Social media platforms are an invaluable tool for marketers, helping them build brand awareness and connect directly with customers.
But the dynamic nature of social media means that trends are constantly changing and evolving. From new social media holidays to current consumer preferences, marketers need to stay on the pulse of social media and technology to create successful campaigns.
Here’s a look at the hottest social media trends and innovations to keep an eye on this year.
Emerging social platforms to know
Social media platforms ebb and flow in popularity as consumer preferences change. Staying up-to-date with the latest emerging platforms is a must if you want to stay ahead of your competition.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen TikTok explode in popularity, and short-form video certainly isn’t going away anytime soon. However, TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have been exploring new social media platforms that focus on still photos.
In 2023, ByteDance launched Lemon8 in Western markets. Like Instagram and Pinterest, the Lemon8 app allows users to share and edit photos. However, this app hasn’t generated much traction yet.
More recently, TikTok launched a companion app called TikTok Notes, which is also designed as a competitor to Instagram. Notes will focus entirely on still photo and text posts, with no video features. Right now, TikTok Notes is only available in Australia and Canada, but it will likely expand into other countries if initial tests are successful.
Additionally, many brands are working to develop an alternative to Twitter. Elon Musk purchased Twitter in late 2022, rebranding it as X and removing many popular features from the original platform.
So far, Bluesky has been the most successful Twitter alternative to hit the market. As of April 2024, the app has over 5.5 million users and is on a steady growth trajectory.
Instagram also launched Threads as a Twitter alternative. Since Threads is part of the Meta ecosystem, it already has a large user base, but it hasn’t received as much buzz as Bluesky so far.
While not a social media site in the traditional sense, Substack is another social platform that should be on your radar. Substack lets users create paid email newsletters, post long-form written and video content, and even develop their own podcasts.
Substack’s user base has exploded recently, going from 1 million users in 2021 to more than 3 million in early 2024.
How tech is impacting social media platforms
New technological innovations can also have a big impact on the social media landscape. Right now, the rise of accessible generative AI tools has completely changed the way people create social media posts.
Generative AI can help with the more tedious aspects of writing captions and making graphics, allowing brands to generate content more quickly. However, most AI-generated posts still need a human touch before they go live, as they tend to be very generic on their own.
Virtual reality and augmented reality are also technologies to watch in years to come. As headsets like the Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro become more mainstream, social media users could theoretically create highly immersive VR and AR content.
Dominant content trends in social media to know
It’s an exciting time for social media, with so many innovative trends taking shape. Here are some of the top social media marketing trends to keep an eye on this year.
The ongoing surge of short-form video
Short-form video has been the biggest social media trend of the past few years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. TikTok popularized this format, but Instagram and YouTube have jumped on the bandwagon with Reels and YouTube Shorts.
The popularity of short-form videos has changed the way that brands build social strategies. Rather than focusing on static posts for Instagram or Facebook, many brands are shifting their strategies and budgets and investing in sophisticated short-form videos.
The most successful short-form videos grab the viewer’s attention immediately with an engaging hook. You don’t need to be a professional videographer to make good short-form video content—all you need is a smartphone, some editing savvy, and an exciting concept.
Interactive and engaging content
Another social and content marketing trend to watch is the shift toward interactive content. This type of content encourages followers to participate in the conversation, rather than just reading passively.
Quizzes and polls are popular forms of interactive content. Social media marketers often use these strategies on Instagram Stories to generate responses.
Live streams are another trending social media strategy for interactive content. Through a live stream, you can answer your followers’ questions in real time and show off exciting new products.
There are many free social media management tools you can use to plan your interactive posts ahead of time.
Personalization through AI
Many social media platforms have launched AI-driven algorithms to provide more personalized content to users. These algorithms take user behavioral data and use it to create an individualized feed of content based on the user’s interests. AI-powered algorithms also show users relevant ads based on their interests.
Personalized content creates a better, more engaging experience for social media users. It also increases engagement levels across the entire platform, as everyone sees content that is relevant to their interests. This also means that brands will need to clearly define their target audience to succeed with this algorithm.
Authenticity and user-generated content
Authentic, relatable content is key to success on social media, particularly if you want to appeal to a younger audience. Gen Z and millennials tend to prefer authenticity over sales-y content when browsing social media.
In fact, in one survey, 92% of Gen Z respondents indicated that authenticity was extremely or very important to them, making it one of the most crucial values for this generation.
One way that brands can create more authentic content is by working with influencers to create branded user-generated content (UGC). These partnerships expand your brand’s reach on social media in a natural, authentic way.
