Unpacking 2024: The Latest Social Media Trends

By Emily Raser, SBTDC Communications

There is a lot to unpack when it comes to social media marketing in 2024. With the sudden emergence of AI and surge in popularity of video platforms and features, it may feel daunting to dip your (business’s) toes into the world of social media marketing. However, understanding the current landscape is crucial to turning knowledge into action when it comes to marketing your brand.

The newest goals for brands in 2024:

Increasing brand awareness and reaching new audiences
Driving traffic to your website
Increasing overall revenue and sales
Getting a better understanding of customers and their needs
Fostering relationships with customers and increasing brand loyalty

Think about these goals and what changes you’d like to make to your strategy: How can you put these ideas into action?

Stay on Top of Your Brand

Most organizations know what their brand stands for—just look at your mission statement! But to curate the best marketing and branding presence, a business should review more than their mission and values. It’s important to pay close attention to what the data demonstrates and consider how best to improve their strategy based on those statistics.

It takes five to seven impressions for people to remember a brand, which means that the more your brand’s posts are consistent in color, typography, and iconography (imagery), the more likely your brand will be recognized ⁽¹⁾. But recognition isn’t even the best part; consistent brand presentation across channels can increase revenue by up to twenty-three percent ⁽¹⁾.

Other strategies for staying consistent include implementing a clear content approval process and planning ahead. Have multiple layers of individuals check copy and graphics for consistency and create a social media calendar with outgoing posts. Both of these strategies improve adherence to brand standards and ensure the quality and quantity of posts. You might also consider reusing or recycling content, as it helps maintain consistency while also adding variety to your material.

AI and Social Media Marketing

When it comes to AI, brands are using it. About eighty percent of social media marketers plan to use AI tools in their social media strategy in 2024. A significant seventy-one percent of marketers who have used generative AI to create content said it performed better than content made without AI ⁽²⁾.

These points are intriguing, but it’s important to go back to one crucial question before engaging with AI in your marketing: How can you implement AI in ways that resonate with your business and your goals?

Building an Authentic Social Media Presence

Sprout Social reveals that the second most significant area where consumers feel brands fall short on social media is in transparency about their business practices and values ⁽⁴⁾. Emphasizing transparency and authenticity enables brands to remain true to their core principles and foster deeper emotional connections with their audience. Therefore, prioritizing this aspect in your social media strategy is essential. Before we dive into strategies for brands aiming to enhance authenticity and transparency, consider these relevant statistics that can strengthen your approach:

Customer Loyalty: 89% of consumers stay loyal to brands that share their values, and 73% love a brand because of helpful customer service ⁽¹⁾.
Transparency and Trust: 94% of customers are more likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency, and 39% would start using a brand if it provided full product transparency ⁽¹⁾.
Emotional Connection: About 66% of consumers feel connected to a brand when they trust it ⁽¹⁾, and 73% prefer personalized shopping experiences ⁽³⁾, indicating that emotional connections and personalization are key to customer retention.

Easy ways to improve authenticity

Show the behind the scenes. Share images of employees at conferences, events, or just around the office! This helps your audience see the humanity behind your business.
Engage with your audience. Ask open-ended questions, respond to comments, run polls and contests, share user-generated content, host Q&A sessions.
Know your audience and follow their lead. Pay attention to what kinds of people follow you and how they engage with your brand. Follow their lead by posting the kind of content they like and engage with the most.

Following the 80/20 Rule

Another important piece to authenticity is following the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of your social media content should be engaging, educational, or entertaining, while only twenty percent should be promotional.

Consumers generally dislike excessive self-promotion from brands. In fact, thirty-six percent view “too much self-promotion” as a major deterrent in their perception of brands on social media ⁽²⁾. Moreover, fifty-six percent of consumers believe that brands should be more relatable ⁽²⁾. These statistics highlight the need not only for transparency and authenticity but also for a deeper understanding of what truly matters to your audience.

Utilize Short-Form Video

Lastly, it’s hard not to discuss social media trends without mentioning short-form video. This medium is one of the best ways to connect with your current audience and reach new audiences. In 2024, Youtube took over as the most effective social media platform for brands, growing by seventy-nine percent year over year, overtaking both Facebook and Instagram ⁽²⁾.

The Road Ahead

Creating the perfect brand might take more than a few social media posts, but the first step starts with understanding the current climate and taking note of data-driven best practices. Sure, some of these trends will change, but overall, the main takeaway is this:

Be consistent, be transparent, and pay attention to the data.

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