyday users.
Whether you’re a marketer, influencer, or casual user, understanding these trends will help you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing landscape of social media.
1) The Importance of AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most significant social media trends and is changing the way in which we understand social media.
With deeper insights and more powerful tools, AI excels at revealing hidden gems in social media that would spearhead trends into the industry in advance of human forecasting.
In addition to this, as a consumer, AI creates personalised recommendations – making it easier for users to discover relevant ads, posts and products that are relevant to their own interests.
As AI continues to evolve, its role in automating processes, enhancing user experiences, and driving smarter decision-making will only become more critical to the future of social media.
2) Short Form Video Is Still Vital
With the rising popularity of Tiktok, Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts, short form video content offers a golden opportunity for brands to capture the attention of an audience who resonate with content that is straightforward and to the point.
This format is highly shareable, easy to digest, and allows creators to capture attention within seconds, making it ideal for today’s fast-scrolling habits.
Tiktok, known for its viral dance videos and challenges, has expected to reach 1.8 billion active users by the end of 2024 – creating an extensive opportunity for brands looking to market their products by using short form video content.
We can attribute the success of short form video to fast-paced habits of consumers, as well as its viral potential and ability for creative freedom.
Short-form video is a powerful tool for reaching wider audiences and staying relevant in the constantly evolving social media landscape.
3) Is Long Form Video Making A Comeback?
While we already know that short-form video content dominates much of social media, long-form video seems to be making a popular comeback, offering deeper engagement and more meaningful connections between brand and consumer.
Platforms like YouTube, IGTV and even Tiktok’s 30 minute video trial, have seen a resurgence of longer content as users seek more in-depth storytelling, tutorials, and discussions.
Unlike short viral clips, long-form videos offer brands and creators the space to dive into complex topics, share detailed product reviews, or offer comprehensive insights – therefore drawing in audiences who want to engage in more profound content.
Long form video content is also the perfect tool to leverage trust between a brand and its audience, as through more substantial content, brands can showcase expertise and foster communities.
As consumer habits are increasingly becoming more community-led, long-form video is reclaiming its place in the social media ecosystem as a valuable tool for content creators and businesses alike.
4) Authenticity Is More Crucial Than Ever
“Authenticity”, deemed 2023’s word of the year, is one of the most important social media trends, as trustworthiness online can foster an important connection between brands and consumers.
In a social media world, cluttered with misinformation, showing a non-curated version of your brand speaks volumes over a more picture-perfect presence as users increasingly seek genuine and relatable content.
In a space that was previously dominated by “perfect” imagery, these days, audiences and consumers consider transparency and real-life experiences more important – therefore enhancing the need for community-based, user generated content (UGC).
Whilst influencers and brands alike are embracing the shift for showcasing behind-the-scenes, users turn to these moments to connect with and buy into a brand’s morals and values – which in turn will generate more engagement and loyalty.
This trend is changing how success is measured on social media, and as consumers become more discerning, authenticity helps build lasting connections, making it a critical strategy for anyone looking to stand out in today’s digital landscape.
5) The Importance Of Entertainment
Entertainment has always been at the core of successful social media content, but its importance as trends continues to grow, shapes how platforms evolve and users engage with branded content.
As user habits develop to use social media for more than just updates from friends – keeping users hooked through entertaining and engaging content will play a crucial role for brands in providing value.
For brands and creators, tapping into this entertainment trend means creating engaging, shareable content that entertains while also delivering a message – finding this balance between the two is an invaluable step for brands.
Entertainment keeps audiences coming back for more, driving higher engagement and fostering a sense of community around shared experiences. In today’s digital world, content that entertains is often the key to going viral and staying relevant.
6) Influencers Matter Even More
Influencer marketing revolutionises how brands connect with their audiences by using a more authentic voice to capture the attention of consumers.
As consumers turn to trusting recommendations from real people over traditional advertising, influencers – both macro and micro – have become essential voices in shaping purchasing decisions.
These creators build loyal followings by sharing authentic content, this in turn makes their endorsements more relatable and impactful for brands.
