The world of social media is rapidly transforming and requires keeping up with the times and re-engineering business representation strategies to stay one step ahead of others.
Semrush, a company specializing in digital marketing and market analysis tools, has formulated 5 global SMM trends for 2024.
The company consulted with leading social media experts, industry insiders, marketing gurus and identified the main vectors of social media development that will shape the future landscape of the industry.
We tell you about global trends in SMM for 2024.
UGC content and users' trust
Content authenticity is the new key variable for long-term success in social media. A strong emotional connection with your audience comes to the forefront, increasing engagement and user trust in your business. To build long-term customer relationships, share your consumers’ unique and life stories – customers tend to trust other users more than brands themselves. Audiences want to hear first-hand information – from real people who come in contact with products to company employees.
Consumers are tired of the constant stream of ads and known influencers, so in 2024 companies will focus on UGC content (user-generated content) created directly by users.
What to emphasize?
Genuine testimonials and recommendations in video or story format – try inviting customers to share their personal experiences and impressions of using the product.
Abandon aggressive marketing and advertising in favor of natural promotion – build a friendly community on social media, audience interaction, SEO and email newsletters.
Hire creators who stand out for their ability to communicate on social media, tell engaging stories based on personal experience, inspire trust and maintain a warm rapport with the community.
Post USG content on TikTok. Video continues to be the most engaging contact with users. TikTok is a platform with authentic, unedited, inspiring content that gets reposted and commented on.
Focus on quality over popularity. Users favor products backed by personal stories and good reviews over those that are widely advertised.
Content creators' golden hour
The number of followers, which for the last 10 years has been one of the main indicators of success in social networks, is gradually receding into the background. Today, it is important for companies to organize and maintain a loyal community around a brand, to erase boundaries and to be “their own” among the audience. Each account in social networks should not only sell and inform, but become a warm and cozy space where users can freely exchange opinions and feel important to the company. It is necessary to be able to involve the audience in the life of the company through videos about the life of the office, interviews with employees, contests, promotions and useful content.
New requirements for creators and influencers involved in product presentation are emerging. Content creators must be able to analyze and understand the needs and priorities of the audience in order to speak the same language with them and target the emotions of customers. For influencers promoting a product, a big plus will be a similar lifestyle and social response. Content from employees and directors of companies will be no less in demand – it is important for the audience to see that they are heard and understood on the other end of the line, and that they respond promptly to requests and requests for product improvement.
What to emphasize?
- Establish long-term relationships with different creators with their own unique style that can resonate with audiences.
- Demonstrate the human side of the business.
- Don’t get hung up on comparing yourself to other brands, share authentic user stories localize UGC content, engage with the community by encouraging discussions, likes and reposts.
- Listen and ask your audience what kind of content they want to see and listen to their feedback.
Generative AI is an innovative tool for the marketer
As history shows, with every technological breakthrough always comes apprehension. The professional community of designers, artists and copywriters is sounding the alarm that neural networks may take away jobs from specialists. But experts interviewed by Semrush are optimistic – artificial intelligence is not able to think creatively and develop unique ideas, has difficulty understanding emotions and context, and clients continue to value live communication and natural texts. Neural networks lack the intuition to interpret data, yet they can become an indispensable assistant and increase the productivity of marketing departments.
Artificial intelligence has already revolutionized workflows for SMM managers, making workflows more productive by creating simple text and post templates, while providing users with an excellent selection of content based on a universal experience. One of the most important advancements has been personalized advertising, where AI is used for machine learning and image recognition, allowing for more effective targeting and recommendations for users, increasing conversions. AI facilitates flexible social media experiences with chatbots, suggesting posts based on browsing history, quick text translations, and visual content generation.
Content creation will undergo its biggest evolution in 2024, and the first six months will show how marketers can utilize the power of AI most effectively. With the help of neural networks, content creation will become faster, leaving marketers with more time to strategize. In other words, marketers will remain creative minds and artificial intelligence will act as an eloquent developer. Short briefs will turn into full-fledged articles, and voice commands will become works of art. The era of mass-produced content on social networks is coming, and platforms will continue to refine AI features. The period of experimentation will be replaced by full-fledged integration and adoption of neural networks at work.
