Social platforms are constantly changing, and as social media marketing trends shift, they seek to align their algorithms and UI with the latest engagement behaviors in order to maximize usage, improve audience retention, and stay relevant.
This can also be frustrating for those looking to use these platforms for business purposes.
Facebook is the most visible example of a company that is continually making big changes, from the introduction of its news feed algorithm to its pivot to video and re-emphasis on friends and family content, Stories, Reels, and more.
It's enough to have social media marketers scrambling to catch up, but at the same time Facebook is also trying to catch up, because as users get bored of one thing, they move on to something else, and if Facebook doesn't catch up, it will go the way of MySpace.
In other words, change is inevitable, and your strategy needs to keep up.
So what are the key elements to look out for on major platforms in 2024?
Below we outline some important considerations:
1. Facebook
Although it seems to have lost some of its importance recently, Facebook remains the largest social media platform by usage and is a key focus for social media marketing.
So what will Facebook be focusing on in 2024, and how does that relate to its marketing efforts?
Luckily, Facebook outlined exactly this at their recent “Performance Talks” event.
- Messaging — Over time, people are increasingly sharing updates within private groups on messaging apps instead of posting them on their social feeds. The reasons for this vary, but given this trend, it makes sense for businesses to also connect with consumers via messaging platforms. Facebook has developed some options in this space, with click-to-message ads in particular seeing great growth. Figuring out how to take advantage of this change may be key.
- reel — Yes, Meta is still very much focused on Reels, which makes a lot of sense considering that Reels are played on the app over 200 billion times every day. Facebook will likely continue to prioritize Reels Display and the new Reels ad product, so a focus on short-form video creation will allow them to take advantage of this shift.
- artificial intelligence — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly enthusiastic about AI, so we can expect Meta to focus more on AI tools across its apps. There are already a variety of AI advertising tools available on Facebook, and it may be worth exploring these features to get a better understanding of how they can support your marketing efforts. Learning the basics of AI can help you maximize your marketing results.
2. Instagram
Meta's other social app also remains a key marketing platform, and since acquiring Instagram in 2012, Meta has helped grow it from a basic image-sharing app into an all-media powerhouse.
And within that, Meta is currently working on using IG to stay connected with younger users, not only as a focus of its immediate use but also as a link to future next-level projects.
Here's what Instagram will be focusing on this year:
- reel — Yes, like Facebook, IG Reels will continue to be a key focus as Instagram continues to reap the engagement benefits of pushing Reels content further, so if you want to maximise your IG presence, you’ll want to consider what types of short-form videos your business can create.
- Note — While not embraced by all users, Instagram's inbox notes feature has been a huge success, especially among the app's younger users. From a short-term perspective, it's worth exploring how you can use notes to connect with a younger audience, but from a broader perspective, this also signals the growing value of more intimate groups and discussions, both important trends to consider in your social media marketing.
- thread — For now, Threads is subsumed under Instagram, but it's coming into its own. Meta has seized a new opportunity given users' drift away from X, so expect to see Zucker and co. put more effort into Threads over the course of the year. This could create new outreach and connection opportunities, making the app worth trying before you see ads (Meta has said it will introduce Threads ads once it hits 1 billion users).
3. X
Perhaps the most unpredictable of the major social apps, Elon Musk's “one-size-fits-all app” experiment is still making waves.
Will X separate from the old Twitter app and establish itself on its own in 2024? How will it win:
- Premium Boost — It's no secret that Elon and co. want users to sign up for a premium subscription and pay directly for the app. In fact, you can't advertise on X without a premium account. So it goes without saying that if you want to get the most out of X for marketing, you need to sign up for an X premium subscription. There's also a lower-priced Gold Check Mark version for brands that might be worth considering if you want to reach users on X.
- Less competition — With many big advertisers leaving X, there may be less competition within the app, creating new opportunities to expand your reach. X still has around 150 million daily active users (X stopped reporting, so we don't know the actual number), and with fewer big brands hogging all the ad space, your campaigns may also have more exposure.
