The Future of Social Media: Key Trends Marketers Must Know (Updated 2024)
- arpith49
- Aug 19, 2024
- 13 min read
Social media is changing rapidly, shaping how people connect and businesses market themselves. As we look to the future of social media, marketers need to stay ahead of emerging trends to remain competitive. The landscape is evolving, with new features and technologies transforming how users interact online and how brands reach their audiences.
In this article, we'll explore key social trends examples that are set to define the future of social media. We'll examine the rise of long-form video content, the growing role of AI in personalizing user experiences, and the evolution of social commerce. We'll also discuss the increasing demand for authentic, behind-the-scenes content, the expanding influence of creators, and how social platforms are becoming search engines in their own right. Understanding these trends is crucial for marketers to adapt their strategies and make the most of social media's changing dynamics.
The Rise of Long-Form Video Content
Long-form video content has become increasingly prevalent in the digital landscape, transforming how brands connect with their audiences. This type of content, typically exceeding 10 minutes in length, offers a unique opportunity for deeper storytelling and comprehensive information delivery .
TikTok's push for longer videos
Surprisingly, TikTok, known for its short-form content, has been making significant strides towards longer videos. The platform has been beta testing a feature that allows creators to upload videos up to 30 minutes long, edging into YouTube's territory . This shift is driven by TikTok's aim to compete with YouTube's dominance in the video marketing arena.
TikTok's revised creator fund, set to launch in the coming weeks, further emphasizes this trend by rewarding creators for videos longer than one minute. The platform claims this program has increased creator revenue by 250% in the past six months . Additionally, TikTok reports that users now spend half of their time on the platform watching content that exceeds one minute in length .
User engagement with longer content
Despite the popularity of short-form content, long-form videos continue to gain traction. TikTok has reported a nearly 40% increase in viewership of long-form videos over the past six months . This growth suggests that audiences are becoming more receptive to in-depth content on social media platforms.
Long-form videos offer several advantages for marketers:
Deeper audience connection: These videos allow for more comprehensive storytelling, helping brands build stronger relationships with their audience .
SEO benefits: Long-form content often indexes better in search engines due to its rich dialog and detailed descriptions .
Community building: Extended videos create opportunities for developing a loyal community of followers and creators .
Strategies for incorporating long-form video
To make the most of long-form video content, marketers should consider the following strategies:
Develop compelling narratives: Focus on creating stories that resonate with your audience, fostering emotional connections .
Incorporate educational elements: Use long-form videos for detailed tutorials or in-depth topic explorations to establish your brand as an authoritative source .
Invest in production quality: High-quality filming and editing are crucial for maintaining viewer interest throughout longer videos .
Optimize for search engines: Include relevant keywords and detailed descriptions to enhance visibility .
Encourage viewer engagement: Incorporate interactive elements like Q&A sessions or calls to action to keep viewers interested .
While long-form content offers numerous benefits, it's important to note that short-form branded content still performs well on platforms like TikTok. Marketers should consider using a mix of both formats, with short-form content serving to attract new audiences and long-form content fostering deeper engagement and loyalty .
As social media continues to evolve, the rise of long-form video content presents exciting opportunities for marketers to connect with their audiences in more meaningful ways. By understanding the trends and implementing effective strategies, brands can harness the power of long-form video to enhance their social media presence and achieve their marketing goals.
AI-Powered Personalization in Social Media
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a game-changer in the realm of social media, transforming how brands interact with their audiences and personalize user experiences. This technology has the potential to revolutionize how governments and businesses engage with citizens and customers, streamlining operations and enhancing services .
AI's role in content recommendations
AI excels at understanding conversations at scale, even those happening across social media platforms. This capability allows brands to automatically keep tabs on mentions in real-time and gage the sentiment of conversations around their brand, products, or market . By leveraging vast amounts of data, AI tools can determine the optimal times to post on social media, increasing the likelihood of content being seen by the right people at the right time .
One of the most significant advancements is AI's ability to predict content performance. Using historical data and information from social networks, AI tools can estimate the likelihood of certain posts gaining popularity or even going viral. This data-backed approach enables marketers to run campaigns with more predictable performance and take steps to improve those with low forecasted engagement .
Major social media platforms are already utilizing AI to enhance user experiences. For instance, Facebook employs advanced machine learning to serve content, recognize faces in photos, and target users with advertising. Instagram uses AI to identify visuals, while LinkedIn leverages AI to offer job recommendations and suggest connections .
