2024 SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS
Shadile Gumede
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- January 31, 2024
It’s that time of the year when our heads are spinning, and we’re obsessively surfing the internet to see what the next big wave is for digital. Forget the usual suspects – 2024 is bringing us trends that are a breath of fresh air. AI? Old news. Reels? Everyone’s a filmmaker, and there’s a social media manager creating a Reel in their home for a content calendar as we speak. Without wasting any time, let’s get straight into it.
1. SEO FOR SOCIAL
It’s that time of the year when our heads are spinning, and we’re obsessively surfing the internet to see what the next big wave is for digital. Forget the usual suspects – 2024 is bringing us trends that are a breath of fresh air. AI? Old news. Reels? Everyone’s a filmmaker, and there’s a social media manager creating a Reel in their home for a content calendar as we speak. Without wasting any time, let’s get straight into it.
Lights, camera, action – and more action! Remember when TikTok videos were only 15 seconds long? Well, people got tired of clicking on the next video to see Part 2, and creators can now make 10-minute videos on the platform. We’ll start seeing the max video length increase across the board, which is great for influencer content that requires in-depth reviews, and brands that want to tell stories. Grab your popcorn; some exciting blockbusters are coming up on your feed.
Luxury brands and low-budget production in the same sentence? It’s not a glitch in the matrix – it’s the new wave. Instead of investing big budgets in polished campaign videos, we’re seeing more brands, especially in the beauty industry, repurpose influencer-generated content. Just add some branded elements on either side of a 9:16 video, and you have a YouTube bumper ad! It’s important to invest in good editors and content creators who can create crisp, high-quality content. Personally, I love it – here’s an example for you:
Forget likes and comments – shares are the gold standard of genuine engagement. In a world where authenticity is king, it’s time for brands to aim for content that’s not just likeable but shareable. Brands need to be clear on who they’re making content for and make sure it resonates with them enough to want to share it with their followers. I’ll give bookmarks an honourable mention here too.
Graphic designers are going to love this one: we don’t need a visual for every post. Text-based posts are still a thing, and people enjoy brands that have personality. Brands that are active on X (FKA Twitter) and Threads should experiment with simple statements or questions to see what kind of dialogue comes out of it. It’s not easy if you don’t have an engaged audience, but a witty one-liner can travel far if you’re lucky. Sometimes, less is more, especially when it’s clever.
It’s been a few years in the making, and now brands are getting more comfortable with forming dynamic alliances with content creators to showcase products while giving them the freedom to express themselves in their way. Think podcasts that seamlessly blend product talk with genuine conversation, or creators crafting artistic visuals for campaigns. Brands will need to be less prescriptive with briefs; simply give creators guidelines on key messages and let them do what they do best.
