Social media’s popularity is no myth.
It’s a fact – a reality that we all have to live in this interconnected digital age. People from all walks of life use different social media platforms to make communication easier and promote and share something close to their hearts.
Regardless of the quality of information we see online, there’s no denying the fact that social media has dominated a huge portion of today’s public discussion. Brandwatch.com gives us a clearer view of the impressive reach of SM in everyone’s life.
- There are approximately 2.3 billion active social media users
- Around 91% of retail brands utilize 2 social media platforms to promote their product or service
- Approximate 12 new social media users are added to the pool every second. That would total to around 1 million new users in a day.
- 83% of the Fortune 500 companies engage with their clients via Twitter
- Social media amounts to 64% of the total content marketing tactics online
These data and more are based on the most recent study and estimate conducted around the web, and experts are seeing a dramatic increase in these figures for the coming year. The prediction is primarily based on the dynamic path SM is taking and the birth of new mobile apps that work alongside many companies and individuals.
This 2024, the following trends are expected to create a more competitive arena for marketers.
Becoming more focused on select platforms
Smartinsights.com created a list of the 21 leading social media platforms and ranked them according to their active users as of April this year. The top five include:
- Facebook Messenger
And the list could go on.
While all these platforms promise a significant number of users, companies don’t have the time and logistics to use everything for each of their campaigns. Additionally, paid ads for these social media sites can cost a lot. As a result, marketers are looking for ways to maximize their expenditures by choosing those places that would guarantee them bigger chances of return.
Rather than jumping to all the platforms by creating accounts for each, companies this year are seen to become more selective on their choice of marketing arena – probably settling for three to five social media platforms at maximum.
Having ‘mobile-first’ approach
We often hear this from mobile app developers in the Philippines. They strive to create tools compatible with several mobile units for Android and iOS. With the growing number of people using phones and tablets to communicate, we shouldn’t be surprised to see companies targeting these guys for their campaigns.
Publicity material such as infographics, online brochures, videos, and images are seen to take on the approach of being mobile-friendly material first. This way, the target market on mobile could easily browse through the ads.
Reshaping of advertisements and its general approach
The world of advertising has always been a challenging one – shady even. But it strived through the years. However, with social media on the field, a significant shift in advertising methods is expected to arise in direct response to the influx of features added on select SM platforms.
Whereas practical and emotional posts might have been the most appealing choice of content for the past three years, 2024 will most likely tap the inspirational and imaginative types of content.
Live streaming on the rise!
Videos are considered a top contender when attracting viewers and gaining shares. A typical 30-second video could already inform and educate people while at the same time adding a spice of entertainment.
Recently, Facebook Live opened the feature to all users, and the response exceeded expectations! Now, everyone can start their live broadcast and share stories as they happen. This 2024, experts are seeing a drastic focus on providing more video content. With Youtube now catering to live broadcasts, there are more options to create videos and gain more viewers.
The reality of ‘Twitter fatigue’
Now don’t get this wrong. Twitter is doing wonders – at least for some companies. Its main advantage comes from its micro-blogging identity that allows anyone to share short updates with images, gifs, and videos through a broad stream of followers. Information comes in like a stream on this platform – literally.
But with its fast pacing also comes the issue of having too much information coming in at once. To individual users, this can be a real hassle. This is precisely why some companies create separate accounts to handle customer service support alone.
2024 is a year seen to showcase an increased need for a social media platform that doesn’t bombard you with lots of information at once. Of course, Twitter’s still on the game, and there’s a huge chance it will continue to survive for the following years. But it’s only a matter of time before a newer, more comfortable version catches up.
Increasing attention to analytics
Before, social media marketing has been largely dependent on the individual company’s observation of what kind of posts work. Now, SM platforms are already allowing some built-in analytics to help users assess the actual interaction of their posts.
With this feature in play, marketers wouldn’t have to rely on their gut feeling when creating social content.
More sophisticated social advertising
Social advertising is getting a push more than ever. Thankfully, there are well-diversified social advertising options per social platform. For instance, social ads can be personalized and targeted.
Besides the advertising playbook, brands need to familiarize themselves with these advertising platforms to discover which would resonate best with their target audiences. This is critical nowadays when metrics are being created, monitored, and analyzed to understand user interests and preferences on deeply personal levels.
More long-form and short-form content
People now crave more snackable content. As a result, the video will continue to dominate social content consumption because of the growing popularity of video-focused platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.
Short-form videos have the leverage. Nonetheless, long-form video content can also provide value to target users.
Growing social selling
Social platforms are now on the rise in creating native shopping experiences. Social platforms now double as virtual marketplaces.
These experiences are more seamless, completing a transaction without ever leaving the app. Therefore, targeting ready-to-buy users will be paramount in the social strategy while also using organic content in creating the desired actions.
The drastic increase of people now using mobile devices has contributed to the marketers’ approach when advertising through social media. Strategies that worked two to three years ago no longer hold the guarantee of being that effective for the years that would follow.
Social media has now become a part of the entire marketing equation. Even SEO recognizes its value, so as for search engines. Understanding what platform works for you best is just the first step if you’re serious about upping your digital marketing game. There are limits to how much time and budget one can spend on promoting content.
Choose the platform wisely and brace yourself for the coming social media trends this 2024!
Optimind understands how impactful a social presence is in any online business. Our in-house social team can kickstart your brand’s social media marketing campaign. We’re ready when you are!