Enhancing customer service with AI
AI is revolutionizing customer service on social media platforms. AI-powered chatbots are becoming more sophisticated, with features such as auto-generated flows, emotional understanding, and enhanced interaction capabilities . These chatbots help reduce response times and enable self-service on social media channels, making them more accessible and cost-effective for businesses .
AI tools also assist customer service teams in several ways:
Providing data-backed auto-generated responses and next-step recommendations for resolving customer issues .
Helping teams navigate through volume spikes of inbound inquiries using predictive analytics and real-time monitoring .
Offering AI-generated guidance to new team members, reducing training time and improving response quality .
Ethical considerations and governance
As AI continues to advance, ethical considerations have become increasingly important. Concerns about data privacy, the authenticity of AI-generated content, and the need for transparency are at the forefront of discussions . Future AI developments will need to focus on balancing these issues to enhance user trust and maintain a human touch .
Some key ethical considerations include:
Addressing biases in AI algorithms that can perpetuate and amplify unfair or discriminatory outcomes .
Ensuring transparency in AI decision-making processes, especially in critical domains like healthcare .
Protecting personal data and preventing its misuse .
Mitigating the potential for AI to spread misinformation and manipulate public opinion .
To address these concerns, governments and organizations are developing frameworks and guidelines for ethical AI implementation. For example, the U.S. government issued an Executive Order on Trustworthy AI in December 2020, providing nine guiding principles for constructing AI governance frameworks . Additionally, Deloitte's framework identifies six dimensions essential for building trust in AI: fairness, transparency, responsibility, safety, privacy, and reliability .
As AI continues to shape the future of social media, it's crucial for marketers and businesses to harness its power responsibly. By embracing ethical AI practices and focusing on personalization, brands can create more engaging, efficient, and trustworthy social media experiences for their audiences.
The Evolution of Social Commerce
Social commerce has emerged as a powerful fusion of social media and e-commerce, enabling users to discover, evaluate, and purchase products directly within their favorite social platforms. This trend has transformed the way consumers shop online, with 63% of US shoppers now making purchases through social media . By 2030, social commerce revenue is projected to reach an astounding $6.2 trillion globally .
TikTok Shop and other platform integrations
TikTok Shop has become a significant player in the social commerce landscape, allowing brands and creators to offer products directly to their viewers through short videos and livestreams. A standout feature of TikTok Shop is its ability to let users consolidate products from various brands into a single cart and complete their purchase without leaving the app . This seamless integration aims to own the full buyer journey, from discovery to purchase.
Other platforms have also embraced social commerce. Instagram and Facebook have implemented virtual storefronts like Instagram Shop and Facebook Shops, enabling businesses to showcase and sell products directly within these social networks . These integrations eliminate friction in the buying process, offering users a convenient and interactive shopping experience.
Live streaming and interactive shopping experiences
Live streaming has become a crucial component of social commerce, particularly in China. The live streaming economy started in 2019 and saw rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. By late 2020, the number of users watching live streaming in China reached 617 million, accounting for 62.4% of the total number of Internet users . E-commerce live streaming has become the largest category of live streaming, with 388 million users – an increase of 123 million from March 2020 .
Live shopping events provide real-time interaction between brands and consumers, allowing viewers to ask questions, seek advice, and make purchases directly from the live stream . This approach has proven successful, with approximately two-thirds of users making purchases after watching e-commerce live streaming .
Strategies for brands to leverage social commerce
To make the most of social commerce, brands should consider the following strategies:
Utilize shoppable posts and tags: Implement shoppable features on platforms like Instagram and Facebook to enable users to purchase directly from social media posts .
Collaborate with influencers: Partner with influencers who align with your brand values to promote products and foster trust with your target audience .
Host live shopping events: Organize regular live streams, product demonstrations, and Q&A sessions to create excitement and establish real-time connections with customers .
Optimize for social search: With 16 to 34-year-olds more likely to use social networks for brand information than search engines, brands should focus on optimizing their content for social search engines .
Create platform-specific strategies: Develop micro-brand universes within each social platform to foster deeper brand loyalty and diversify revenue streams .
By embracing these strategies and leveraging the power of social commerce, brands can tap into the growing market of social shoppers and create more engaging, efficient, and personalized shopping experiences for their customers.
