7 predictions for 2024 social media trends
Written by ASHLEY peterson-deluca
Social media brought many surprises in 2023. Will 2024 be a roller coaster too?
Because my Magic 8 Ball told me “Reply hazy, try again,” I checked in with some of the biggest names in social media to see what they predicted for 2024.
1. People are seeking light-hearted content.
According to Hootsuite’s Social Trends 2024 survey, after staying in touch with family and friends, the top reason people say they use social media is to be “entertained and to mentally unwind.”
What I’m hearing is: We. Need. A. Break. From the news. From work. From overwhelming responsibilities.
This means that people will gravitate towards – and engage with – content that is inspirational, gets them excited, is fun to watch or teaches them something new or interesting.
2. People crave authenticity.
AI is already changing our lives in so many ways. But, users are wary of AI-created content on social media. Sixty-two percent of consumers say they are less likely to engage with and trust content if they know it was created by an AI app.
People don’t trust robots. People trust people.
But that doesn’t mean you have to ditch your favorite AI tools. Regardless of what app you used to create it, make sure your content connects with your audience’s values. (A great Brand Messaging Strategy will make sure you know what points to hit).
One way to signal this is by not being too polished. Take your audience behind-the-scenes to how your organization operates. Don’t be afraid to do that Zoom interview video.
And, elevate your audience’s own content! SEM Rush predicts that user-generated content will be the most engaging — and cost effective — social media content of 2024.
3. Make your content searchable.
This trend has Google execs worried: 40 percent of young adults (18-24) are using social media like a search engine. They’re looking for advice from real people on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
Sendible found that 84 percent of buyers look at social media before purchasing a product. Research from Hootsuite showed that the social media posts that relied heavily on great SEO have a higher engagement rate — a 30 percent increase!
So, maximize your hashtags. Use keywords in your caption. Here’s a quick primer on SEO if you’re new to it.
4. Create vertical, short-form videos.
Vertical, 90-second videos aren’t just for TikTok anymore. Ninety percent of vertical videos (Instagram AND Facebook Reels, Stories, TikToks and YouTube Shorts) have a higher watch completion rate compared to horizontal ones.
It’s time to rotate your content 90 degrees and update how you produce videos on all channels.
5. Expand your LinkedIn topics.
You may have noticed this on your own LinkedIn feed. Social Insider predicts that LinkedIn, “is growing into a more personal one, with posts where you can find advice about, well, almost anything.”
So, for example, you won’t just see popular posts about social media best practices, but about personal struggles with keeping up with social media.
Along with that trend, Social Media Today says LinkedIn is likely to further emphasize video content: “I expect LinkedIn to improve on this, with dedicated event and video feeds, potentially swipeable from the main timeline.”
Sendible recommends:
Trying out some more personal content, but don’t overdo it
Experimenting with video
Including some linkless posts
6. Facebook could be your dark horse channel.
Facebook had a rough few years. Daily time on Facebook dropped to its lowest point since it peaked in 2017. It was no longer “cool” to be on Facebook. People expressed concerns about data privacy.
But 2024 is looking up for the platform. Social Media Today says: “The implementation of more AI-based recommendations, largely by inserting more Reels clips into user feeds, has helped Facebook turn around its once-flagging engagement, with time spent in the app increasing in 2023.”
With the reach of posts with links declining, experts recommend focusing more on entertaining, in-channel content.
7. Turn to Threads for up-to-date news content.
Ever since Threads debuted in mid-2023, social media managers have been keeping an eye on the new channel to understand its role in the social media landscape. It looks like Threads is taking some of the X’s (a.k.a., Twitter’s) audience.
Social Media Today says: “In recent weeks, Threads has started to gain more momentum, triggered by the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has highlighted the flaws in X’s revised approaches to moderation, verification, etc.”
With new features being rolled out in 2024, keep an eye on ways to break into a new channel.
I have a feeling that regardless of what comes to pass, 2024 social media will keep us on our toes!