Since many people trust content from other users more than content from brands, UGC influencer marketing campaigns can be very impactful.
Visual and immersive experiences
Since social media platforms are highly visual, it’s important to provide visually rich and immersive experiences for your followers. Fortunately, you no longer need pro equipment to shoot high-quality photos and videos—you can get excellent shots just by using your smartphone.
When it comes to creating an immersive experience, it’s all in the details. For example, a high-quality soundtrack, stylized graphics, and a well-written caption can all contribute to an immersive video post.
If you want to take it a step further, AR and VR can help you create an unparalleled immersive experience. You can start small by adding interactive elements to your photos and videos, like animations and special effects. In fact, Meta’s social media platforms offer built-in AR features that you can add to your posts.
Updates in user behavior, expectations, and social e-commerce
As social media evolves, user expectations change to match it. Social marketers will need to understand these expectations and behaviors to create social media posts that resonate. Here are some of the ways that user behaviors are shifting.
Shifts in user engagement patterns
When Facebook first came on the scene, users primarily engaged with social media on their computers. As technology has evolved, many people have shifted away from desktop and laptop computers, choosing to rely on their mobile devices for internet access instead. In fact, 15% of American adults now use the internet only on their smartphones.
Social media channels have adjusted to this change by prioritizing mobile apps rather than desktop sites. So, to make an impact, social media content needs to be entirely mobile-friendly.
Rising expectations for brand interactions
Social media users also hold brands to very high standards when it comes to interactions. They expect brands to respond quickly to messages and comments, especially when they have a problem that needs to be addressed.
Additionally, many users expect fully personalized responses when interacting with a brand, rather than a generic message that the company sends out to everyone.
The growth of social commerce
An increasing number of social media users rely on these platforms to shop and find new products. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have launched new features that allow social media users to browse products and make purchases directly in the app.
Whatnot is also a popular social commerce platform that’s gaining traction. Whatnot combines the concept of online auctions with live streaming, allowing users to buy products from their favorite influencers. The rise of social commerce allows brands to turn social engagement into online sales.
The influence of augmented reality in shopping
Many social media platforms are implementing AR features, which you can use to create interactive experiences with your products.
For example, makeup companies could use AR to create a virtual try-on experience. Furniture companies could also use this technology, allowing followers to visualize pieces in their own space.
How Bitly can boost your marketing strategies in 2024
With branded short links, custom QR Codes, and detailed analytics, Bitly has the tools you need to enhance your social media marketing strategy this year— and here’s how.
Providing data-driven insights for personalized marketing and influencer strategy
Bitly Analytics gives you a better understanding of your audience’s behavior. Bitly links don’t simply track the source site—they show which campaigns, keywords, and messages resonate with your customer segments.
For example, when you’re launching an influencer marketing campaign, you can give each influencer their own branded short link. Then, you can track the performance of each affiliate link to determine which content creators generated the best results.
Enhancing content engagement across formats
Bitly can help you optimize all your content formats, whether you’re making short videos or telling an interactive story.
When you integrate short, branded Bitly links into your content, you make it easy for users to navigate from your social media content to your website. These branded short links increase brand awareness and recognition, which can help generate more engagement across your entire digital marketing campaign.
Bridging the digital and physical worlds through QR Codes
QR Codes serve as a portal between your physical marketing strategies and your online content. Your customers can scan Bitly QR Codes to go straight to your website or social media profiles.
They’re easy to place anywhere your brand has an offline presence, from posters to print ads to signs in brick-and-mortar stores. Bitly QR Codes are also fully customizable, so you can choose colors and design options that match your existing branding.
Streamlining content strategy with analytics
Bitly Analytics can also help you learn how to measure engagement on social media. You’ll get detailed information about who’s tapping on your links and scanning your QR Codes, where they’re engaging from, and what type of device they’re using. This information can help you track what content gets the most interactions, helping identify which strategies are most effective.
Boosting visibility through targeted campaigns
Targeted social media campaigns help you reach your audience more efficiently by using relevant hashtags and focusing on your target demographics. With Bitly, you can create a unique short link and QR Code for each social media campaign you launch. Then, using Bitly Campaigns, you can track the performance of every campaign in real time.
Build a stronger social media strategy with Bitly’s tools
There are so many exciting trends happening in the social media industry right now, from short-form video mania to VR technology to generative AI content. Adopting these trends now will help you stay on the cutting edge of social media and set you apart from your competitors.
But to really capitalize on these trends, you need Bitly. With Bitly, you can track user engagement and performance across your social media campaigns and use the insights you gather to continuously refine your strategy.
Get started with Bitly today to make the most of the latest social media trends!