Authenticity and Behind-the-Scenes Content
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, authenticity has become a crucial element for brands to connect with their audience. As consumers seek genuine experiences, companies are finding that being transparent and showcasing their real selves can lead to stronger relationships with their followers.
The importance of transparency
Authenticity in social media marketing has become more than just a buzzword; it's a necessity for building trust with consumers. When brands share genuine stories and connect on a human level, they create a sense of trust and transparency . This openness helps to mitigate negative feedback and build a positive reputation online, which is crucial in an era where negative comments can spread rapidly through social channels .
To maintain authenticity, brands should:
Avoid overly scripted content
Communicate as if speaking face-to-face with the audience
Share unfiltered, organic content that algorithms tend to favor
Showcasing company culture and values
Sharing a company's culture on social media not only attracts potential recruits but also fosters a stronger culture of appreciation and respect among existing employees . This approach to content creation can take various forms:
Highlighting employee events and team-building activities
Showcasing internal promotions to demonstrate career growth opportunities
Allowing employee takeovers of company social media accounts
Capturing candid moments of teamwork around the office
These behind-the-scenes glimpses provide followers with an authentic view of the company's day-to-day operations and values.
Employee advocacy strategies
Employee advocacy has emerged as a powerful tool for companies of all sizes across various industries . When employees share personalized content about their company, it generates 64% more engagement than non-personalized posts . This strategy not only boosts engagement but also helps in recruiting top talent and increasing sales .
To implement effective employee advocacy:
Encourage employees to add their personal touch to branded content
Ensure shared content resonates with both team members and the target audience
Provide tools and resources for employees to easily find and share relevant content
For example, Edina Realty, a real estate leader, implemented an employee advocacy tool that
allowed their agents to access industry-relevant content and share it on their social networks with pre-populated messaging from the marketing department . This approach enabled each realtor to market their business effectively and share their expertise with followers.
By embracing authenticity and behind-the-scenes content, brands can forge deeper connections with their audience, encourage brand loyalty, and secure valuable attention and engagement from their customers . Remember, it's not about perfection but about being genuine and relatable in the digital space.
The Growing Influence of Creators and Influencers
The creator economy has transformed the landscape of social media marketing, reshaping how brands connect with their audiences. Creators, ranging from mega-influencers to nano-influencers, have become powerful voices in shaping consumer opinions and behaviors. In fact, over 80% of consumers have embraced recommendations from influencers in the past year .
The creator economy's impact on brand strategies
The rise of content creators has silently rewritten the innovation and strategy rulebook for many established companies, particularly in consumer goods and services industries. Surprisingly, it's the smaller creators who are fueling the disruptive forces of the creator economy. Nano and micro creators, those with less than ten and fifty thousand followers respectively, comprise 76% of all creators on TikTok and up to 96% on Instagram .
These smaller creators have a significant impact on consumer behavior:
They create demand for highly specialized products
They teach customers new skills to use complex products
They accelerate product life cycles
For example, beauty creators have taught followers how to use concealer in new ways, popularizing contouring techniques that were once reserved for professionals . This trend has led to the democratization of specialized skills and products, making them more accessible to everyday consumers.
Effective influencer partnerships
To harness the power of influencers, brands need to develop effective partnerships. Here are some key considerations:
Align with brand values: Choose influencers whose values match your brand's ethos .
Focus on authenticity: Allow influencers to use their authentic voice to maintain credibility with their audience .
Prioritize long-term relationships: Build strong brand advocates who promote your products consistently, rather than relying on one-off campaigns .
Co-create content: Work with influencers to create content that benefits both parties, leveraging their strengths and your brand guidelines .
When selecting influencers, brands should look beyond just numbers. Consider factors such as content relevance, engagement ratios, past brand collaborations, and whether their style and personality fit your brand guidelines .
Measuring influencer marketing ROI
Tracking return on investment (ROI) is crucial for successful influencer campaigns. In fact, 90% of influencer marketing programs track engagement as a metric . Other commonly tracked metrics include clicks (59%), impressions (55%), and conversions (54%) .
To calculate true influencer marketing ROI:
Set clear campaign goals and KPIs
Track all associated costs, including influencer fees, product samples, and software
Measure returns based on your goals (e.g., brand awareness, engagement, direct sales)
Use the formula: (Return / Cost) X 100 = ROI
Importantly, influencer-generated content (IGC) is often overlooked when measuring ROI. By repurposing influencer content across various channels, brands can support every stage of the funnel with high-quality content while reducing costs. In fact, over the last year, brands cut 52% from their content creation spend by repurposing influencer content on their marketing channels .
