Just like many other technological inventions, social media trends keep on changing. What was popular in 2023 will not necessarily be the trend in 2024. From the behaviors of social media users to popular topics and experimenting with new apps, we can expect many changes in social media. You should understand the upcoming social media trends to stay ahead of the competition.
Why Keep Up With Social Media Trends?
Stay Ahead of the Competition
By keeping up with social media trends, you can understand the direction content creation will take. You can then position yourself to provide your followers with the kind of content they need. This can help your content go viral and take your popularity to the next level.
Create an Efficient Social Media Strategy
An excellent social media strategy should take into consideration the changing trends. This is the best way of increasing engagement and future-proofing your strategy.
Increase Brand Visibility
Understanding social media trends can help you generate a buzz around your content and increase engagement. You can build a loyal community around your brand by providing your followers with the needed content. This can help increase your audience, which will, in turn, bring more brand visibility and conversions.
Top 5 Social Media Trends to Watch In 2024
Now that we understand social media trends, here are the top ones to watch in 2024:
Growth of Instagram Reels
With the popularity of TikTok getting pitch high, other social media sites like Instagram and Facebook also implemented short-form videos, which they named reels. Our study of these short videos shows they will continue increasing in popularity in 2024.
According to a Hootsuite study, 62% of Instagram users use the platform to research products and services. No wonder brands now prefer Instagram for driving engagement. While TikTok videos will continue to be popular, we foresee a rise in the popularity of Instagram reels. The fact that reel creators can use viral music to create the videos also increases the chances of their videos going viral.
The Rise of New Social Media Sites
This trend occurs every now and then as social media users experiment with new apps and sites. 2024 will not be different as users will continue trying out new platforms. While not all of them will blow out like TikTok, there are already signs of the sites that will grow big in 2024. These include:
- Twitch. The video streaming platform recorded a 100% growth in 2023; we expect the trend to continue in 2024.
- Tumblr
- Mastodon
- Hive
With these rising stars, you must determine if your audience is moving to these platforms.
The Use of Social Media SEO
Social media SEO isn’t new, but it will continue growing. Studies show that 40% of young people now use social media as a search engine. This will cause an increase in the popularity of social media SEO.
This is especially true on platforms like TikTok, where finding a video using the search button is easier. In 2024, social media platforms will give prominence to brands that optimize their pages for social media algorithms.
Growth of Social Commerce
In the last few years, we saw the rise of e-commerce features on social media. This is one trend that we are likely to continue seeing in 2024. With users getting used to seeing and using the marketplaces, social commerce will rise in popularity in 2024.
However, with many users still skeptical about the possibility of buying products on social media, managers need to put in place incentives to attract them. These include discounts and easy refunds.
The Rise of User-generated Content
A recent trend in the last few years is brands tapping into their employees to create content on their behalf. With a declining organic reach and a rise in paid ads, we will likely see brands getting creative with their social media marketing. This is especially the case, as brands that have used employee advocacy have reported seeing an increase in brand awareness. This also provides them with more control over brand messaging.
Wrapping Up
Understanding social media trends will help you plan ahead and create content that resonates with your audience. Using the above tips, you can stay updated with social media trends in 2024.
