The Social Media Trends you need to know about for 2024 (and how to make them work for you)
2023 has been a BIG year for social media. In fact, I think it’s been one of the most disruptive years I have experienced since starting my career in this space in 2012. We have seen Twitter rebrand to X, Meta launch Threads and AI is increasingly dominating conversations about social media. I attended Matt Navara’s Social Media Trends 2024 webinar earlier this month. Matt is a social media consultant and analyst who is well worth a follow on LinkedIn. He shared his insights and predictions on the trends that are set to shape social media over the next 12 months.
And because I want YOU to have the knowledge too, I’m sharing my take on the trends, what they mean for your small business and some additional insights that might be helpful when you come to write your social media strategy for the new year.
Growing communities in private spaces
Adam Mosseri shared insights earlier this year that the majority of the growth on Instagram now comes from Direct Messages and Stories. Which from my own experience, is unsurprising. Stories remain a great way to foster intimate connections with the most engaged members of your community. They act as a window into businesses and Creator’s lives so your audience naturally feels more connected to you. This makes them incredibly powerful. It’s all very well having a huge following, but if you don’t have the engagement and close connections, it’s difficult to convert your audience.
Off the back of this insight, Instagram launched Broadcast Channels, essentially private chats on Instagram Messages which allow business and Creators to reach their closest followers. Channels like this have been used on other Meta platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook for a few years, and I feel that 2023 was the year that really cemented spaces like this as a key part of an overall strategy. Private spaces like Facebook Groups, WhatsApp Channels and Facebook Chats have been contributing to community growth and engagement and this is only set to continue in 2024.
From my experience, Facebook Groups have been invaluable in growing my own community. Eat & Explore MK is my private Facebook group for foodies in Milton Keynes. The value is in the community itself, rather than the creator behind it. It allows you to nurture a highly engaged audience that is the first to see and interact with your content. As you know, strong connections can contribute to sales and monetisation!
How to make it work for you
Create your own intimate space for your most engaged followers or members of your community. This could look like an Instagram Broadcast Channel, Private WhatsApp Group or Facebook Community Group. You can share news, and exclusive offers and even ask for feedback to help develop new products or services. This group is ideally the people who are your biggest fans. They are highly invested in your business and want to be ‘in the know.’ So treat them well, nurture them and involve them in decision-making in your business.
Daisy Morris from The Selfhood talks a lot about community in her book, Community is Your Currency, which I would definitely recommend for further reading on building your community.
2. End-to-end social commerce
We’ve been able to shop through Instagram for several years now and TikTok shop has seen a huge boom in the last 12-18 months. Shopping through social apps makes it very easy for followers to become customers because suddenly the content is shoppable and there are fewer barriers to purchase. TikTok has contributed to the virality and growth of so many small businesses. Hair Syrup and Eternal Muse (heatless curlers) are two brands that come to mind. It’s likely that you’ve seen or heard of them. Well, they have TikTok to thank for their growth. Historically, TikTok has not offered any kind of fulfilment for businesses on the platform. The order is placed through Shop and then left to the retailer to send to the customer.
However, there are hints that TikTok is exploring an end-to-end fulfilment solution for their Shop so customers can purchase products from their favourite businesses on Shop and TikTok would manage the processing and shipping of the item.. This would make them a competitor to Amazon but also set them apart from other Shoppable social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat.
My thoughts on this are that people are already becoming weary of TikTok Shop. So much of the content on the platform is ‘shoppable’ and it just feels like an endless TV ad in some cases. So this is one to keep an eye on, but it’s not one I would worry about too much.
How to make it work for you
If you are a small, product-based business on TikTok, it’s likely that you are already using Shop in one way or another. My recommendation would be to make sure your eggs aren’t all in one basket, and make sure you are still investing time in growing a mailing list and directing people to your website. Ultimately, it’s cheaper to fulfil orders placed through your website right now, and you OWN your website. You don’t own TikTok or Instagram Shop, so tread wisely.
3. Creators are King
The Influencer industry is currently worth a whopping $2.1 billion and that is set to grow in 2024. 92% of customers said that they trust Influencers over traditional marketing or celebrities, so like it or lump it, Creators/Influencers are here to stay. We have seen several Creator-led brands like Tala, Gym Shark, Skims and so many more launch or grow in popularity this year, and I believe this will only continue into 2024. Brands will start to become very smart about how they engage influencers and creators in their strategy. This includes engaging Nano and Micro-influencers who have a small yet highly engaged niche following, using them as brand advocates or even using User Generated Content (UGC) as a key part of their social media strategy. All of these things will contribute to building trust within communities. Matt Navara said that many brands are already starting to make the shift to ‘think like a Creator’ when it comes to social, and this plays a very big part in engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha (more on that later!)