As the creator economy continues to evolve, brands that effectively leverage influencer partnerships and accurately measure their ROI will be well-positioned to thrive in the future of social media marketing.
Social Media as a Search Engine
Social media platforms have evolved beyond their initial purpose of connecting people and sharing content. They have become powerful search engines in their own right, with users increasingly turning to these platforms to find information, products, and services. This shift has significant implications for marketers and businesses looking to enhance their online visibility.
Optimizing content for social search
To maximize visibility on social media platforms, it's crucial to optimize content for social search. This involves incorporating relevant keywords and hashtags into posts, profiles, and captions. By using phrases that people might use to describe a business or product, brands can improve their chances of being discovered . For instance, a productivity tool might use terms like "task manager" or "organizer app" to attract potential users.
When selecting keywords, it's important to:
Choose specific terms to stand out in competitive markets
Align keywords with desired brand associations
Incorporate successful SEO keywords from web searches
Tailor keyword selection to each platform's unique characteristics
Platform-specific SEO strategies
Each social media platform has its own search algorithms and user behaviors, requiring tailored SEO strategies. Here are some key tactics to improve visibility across platforms:
Use high-quality profile pictures and regularly update cover photos
Optimize "About" sections with SEO-friendly keywords
Include website links in bio sections
Verify accounts to gain trust and credibility
Engage with followers to create more opportunities for link sharing
It's also important to consider the timing of posts, as each platform has unique peak times influenced by user behavior . By posting at optimal times, brands can increase their content's visibility and engagement.
Leveraging hashtags and keywords
Hashtags play a crucial role in categorizing content and making it discoverable on social media. They help users find posts about topics they're interested in and can significantly boost a brand's visibility. When used strategically, hashtags can:
Expand reach and engage with target audiences
Build a sense of community around a brand
Fuel entire campaigns and social movements
To effectively use hashtags and keywords together:
Incorporate target keywords into hashtags (e.g., #LuxuryBnB for "luxury bed and breakfast")
Use trending hashtags in website content to improve search rankings and shareability
Align social media and SEO strategies to create a cohesive online presence
By optimizing social media profiles and content for search, brands can improve their visibility both on social platforms and in traditional search engine results. This integrated approach to social media SEO allows businesses to attract potential customers more effectively and build a stronger online presence.
Conclusion
The future of social media is marked by dynamic changes that have a profound impact on how brands connect with their audiences. From the rise of long-form video content to AI-powered personalization, social commerce, and the growing influence of creators, marketers must adapt to these evolving trends to stay competitive.
The shift towards authenticity and behind-the-scenes content, coupled with the emergence of social platforms as search engines, presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses looking to enhance their online presence.
As we navigate this changing landscape, it's crucial for brands to embrace these trends and develop strategies that resonate with their target audience. To stay ahead of the curve, marketers should focus on creating engaging, authentic content that aligns with their brand values and leverages the power of emerging technologies. If you want to be part of this revolution in social commerce, check out Tezda, an upcoming platform that blends social media and e-commerce, offering features like video content and live streaming, with a free and easy setup process.
FAQs
1. What are the expected trends in social media for the future?
In the future, social media will increasingly utilize AI and big data. These technologies are transforming our online interactions by making them richer and more efficient. AI bots, for example, enable brands to quickly handle and resolve thousands of customer inquiries simultaneously.
2. What is an emerging trend in social media marketing currently?
The trend is shifting from celebrity influencers to micro-influencers. Additionally, short-form videos are proving to have the highest return on investment (ROI) and are expected to grow significantly in 2024. Platforms like Instagram, known for delivering high ROI, are anticipated to see substantial growth. Authentic and relatable content will also become more important throughout 2024
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3. What future trends might influence social media marketing?
Future trends in social media marketing include leveraging data to target specific audience segments with tailored content and messages, enhancing customer engagement and personalization. Furthermore, technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are poised to significantly impact social media marketing strategies.
4. What are the latest developments in social media marketing for 2024?
In 2024, AI-powered content creation is set to become more prevalent. This technology is revolutionizing digital marketing by enabling the automated generation of text, images, and videos, which allows brands to significantly increase their content output.