Important Upcoming Social Media Trends
In 2023, Social Media was at its peak. Now, in 2024, it is a prominent part of most people’s lives.
The days when social media was only used for product discovery and discovery are behind us. Companies now use it to personify their brand and connect deeply with their audience.
For instance, Mercedes Benz conducts online polls and gifts wallpapers to their audience on weekly basis.
Social Media is a great ingredient for an advertiser’s marketing mix. So, what are the newest Social Media trends that are going to rule the market in 2024?
Chatbots
Lately, the world has turned to Artificial Intelligence as marketers are now focused on storytelling. Right now, Chatbots are the in-thing as a part of every social media marketing program. These virtual robots are set to break all limits and their usage, as well as sale, is bound to increase exponentially.
Chatbots on platforms like Facebook Messenger helps content marketers communicate with customers effectively via an enhanced Customer Experience. Chatbots have in-built Natural Language Processing (NLP). Some companies have already experienced success using chatbots.
As companies embrace chatbot functionality, brands see improvement in customer service, engagement, conversion rates, and overall Customer Experience. In fact, chatbots on Facebook Messenger have shown to increase organizational productivity by up to 3.5 times!
Stories
What’s common between Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat? They all are equipped with the story feature.
When you want to add something to your social media but don’t want it to stay forever, you add a story. Social media stories will continue to grow in 2024. For instance, Instagram keeps adding new features and interactive elements to their Stories feature every one or two months.
There are stickers for polls, questions, ratings, and much more. It gives marketers a new way of social media marketing. Therefore, stories and stickers are here to stay for a long.
Gifs, too, are found in Instagram Stories. There’s also the ‘boomerang’ option using which you can capture a 3-second video displaying a repetitive fast-forward motion. These tools are being used heavily by brands as well as influencers. It helps your brand increase reach and engagement.
Live video
Live video content, like that on Instagram and Facebook, has been a raging hit. In fact, live video has become so popular that roughly 95% of brand executives say it will be a crucial part of their marketing strategy. Consumers love it!
Research shows that 80% of customers prefer watching live videos from brands to reading their blogs. 82% say they would rather watch live videos than social media posts. As a result, most popular social media channels have implemented live streaming options. Live videos help maximize reach and generate new leads for the company.
Social listening
Once online, brands have to stay cautious about their image. One wrong comment or a rumor can spoil their image which took years to build. Thus, keeping track of the entire digital spectrum is vital to stay one step ahead and to keep disasters in control.
Here, Social Listening comes into play. This technology allows brands to track all comments, reviews, and conversations surrounding their brand. Social Listening provides insights into the brand image and helps effective product development. Companies such as Locobuzz provide Social Listening to brands to ensure control over their image in the market.
Augmented reality
Augmented Reality takes something that’s real and alters it using technology. The best example is Snapchat Filters. Facebook, too, introduced filters. Social media is taking this to a whole new level. They even built an augmented reality studio for developers to design unique animations!
Filters respond to motion and interactions in real-time; even during live streams. Brands are making great use of this by introducing brand-oriented filters during special campaigns and launches. Well, 2024 will have room for Augmented Reality more than ever with bigger strides in technology!
Conclusion
Social Media is constantly developing and changing. As a marketer, you’ve to stay up-to-date with the latest trends to reach your target audience. What we think impossible now, could be very much possible within the coming year. Just last year, the developments in conference calls and audio-video meetings have been immense with platforms like Discord, Zoom, and Clubhouse becoming the next big things. Things will only improve from here!
