In 2024, it’s impossible to talk about digital marketing strategy without discussing social media. Increasingly, social media is a dominant force in predicting and influencing consumer behavior, and in both disseminating and mediating information about businesses and brands. And because social media is ever-shifting, marketers must be adaptive and vigilant.
What social media trends should marketers be expecting in the coming months? At enCOMPASS Agency, we have our eye on a few potential trends and disruptions. Here’s a quick look at the territory that lies before us.
Our Social Media Predictions for 2024
1) Threads will grow in popularity.
One of our expectations is that Threads, the Twitter substitute released by Meta last summer, will find its footing within the social media ecosystem. That’s not to say that it will suddenly become as dominant or as important as Facebook or TikTok, but we do think the platform will prove its staying power. And as that happens, marketers will need to seriously consider adding it to their strategies, if they haven’t already.
Why are we so bullish on Threads? While new social media platforms tend to fizzle out pretty quickly, this one has the full backing of Meta, and also fills a void left by the ongoing Twitter/X implosion. We suspect that Threads is here to stay.
2) X will continue its decline.
Speaking of the platform formerly known as Twitter, another prediction for 2024 is that X will continue declining.
There are a number of reasons why the platform has fallen into unpopularity, from the erratic leadership of Elon Musk to the platform’s well-publicized problems moderating socially unacceptable content. There’s also something to be said for the fact that more and more social media users are gravitating toward platforms that feel fresher.
No matter the reason, X is in a bad place, and we think its position will worsen as 2024 goes on. By year-end, the once-mighty social network could prove all but irrelevant.
3) AI will become more and more important.
With the genesis of ChatGPT, some marketers and copywriters worried that they might soon be out of a job. Thankfully that hasn’t proven to be the case. On the contrary, marketers have discovered that AI can be a useful tool for generating small snippets of text, or simply for ideating new topics. In 2024, we expect to see more and more marketing teams embrace the utility (and recognize the limitations) of AI toolsets.
4) Reddit will become more mainstream.
Reddit is not a new platform by any stretch, and yet it remains somewhat on the fringe of mainstream social media use. A lot of Internet users still view Reddit as something niche or nerdy. We think that’s changing, and that Reddit will have a breakthrough this year.
One reason for our Reddit optimism: The site is actually a great place to turn for authentic, personal, local recommendations from people in the same city or town. And that’s exactly the kind of curated content that a lot of consumers desire these days.
5) Short-form video will prove more and more essential.
We’ve been banging the drum for short-form video for years now. Thanks to TikTok, this is increasingly the content delivery vehicle of choice, particularly for younger social media users. Other platforms have taken notice, hence the rising popularity of Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
In 2024, marketers will embrace this trend more than ever, lifting short-form video content to a place of unmistakable strategic prominence.
6) LinkedIn will continue to be invaluable (and underrated).
LinkedIn certainly isn’t the flashiest of social networks, and yet it remains incredibly influential within the B2B space.
Our prediction regarding LinkedIn is pretty simple: While it’s unlikely to generate a bunch of splashy headlines, the platform will remain an essential ingredient in any B2B marketing strategy, without any other platform coming along to challenge or replace it.
7) Pinterest will maintain its position in the social media ecosystem.
Along the same lines, we expect Pinterest to maintain its current position. This is another platform that exerts more influence than people might think, particularly in luxury and lifestyle branding.
Pinterest may not be right for every marketer, but in 2024, it will continue to prove its utility to marketers working in certain verticals. And as with LinkedIn, there’s no challenger in sight.
Stay Abreast of Social Media Trends
Social media is always changing, and it’s vital for digital marketing professionals to stay in-the-know.
We’re here to help. At enCOMPASS Agency, we’re always looking ahead to shifts in the social media landscape. We’ll keep our clients posted on any big changes or important new trends that develop this year. And if you have any specific questions about social media marketing strategy, reach out to us at any time.
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