In a Q3 Sprout Pulse Survey of 307 US-based marketers, 8 in 10 social marketers describe influencer marketing as essential to their social strategies.
Both brands and digital marketers are leveraging the influencer trend by partnering with influencers to promote products and services in a way that feels organic and genuine.
Utilising this trend not only boosts brand visibility but also taps into niche communities, making it a vital strategy for brands looking to deepen connections and drive sales in today’s social media-driven marketplace.
Influencer marketing will more than likely remain one of the most important social media trends for years to come, so if you need influencer marketing for your brand, now is the time.
7) Social Media As Customer Service
Using social media as a customer service channel transforms how businesses interact with their customers through providing immediate reassurance and answers to their enquiries.
Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram offer direct lines of communication to the consumer – allowing brands to resolve issues, answer questions, and provide support in real time.
It is found that 90% of consumers feel that an instant response from customer service is crucial and this shift to social media for customer service aligns perfectly with consumer expectations.
These public interactions can enhance transparency and trust, as brands strive to showcase their commitment to customer satisfaction.
By integrating customer feedback and customer service into a brand’s social media, brands can create a more memorable and meaningful experience for their customers – with Sprout Social stating that over half of consumers say that the most memorable brands on social media respond to their customers.
8) Ads Need To Get Even Shorter
In most recent times, the popularity of short-form videos in social media has in turn affected the length and effectiveness of advertisements online. It is said that the social media ads – especially short-form – are expected to generate more ad revenue than any other platform online by the end of 2024.
Short-form ads offer brands a powerful way to capture the attention of an audience in just a few seconds.
With platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts prioritising and favouring bite-sized content, advertisers have, in turn, adapted to this trend by creating concise and impactful ads that deliver key messaging effectively.
As the optimal length for Gen Z’s active attention online is 1.3 seconds, ads lasting under 6 seconds are ideal when aligning social media’s fast-scrolling behaviour with a strong creative element that can pull in users immediately.
The brevity of short-form ads allows brands to showcase products, promotions, or brand values in a format that feels less intrusive and more native to a user’s social media experience.
As attention spans continue to shrink, short-form ads are proving to be an essential tool for marketers looking to engage users and drive conversions in a highly competitive digital landscape.
9) Social Search Is Taking Over
Social media has become more than a tool for connecting with friends and family, it has now become its own search engine, with platforms like Tiktok ranking as the number one social engine tool for more than half of Gen Z users.
The shift to using social media as a search engine is driven by changing user behaviour, algorithm enhancements and how content is discovered.
Unlike traditional search engines, social media platforms offer highly visual, real-time content and personalised search results driven by user engagement and algorithms that allow users to relate with “real” content.
Consumers are turning to using social media to now find everything from tutorials, and fashion trends to product reviews and restaurant recommendations – something that traditional search engines may not offer.
As a brand, this shift means that content for discovery must be optimised for these platforms, including using relevant hashtags, creating engaging visual content and crafting content that answers questions.
10) Embrace Community
With 80% of consumers making online purchases based on influencer recommendations, community based content and engagement is crucial for brands looking to grow their ROI.
From a brand perspective, understanding and creating a community can cultivate important customer relationships, elevate engagement and result in increased conversions.
Rather than focusing solely on individual content, the emphasis has shifted toward building and nurturing communities where people can share common interests, support each other, and engage in discussions.
For brands, creating a community-driven approach allows for deeper engagement and loyalty, as followers feel more involved and valued.
This trend reflects a desire for more authentic, interactive experiences on social media, where relationships and shared values drive long-term engagement rather than passive content consumption.
Summary
It is impossible to know when a new platform or content format will begin to trend and grow in popularity, however we can always look at the larger social media marketing trends and utilise them to build a stronger strategy that will uplift and build a brand’s success.
Staying ahead of these trends is essential for anyone looking to thrive in the digital space and now that you are familiar with social media trends of 2024, take a look at how to build a successful social media strategy.
Get in touch with CEEK Marketing to help your brand take advantage these social media trends.