2024 Social Media Predictions
We already know that social media is constantly evolving. Social media platforms and strategies experienced all kinds of changes in 2023. From AI, to user outlooks, to content approach and more, the way things were in January 2023 aren’t necessarily where they will be in January 2024.
As we enter a new year, we can’t see the future of social media, but we can make predictions based on trends and observations. Here are some of our predictions for social media in 2024:
Behind The Scenes content to become more common
A peek behind the curtain always provides interesting insight for users, and we believe it’s only going to continue from here. Creators of all industries are making their typical day appear a bit more interesting to their audiences by showing them “what it’s really like over here.”
Fast food workers are showcasing how different menu items are created in-store, tradespeople are showing what issues they fixed and how they fixed them, and corporate workers are giving tours of the office.
By piquing user curiosity, even some of the “least exciting” businesses can find themselves appealing to new audiences more than ever before. Showing an interesting side of the industry that others may not be aware of is the perfect way to start.
Shareability becomes a major component of content strategy
So much of what drives success for content is having it escape users’ following feeds. This means content finding its way into the feeds and inboxes of more users. Accomplishing this means creating content that’s considered more “shareable”.
Creating content with a relatability factor or humour is one of the easier ways to experience higher shares. We predict that more creators and businesses will recognize that this is a key in reaching a wider audience, and allow themselves to loosen up a bit more in their content strategy.
X and Threads to remain niche until something major occurs
Team X? Team Threads? Team neither? 2023 was a rollercoaster for X, formerly known as Twitter. Despite a loss of users, advertisers, and employees, plus frequent controversies, not all users are ready to jump ship yet.
Instagram’s Threads, touted as a replacement for Twitter, saw interest in the beginning, but has fizzled out tremendously since. Despite a lack of features and slow rollouts for new ones, many users have stayed on Threads and have even built a community for themselves on the platform.
Many of Threads’ users have no interest in returning to X, and many of X’s users have no interest in leaving for Threads. Right now, both platforms are in a bit of an odd stage where neither appear to really appeal to new users. We predict that until something major happens to either platform that results in mass appeal, there won’t be a clear “winner”.
TikTok to continue its rule, but Meta will still hold on
TikTok doesn’t just have users wrapped around its finger — it’s affected the way social media platforms operate as well. The “TikTokification” of social media has resulted in platforms becoming more focused on video content, or content that doesn’t have as high of a production value.
Whether or not creators have a TikTok strategy in mind, its influence can be seen on countless content that has appeared on other platforms this past year.
There are still plenty of creators who are not yet on TikTok, whatever their reasons may be. But they are not necessarily missing out either. Meta platforms, Facebook and Instagram, are still used on the daily by billions of users, and is still helping creators and businesses thrive.
One of the biggest differentiators is TikTok’s algorithm vs Meta feeds. Meta feeds work heavily in the favour of businesses looking to appeal to a local audience. For example, restaurants or small stores. TikTok’s algorithm puts content in front of audiences all over the world, which is more beneficial for creators and businesses who are looking to expand beyond their backyard.
We predict that this will likely stay the same. TikTok can be beneficial for the right creator, but they should not feel the need to leave Meta (or any other platform for that matter) if they feel it may not be the best choice for them at the moment.
Cutting back on AI-generated content
AI was a hot topic in 2023, especially with the rise of programs such as ChatGPT. Suddenly, out of nowhere, creating written and visual content became a breeze for many businesses.
With that in mind, we’re starting to see some of the problems that come with the current technology. Inaccuracies and non-sequiturs are being produced by ChatGPT, and wait until you see how many fingers and teeth the people in AI-generated images have.
Users are starting to notice very quickly if content is AI-generated, and creators are receiving backlash for using it as a crutch rather than a supporting tool for content creation.
Because of this, we predict that while we will still see plenty of AI generated content in 2024, if not more than 2023, we will also see more pressure on larger creators to cut down on how much they rely on it, as their content quality expectations may be higher for their audiences.
A rise in nostalgia content
Nostalgia content is already a major trend on sites like TikTok and Pinterest. The early 2000’s appear to reign the most supreme currently, but much of the past is getting just as much attention.
While these styles tend to appear more in niches such as fashion and other visual content, we predict we might see retro styles appear in more casual settings. What do we mean by that? It could be as simple as a graphic of an old TV with a brand’s logo appearing on the screen. Perhaps we’ll see a comeback in physical promotional products. Dare we say portable radios?
Brands can let their creativity run wild with nostalgia content based on how it fits within their general marketing strategy. We don’t necessarily expect to see an explosion of nostalgia content either, but we do recognize that audiences are loving nostalgia content at this current moment. Now is the time to strike while the iron’s hot and see how long it lasts into 2024.
What do you think?
Whether these predictions ring true, we’re simply exploring these ideas for fun. Do you agree with any of our predictions? Disagree? What are some of your predictions for 2024? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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