As the landscape of social media marketing races forward at a breakneck pace, I can’t help but think about the words of the man, the myth, the legend… Ricky Bobby. 'If you ain’t first, you’re last.' And in this digital race, staying ahead isn’t just an advantage, it may just be your only chance to win!

That’s why our Account Management team has done the research for you. We’ve spent weeks digging into industry experts’ predictions on what trends will be winning in 2024 to give you the roadmap to success in the year ahead.

Social Media Platform Changes & Tips

Social media platforms are in a constant state of evolution, with updates and transformations reshaping the way we connect and engage online. I mean, if you blink you’ll wake up and Twitter is X!

Here are a few big changes for the platforms we love:

• Video content will continue to reign supreme on Instagram, particularly since the platform introduced its new in-app editor in late 2023. Specifically, we're seeing a trend toward longer Instagram Reels as the new 10-minute format is being tested.

• Facebook and Instagram recently introduced their new feature, Broadcast Channels. While currently exclusive to Creator accounts, we anticipate its availability for business accounts soon. Perhaps now is the time to craft a preemptive strategy and be ready to hit the ground running when that day arrives!

• X is striving to become an “everything app” — calls, payments, video chatting — you name it, they want in. However, as new updates make it more challenging to divert traffic off-platform, users will need to get creative to sustain communication within the platform. If your strategy has relied on sharing news articles or podcast links, prepare to pivot!

• TikTok is slowly becoming an eCommerce hub since launching the TikTok Shop in September 2023. If your brand sells a lower price range, easy to ship product online, we suggest creating a shortlist of TikTok influencers aligned with your brand to test this new sales channel in 2024!

Pro Tip: Don't shy away from experimenting with new features, formats, or even platforms! While not every new release may stick (no shade, Threads!), it could offer a fresh perspective on your brand persona.

Using Generative AI to Move Quickly

Generative AI has recently become a hot topic in the marketing industry, yet it doesn’t have to be! While software such as ChatGPT will never fully replicate the human connections fostered by flesh-and-blood social media managers, when trained and utilized effectively, it can become a significant asset. In fact, 81% of marketers acknowledge that AI has already positively impacted their work!

Here are a few use cases that we can see on the horizon:

• Teaching ChatGPT your brand’s voice & tone for assistance in writing, editing, and proofreading copy. Using OpusClip to convert old long-form video content into shorter, social cuts.

• Taking advantage of evolving AI driven photo editing software. My favorite lately has been Canva’s Magic Expand, Magic Erase, and Magic Edit features.

• Tackling internal operations by asking AI to help you prioritize your workload, create to-do lists, or estimate the time it will take you to complete a task.

Pro Tip: Always (and I mean ALWAYS) double check anything created with AI, as there is a potential for errors, hallucinations, and bias. This is where the permanent need for real humans comes into play!

The Rise of Social Search

We are expecting to see social search take off in 2024! So, what is social search you ask? It’s the behavior associated with retrieving information via a platform of primarily user-generated content. For example, just this weekend I was looking for a place to eat brunch on my upcoming trip to Charlotte, NC. Did I go to Google? Nope. I searched “Charlotte brunch” on TikTok!

To help prepare your brand to stand out to searchers, you should focus on content discoverability in the new year. Here are a few easy steps to take:

• Refine your keyword strategy by brainstorming keywords closely aligned with your brand. Then consciously incorporate these keywords into your social media copy, video scripts, overlay text on videos, and more.

• Explore evergreen topics that resonate within your niche. If you're a restaurant offering brunch in Charlotte, creating a TikTok could be a stellar idea! *wink wink*

Pro Tip: Need inspiration? I often turn to Answer the Public to brainstorm social search ideas. It uses searches from Google and Bing to predict what searchers are going to ask related to keywords you supply.

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Looking to dig in deeper? Our scheduling and analytics platform, Sprout Social, recently hosted an amazing webinar with content creator Dulma Altan digging into this exact topic. Check it out here!