Digital and social media marketing is a fluctuating powerhouse that continues to grow, evolve, and shape the landscape of modern business. Just as you and your team come to grips with passing trends across Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn, they pass by, replaced by a new concept or strategy you need to master in order to remain relevant.
To assist in this endeavour, our team at Digital Eagles have compiled some of the leading trends
online to keep an eye out for in 2024. They may help to re-organise your strategy and see some
accelerated results this year.
1. Leveraging Long Form Across Your Social Media Channels
Year-on-year, short-form video content has become a more dominant force in social media. It is regularly seen and recommended as a highly effective method for engaging audiences and attracting new followers, with many consumers regarding it as the most captivating type of content in their feeds.
Until now.
That’s right; it looks like the long-form video might be making a comeback.
TikTok, initially known for brief clips, has gradually expanded its video length limits, moving from one-minute clips to 10 minutes, and recently experimenting with 30-minute uploads. The platform is also experimenting with horizontal videos, similar to YouTube’s format.
This shift is supported by data showing that users on TikTok spend a significant portion of their time viewing videos longer than one minute, which provides a solid rationale for these longer-format trials. Given the social media giant that TikTok has become in such a short space of time, it is only reasonable to assume these trends could continue over to Instagram, Facebook and even LinkedIn.
For brands, this means that while short-form videos remain an essential element in your social media marketing toolkit, you should also consider incorporating long-form video storytelling into your strategy to cover all bases.
2. Experiment with Social Commerce to Boost Your Sales
The phenomenon of users purchasing items seen on social networks is more than just a passing phase. It is a persistent trend across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and beyond that you can quickly integrate into your marketing strategies.
With ongoing enhancements to streamline in-app shopping, it’s evident that platforms are heavily investing in this area, and the arrangement works to better convert viewership into purchases.
As we look at wider digital and social media marketing trends online, the future likely holds an expansion in live streaming and interactive shopping experiences. Brands can use live shopping events to blend entertainment with immediate buying options, creating an engaging approach to connect with consumers.
Brands of all sizes have a prime opportunity to explore social selling. With a ready and willing audience on social platforms, introducing another purchasing channel could supercharge your conversion rates and sales numbers. Consider examining the viability of setting up a shop on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram to align with your brand strategy.
3. Rebuild Your Posting Strategy to Incorporate Social SEO Tactics
When we consider search engine optimisation, we typically think of improving our website’s page rankings on Google’s search results page. In 2024, we need to realise that our social media channels are simply tools to spread messaging and connect, but also search engines in their own right.
Recent TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook trends suggest that more users are turning to these platforms to seek recommendations, answer questions, and discover unique pieces of content, especially among younger audiences. These shifting behaviours highlight the increasing importance of optimising content for both feed visibility and searchability.
As a result, your social media content needs to be as meticulously optimised for SEO as the articles on your blog or pages on your website. To ensure maximum discoverability of your posts and profiles, incorporate appropriate keywords in captions, use the right hashtags, and embed relevant keywords in your alt text.
4. Encourage Transparency By Going Behind the Scenes
The increasing demand for genuine content drives a greater need for brands to openly share their business practices on social platforms.
A few years back, discussions about social media trends invariably included the necessity for brands to vocalise their stance on societal issues or face public scrutiny. But this was short-lived, as only a fraction of consumers admitted to recalling brands voicing their support for causes and news that resonated with their values as particularly memorable.
Instead, they feel that brands on social media lack clarity about their business practices and principles in general.
Regularly exhibiting transparency and embodying their values will become the norm. Today’s consumers show heightened interest in aspects like:
- Labour practices
- Diversity
- Investor relations
- Supply chains
- Company leadership
- Environmental accountability
As such, brands should seek new ways to enhance transparency regarding their business, products, and practices. One way to do this is to produce behind-the-scenes content showcasing your office, manufacturing processes, the people behind your products, and your commitment to sustainability.
Moreover, if issues arise that your brand needs to address, always be proactive. Utilising social listening tools can help you detect emerging topics early on, allowing you to understand and pre-emptively tackle an issue, and discern necessary adjustments.
Embrace Platform Specific Trends
Social media channels continue to create their own personalities and user experiences. What works on one will go completely unnoticed by others.
For example, it might feel like Instagram reels trends are changing each and every week – and you might be right. You could try to capture everyone, but as you move to share it across Facebook or even LinkedIn, you will find these spaces have their own trends online, and they fail to get the same reception from a different audience.
While it might take a bit longer, it is imperative you tailor your content to the platform on which it will live:
Instagram Trends:
- High engagement with visual content, including photos and videos.
- Influencer and brand-heavy, focusing on lifestyle, fashion, and beauty.
Facebook Trends:
- Used for news, community interactions, and personal networking.
- Businesses and organisations utilise pages and ads for reach.
TikTok Trends:
- High engagement with short-form video content.
- Trend-driven, with viral challenges and music/dance content.
LinkedIn Trends:
- Professional and career-focused audience.
- Used for networking, job searching, and industry news.
Businesses use it for B2B marketing and professional branding.
How Can a Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency Help You Stay on Top of Trends Online?
It’s hard to stay abreast of all TikTok, Facebook, Instagram reels trends and more. With the help of a digital and social media marketing agency, you can receive:
- Insightful Trend Analysis: Agencies specialise in identifying and analysing current online trends, offering tailored strategic guidance.
- Efficiency in Time and Resources: We manage all trend monitoring, freeing up your time for other business activities.
- Custom Content Creation: Agencies create trend-relevant content that effectively engages your audience.
- Data-Driven Strategies: We use analytics to make informed decisions that resonate with current trends.
- Platform-Specific Expertise: We understand unique platform trends, ensuring appropriate trend leverage.
- Adaptive Strategies: Quick to pivot, agencies keep your social media efforts responsive to emerging trends.
- Collaborative Opportunities: Agencies facilitate brand-influencer collaborations for greater trend-based reach.
- Continuous Learning: We constantly update skills and knowledge, keeping your strategy both current and innovative.
To learn more about social media management, speak with our specialists at Digital Eagles today.