- Video Focus — X now calls itself a “video-first platform” and aims to focus on new exclusive video content to boost engagement, so it may be worth exploring X video advertising opportunities and posting video content on the app. X also claims that 100 million people tap through to its app.Daily full-screen vertical video streamingThis could be another consideration for pushing X content.
4. TikTok
TikTok, the hottest app of the past two years, now appears to be slowing, meaning it needs to refocus on its existing audience to maximize its revenue potential.
Here are some areas TikTok is hoping to grow in this year:
- In-stream sales — Given the rise in in-app transaction volume and the success of in-app commerce in China, TikTok plans to continue to push forward with its in-app sales projects in 2024. TikToks with sale items will get more exposure. As TikTok seeks to shift user behavior towards shopping, it's worth considering how you can leverage this in your approach.
- Live Broadcast — Similarly, TikTok also loves live streaming, so it’s worth considering whether there are creative and interesting ways you can utilise it in your promotional efforts.
- Creator Partnerships — Finally, TikTok wants more brands to collaborate with creators to improve the quality of branded content. At the same time, they want to give creators more monetization opportunities and further integrate with the app. It might be worth considering, but it can also help you learn what creators in your niche are doing and shape your creative direction.
5. LinkedIn
The professional social network was the quiet winner in the X shuffle, with many business conversations moving to LinkedIn.
While the platform doesn’t generate significant engagement for all brands, it remains an important consideration for B2B social media marketing.
- Newsletter — LinkedIn's in-app newsletter options continue to expand. Newsletter readership has grown threefold over the past year, presenting a key opportunity for your brand's LinkedIn content strategy, allowing you to provide important business and product updates through this option.
- Joint article — LinkedIn’s AI-powered collaborative articles are currently the fastest growing driver of app traffic, and we expect LinkedIn to continue to focus on this in 2024. Inviting top staff to participate in creating collaborative articles and earn expert badges in the app can be an effective way to increase brand awareness.
- Videos and Events – LinkedIn continues to host more video content and events, and at some stage we expect the app will make these easier to discover. This could open up new opportunities for brands, and you can increase your exposure by taking advantage of LinkedIn video marketing now.
6. Snapchat
Despite its struggles to maximise advertising revenue, Snapchat remains a leader in youth engagement and as such should be an important consideration for any brand looking to reach younger audiences through social media marketing.
Here are some key Snap opportunities over the next year:
- AR Development — Snapchat continues to be a leader in augmented reality, including Snapchat AR Ads. If you want to stay ahead of the next digital shift, learning about AR with Snap is a key opportunity. Snap also continues to add new virtual experience tools, and the more you know and understand about these, the better positioned you will be for the future of AR and the metaverse.
- Creator Collaboration — Like TikTok, Snap wants more brands to partner with its creators and is adding new tools to facilitate that, which could provide valuable and compelling opportunities for Snap content.
7. Pinterest
Pinterest has been a quiet success in the social media space, with nearly 500 million active shopping users.
If you're a retailer, this should definitely pique your interest. Here's what to watch in the coming months:
- Catalog Import — Pinterest is continually improving its catalog ingestion process, making it easier than ever to link products to your Pin search stream. Pinterest is also looking to facilitate broader search through tools like body type matching, which may provide new opportunities to showcase your products to more targeted, specific audiences.
- New Ad Types — Video also plays a big role on Pinterest, but they've also introduced some new ad types that are worth considering: Showcase Ads and Quiz Ads offer new opportunities to drive engagement and help you stand out in the Pin feed.
- Creative Collage — Pinterest's separate Shuffles app has gained a lot of traction over the past few years, giving users a way to create product collages in creative displays, which is also a great way to promote your products in line with this trend. An in-app collage option is also currently rolling out.
As mentioned above, social media is constantly changing, and being able to stay on top of the latest usage and changes will enable you to take advantage of relevant opportunities in social media marketing trends.
These notes will help provide direction for key elements of your engagement over the next 12 months.
