{"id":35164,"title":"Social Media Trends 2024: 4 Key Insights for Ecommerce Brands","description":"We\u2019ve analysed the top social media trend reports and condensed the key takeaways into these 4 important actions they all agree on. \n\nUse these principles when planning your social media strategy for the year ahead to see growth in engagement, traffic and sales.","content":"

Does this sound familiar? You're going into a new year. You're ready to set some goals to propel your brand forward. So in an attempt to follow expert advice, you start building up a saved collection of 'trend reports' and 'end of year insights' that you promise you\u2019ll get around to reading at some unspecified point in the future...but may never do.<\/em><\/p>

Figuring out how to create a social media strategy that delivers results can be daunting. That's why, to kick off 2024, we\u2019ve analysed the top social media trend reports and condensed the key takeaways into these 4 important actions they all agree on.<\/p>

Use these principles when planning your social media strategy for the year ahead to see growth in engagement, traffic and sales.<\/p>

1. AI and authenticity - automate the processes but not the thinking<\/h3>

\"\"AI tools have exploded onto the scene and social media marketers are using them to lighten their workload and become more efficient.<\/p>

But be careful - audiences are still wary of AI-generated content and you need to maintain their trust to uphold a sense of authenticity.<\/p>

67% of users agree that it's hard to tell whether images are real or created with AI. Baby boomers are the most cautious - with 33% stating that if they know something is AI-generated they are less likely to engage with it, compared with 20% of Gen Z. - Hootsuite<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>

Act On It<\/strong>\ud83d\udc49 Use AI tools to brainstorm, come up with content suggestions, and get started on first drafts of captions but make sure you\u2019re still adding in a personal element by letting humans decide your strategy, making sure humans edit AI-generated content to keep it on brand, and allowing your customers to interact with real people in the comments section.<\/p>

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2. Hero platforms and cross-posting - focus on what works and make it native<\/h3>

\"\"If you have a presence across various social media platforms, go to your analytics and do an audit to see which ones are performing the best in relation to your goals - which ones are getting you the highest return on investment (ROI)? That's investment in terms of time, money and resources vs the clicks, sales and engagement you get as a result. These are your 'hero platforms'.<\/p>

You could<\/em> be equally active on Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter, RIP), Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn and Threads...but do you need to be?<\/p>

Reflect on which platforms are actually driving engagement and sales, and consider the audience and what people go there to do. They go to X for quick updates and short, relatable snippets but they go to YouTube for long-form tutorials and in-depth explanations.<\/p>

Don\u2019t be afraid to take a step back from the platforms that didn't seem to be serving your goals in 2023.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Along that same vein, whatever platform you're committing to putting your energy into, make sure you get to know it inside-out and appeal to its features. Avoid posting identical content across all your platforms (cross-posting), without utilising the native features within each app that make it unique.<\/p>

Act On It<\/strong>\ud83d\udc49 Audit your socials and compare ROI across them, choose your hero platforms and tailor your content to their unique features. You can share the same core idea in a slightly different way on each platform.<\/p>

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3. Entertainment reigns - stop selling, start socialising<\/h3>

\"\"The top reason that users are on socials in the first place (after catching up with friends and family) is to be entertained.<\/p>

And it turns out that their biggest annoyance is when a brand is too focused on self-promotion, rather than providing relatable, funny, inspirational, exciting, moving or energising content.<\/p>

34% of respondents surveyed by Hootsuite said that brands being 'too focused on self promotion' has a negative impact on how they view them on social media. But 48% of marketers publish product-related posts multiple times a week. That disconnect could be costing you real connection with your audience.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Opting for less salesy posts might seem counter-intuitive when you\u2019ve set sales targets to hit, but this slow-burn strategy drives a greater ROI and builds a stronger community in the long run.<\/p>

Funny, relatable, trendy, authentic\/behind the scenes and interactive content come out on top as offering the biggest ROI on socials in HubSpot's research<\/a> consulting over 1000 marketers.<\/p><\/blockquote>

It doesn\u2019t have to be memes (though it could be memes) but it should make them feel something other than the feeling of being pushed to buy buy buy.<\/p>

Act On It<\/strong>\ud83d\udc49 Take a look at your content and note down what percentage is product and sales-focused. Brainstorm some new types of entertaining content you could try and experiment to see how it performs with your audience.<\/p>

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4. The power of User Generated Content (UGC) - show real people with real opinions<\/h3>

\"\"-- Pine and Pebble<\/a> enlisted small creators like @summernurdin to become ambassadors for the brand and create beautiful UGC content<\/em><\/p>

Several emerging trends all point to one key ingredient - authentic, real UGC. That\u2019s real people sharing their real opinions.<\/p>

Especially for Gen Z, the \u2018realness movement\u2019 is very, well\u2026 real.<\/p>

LinkedIn users are favouring posts from inspirational, individual creators for business-to-business (B2B) interactions (like CEOs and employees), rather than posts from branded business accounts.<\/p>

And platforms like Reddit, TikTok and YouTube are starting to be used as search engines for customers to find reliable product recommendations. They're searching for 'the best X' and 'the most sustainable Y'.<\/p>

The desire for authenticity is also a reason why using micro-influencers is also paying off for brands. These smaller creators generate engaging and enjoyable content (remember point 3?) that feels like a friend sharing a recommendation.<\/p>


\"Audiences are seeking transparency and authenticity. They gravitate toward sources they trust, faces behind messages, employees sharing insights, and real people speaking through video content.\"- SEMrush 2024 Social Media Trends Report<\/a><\/p>

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Act On It<\/strong>\ud83d\udc49 Get real people onto your feed - you can ask customers to share snaps of them with your products and then repost them, you can put one of your team members in front of the camera to explain the design process behind your latest drop, or seek out some micro-influencers in your niche to help you create collaborative content.<\/p>

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\ud83d\udc55 Not part of the Teemill community yet? Take social media engagement to the next level with a t-shirt campaign that has sustainability woven in<\/a>, whether you're fundraising for a charity or expanding your product range this year.<\/strong><\/p>

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What are your thoughts on these social media trends for 2024 - have they been working for you? What's your social media focus for 2024? Let us know in the comments.<\/em><\/p>

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