What to emphasize?
- Keep up with the range of AI applications, new ChatGPT plugins, Midjourney and DALLE-3 updates
- Use AI tools for routine tasks, scheduling posts and monitoring social media metrics
- Use neural networks to create content texts, but make sure the result matches the tone-of-voice of the brand
- Regularly review and adapt your social media strategy based on analytics created by artificial intelligence, combined with the experience and intuition of your marketing team
- Remember to maintain a human approach to content and control the process
TikTok and LinkedIn on the Olympus of social networks
Experts surveyed by Semrush believe that TikTok and LinkedIn will dominate social media in 2024. At the same time, serious competition will remain among the platforms – Threads from Meta (recognized as extremist and banned) continues to attract new users. YouTube is not lagging behind, offering users new features.
At the beginning of 2024, TikTok had the highest user engagement and retention rates. The social network continues to be a unique promotional tool for brands that properly utilize the power of short videos, combining advertising integrations with personal stories, cherished community and TikTok trends.
LinkedIn has become an indispensable tool for business growth, connecting professionals from various fields. The platform’s user base has grown to millions of professionals from various sectors – a veritable treasure trove for finding unique talent. According to Semrush experts, in 2024, companies will encourage CEOs and top professionals to engage directly with potential business partners and clients on the platform, strengthen meaningful connections and maintain professional contacts
What to emphasize?
- Establish long-term partnerships with content creators on TikTok
- Post USG content on TikTok. Video continues to be the most engaging user contact. TikTok is a platform with authentic, inspiring videos that are reposted and commented on
- Pay attention to Threads, the platform plans to bring in new Influencers to create unique content. This is a good channel to find new audiences
- Don’t forget about YouTube’s features. The platform continues to develop new features, from vertical short videos to podcasts
- Update your company’s LinkedIn profile and give it more attention
Metrics remain an instrument of success
At the dawn of the social media era, success was measured by the number of followers, but now audience engagement is much more important for brands. Experts told about the key points in the use of metrics in 2024. Special attention should be paid to A/B testing to optimize the performance of websites, lendings, targeted advertising campaigns and social networks. Testing will help determine what works best, help explore new ways to interact with audiences, and expand opportunities for growth.
At the same time, the main value is still interaction with the community and increasing loyalty. Regardless of the investment in marketing, the level of relevance of content to the audience cannot be measured, because it is relevant to the current moment in time. You can’t forget about feedback, and don’t hesitate to ask what kind of content users expect and where they heard about the brand. In 2024, social media algorithms will favor content that encourages audiences to comment, discuss, like and talk about personal experiences.
This trend is once again a reminder of transparency – customers should participate in product discussions and share their experiences, thereby building a community around the brand. This contributes to increased brand loyalty and greater reach. Thus, the key metrics will be reach and views. The more people see and share content, the more it grows in reach, which increases the chances of the brand getting noticed.
What to emphasize?
- Establish a 20/80 balance of A/B testing. Allocate a portion of your budget to testing new approaches and trends
- Truthful user-generated content naturally influences audiences to comment and engage in discussions, which is key to strengthening the connection between them and brands
- Collaborate with video content creators. All the major ones today are uniting short videos. Optimizing videos for new devices such as AR/VR will be critical to success in 2024
Conclusions
Use authentic user testimonials in video and text formats, to create a strong emotional connection with subscribers. Customers trust other customers more than brands
Engage a variety of original creators and Influencers who can tell human stories that the audience understands and that are relevant to their lifestyle
Maintain a warm atmosphere in the community, don’t hesitate to ask questions of the audience, encourage comments and discussions, take into account users’ opinions about the product
Use neural networks to optimize content creation and data analysis to free up time for effective strategy development
Use A/B testing to experiment with formats, following the 20/80 rule (use 20% of your budget on new research and 80% on proven strategies)
Invest in video content as the main format in social media to expand your reach, leverage the power of vertical videos in TikTok.