How to make it work for you
Influencers are very powerful tools - But only when used in the right way. I see so many businesses invite Influencers to events or offer press experiences in return for coverage, and I wonder why they have chosen that particular Influencer or group of Influencers. If you are going to use an Influencer, be picky. Notice the difference between an Influencer and just someone with an Instagram following. Think quality over quantity and really interrogate whether they can help your business. Ask questions about their audience. Are they engaged? Are they the people you want your business to be in front of? And does the Influencer have integrity, trust and strong values?
I think it’s also important to mention here that you should be assigning a budget for Influencer Marketing in 2024. I say this from experience too - You get a a lot more value an high-quality content if you start to invest a little bit of money. Influencers are also less keen to work for free or in return for free product/experiences. They are running a business - So start treating Influencer Marketing like you would any other investment in your business.
4. Get to know Gen Z & Gen Alpha
Five years ago, everyone was talking about Millennials. Now, it’s time to get to know Gen Z and Gen Alpha, because in five year’s time, they are going to be your customers. Gen Z is the generation that follows Millennials. Sources widely state that Gen Z are born in the late 90s (1997 onwards) up until the 2010s. They are often referred to ‘digital natives’. In other words, they are the first generation to grow up with Internet as a part of their daily lives. The oldest Gen Zers will be in their 20s now (depressing, I know!) and the youngest will be in their early-mid teens.
Generation Alpha, on the other hand, succeeds Gen Z. They were born in the early 2010s to early to mid-2020s. Generation Alpha is the first to be born entirely in the 21st Century and third millennium. They are children of Millenials and older Gen Zers. Technology has played perhaps an even more significant role in their daily lives than Gen Z. They haven’t known life without social media or streaming services. They also experienced the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In five years’ time, some members of Gen Alpha is going to be 18 years old. So if you are planning on being in business then, it’s time to start to get to know them because you’re soon going to be selling to them.
How to make it work for you
It’s worth noting that Gen Z and Gen Alpha use social media VERY differently. They are unlikely to be on Facebook or Instagram. Their platforms of choice are TikTok and SnapChat which is where they actually communicate a lot with their friends. It is absolutely essential that you begin to understand how this demographic responds to marketing and what unique challenges they face. You don’t necessarily need to do anything about it next year - Just start to get to know them.
My friend Rochelle White from Rochelle White Communications Agency is an expert in all things Gen Z and Alpha! I asked her for her advice on this.
“When it comes to these consumers, they are digital natives and how they interact and engage with brands is different to previous generations. They don’t use WhatsApp for messaging (like most of us). They use Instagram for DM chats with friends. They also use DMs, stories and interactive features on Reels to communicate with brands. When it comes to Snapchat they use this to interact with Creators and brands on a more personal level. As Snapchat doesn’t have as many ads as Instagram. They prefer a much more personal touch and to feel part of the brand, its values and comms.
When it comes to engaging with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, producing content that is just shareable isn’t enough. It needs to speak to them on a personal level and spark action. When the creative and story is done right, two to three people have gone on to make a purchase from the brand. Be mindful of jumping on trends and topics unless it’s part of who you are. These consumers are savvy and love authenticity from brands. If you don’t start to reach and engage with these consumers, you won’t be in their conscious mind or thought process. You also don’t want to be seen as an out of touch brand!”
To find out more about connecting with Gen Z consumers, check out Rochelle’s blog posts: How can brands and businesses connect with Gen Z consumers? and What does Gen Z and Gen Alpha Marketing look like?
5. AI will keep driving forward
Roses are red, goodbye 2023, the year of ChatGPT…. Or something like that. I promise that was written by me, not an AI! Jokes aside, AI is going will continue to drive forward developments in social media. So it really is a case of getting to grips with it sooner rather than later, because it WILL be shaping social media. 60% of marketers say that Generative AI will transform their role (but there is concern about accuracy!)
It’s likely that you’ve used ChatGPT, even if it is to mess around. Digital tools are already introducing AI to their tool kit. Adobe Photoshop, Canva, Flick and Agorapulse are just some of the tools I interact with that now have AI built into their toolkit. As a Social Media Manager, I am very aware that AI is going to become a huge tool.
In 2024, I think we’ll see an increase in ChatBots that sit on websites or in social messages. I don’t see this as a negative - It just frees businesses up to offer better customer service because an AI is taking care of that for them. Matt Navara also predicts it will play a big role in Ad tools and we’ll see more from the Metaverse.
How to make it work for you
If you want a softer introduction to AI and making it work for your business, I would recommend checking out TRACX. TRACX is an AI-powered marketing platform specifically for small and independent businesses with limited time and resources. It is really easy to use. YOu can create landing pages, mailing lists, tracking links, email campaigns and bespoke landing pages that you can share on your socials and beyond. Use my referral link and you’ll get a month free!
What trends will you tap into in your social media marketing in 2024? If you want to get a head start on planning, book 1:1 with me and let’s smash your socials in 2024.