Unveiling the Future : 9 Social Media Trends Shaping 2024 & Beyond

If you are a brand that is active on social media, but worried about staying up-to-date with the latest social media trends, you’ve come to the right place. 

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives and is constantly evolving. With new technologies and changing user behaviors, it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest social media trends that are shaping the future of social media. 

In this article, we will explore 10 of these trends that are set to shape the social media landscape in 2024. Along with that, we will also discuss how you can utilize social media trends in your marketing strategy. 

So, without further ado, let us get into it. 

Social Media Trends Shaping 2024 

The internet space is bombarded with the latest social media trends and hacks. However, several evergreen and new social media trends for business are here to stay. Take a look at the social marketing media trends that are shaping 2024. 

1. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

One of the major social media trends for businesses that we are witnessing is the presence of AR and VR. 

Augmented reality (AR) technology is already being used in social media, with filters and animations on Snapchat and Instagram. However, advancements in AR technology will continue to enhance our social media experiences, with the potential to create more immersive and interactive content.

Instagram is using AR to keep its users engaged and on the app for a longer period. If you have used Instagram you must have seen those interactive stickers that make the platform, even more interesting. 

Virtual reality (VR) is another technology that is set to revolutionize social media. VR has the potential to create entirely new social media platforms, where users can interact with each other in a virtual world. Additionally, businesses are leveraging virtual reality training to provide unique and immersive learning
experiences for their employees, helping them develop skills in a simulated environment.

Statistics That Show AR and VR Are Essential Social Media Trends For Business 

• Nearly 61% of consumers have said that they prefer retailers with AR experiences. 
• 1 Billion people worldwide use AR. this opens up the door for e-commerce. 
• AR product experiences are 200% more engaging as they provide double the levels of engagement as compared to non-AR. 
• VR startups around the world have increased by 14%, in less than a year.

How To Use AR and VR For Your Business? 

• By using AR and VR, businesses can provide their customers with unique and engaging experiences that can help build brand awareness, increase sales, and improve customer satisfaction. 

• Some of the ways businesses can use these technologies include creating interactive product demonstrations, virtual showrooms, and gamified experiences.

•  AR and VR can be used to train employees, simulate complex scenarios, and improve collaboration within startup teams.

2. Social Media Personalization 

Social media personalization is a powerful tool and social media marketing trends for businesses to engage with their audiences. By tailoring content to individual interests and preferences, businesses can increase engagement, build brand loyalty, and drive sales. 

To use social media personalization for your business, you need to first understand your target audience and their preferences. You can then utilize various tools and techniques to personalize your content and advertising to cater to their specific needs and interests.

One effective way to do this is by creating buyer personas, which are detailed descriptions of your ideal customers. By understanding their pain points, interests, and behaviors, you can tailor your content and messaging to resonate with them and build a deeper connection.

Statistics That Show Social Media Personalization Is Essential Social Media Trends For Business 

• Nearly 79% of customers have admitted that they are only likely to engage with an offer that has been personalized to reflect the previous interaction between the brand and the customer. 
• Meanwhile, 78% of US netizens have said that relevant content from brands increases their purchase intent. 

How To Use Social Media Personalization For Your Business? 

• Use inbuilt analytics of the social media platforms to figure out what your audience likes to see. 
• Tailor unique content for different occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, etc. 

3. Adding Social Media Widget On Website 

Embed social media widget into your website is one of the popular and new social media trends that you can adopt for your brand. By incorporating social media feeds onto your website, you can reap exceptional benefits for your marketing strategy that you may not have considered before. 

Firstly, it will enhance the unique and authentic content available on your website and give it a fresh feel that appeals to your audience.

 Along with that, it will enrich your website with beautifully designed social media widgets such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and many more. This will give your customers a new reason to stay on your website for a longer period. Use social media aggregator tools like Tagembed to embed social media widget on website. 

Statistics That Show Social Media Widget Is Essential Social Media Trends For Business 

• 87% of customers think that social media helps them make shopping decisions. Hence having a social media widget on website is a smart deal. 
• 66% of customers buy after seeing other people’s social media posts. In such cases, ringing those social media posts on website with the help of a social media aggregator tool is a great idea. 

How To Use Social Widget for Your  Business? 

• Use the social media aggregator tool to embed social media widget on website. Showcase all the social media content that seems relevant to your marketing campaign. 
• Embed YouTube video widget on website to talk about your products and services. 
• Embed TikTok widget on website to showcase the fun side of your business. 

4. Short-Form Video 

Sharing Short-form video has become an incredibly well-known and new social media marketing trends in recent years, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels leading the charge. The appeal of these videos lies in their ability to capture attention quickly and hold it for a brief period. The shorter the video, the more likely it is to gain traction and go viral. 

One of the reasons for this trend is the younger generation’s desire for content that is relevant and on-topic. Short-form videos allow creators to present their ideas and messages concisely and engagingly, which is perfect for the fast-paced world we live in today.

Looking ahead, it’s clear that the social media marketing trends 2024 toward short-form video content are only going to continue. With more and more social media platforms focusing on this format as a way to engage users and keep them coming back for more, it’s safe to say that short-form videos are here to stay. 

Statistics That Show Short Form Videos Are Essential Social Media Trends For Business

• 73% of customers prefer short-form videos to search for products or services. 
• 47% of marketers have admitted that short-form videos are more likely to go viral.
• By the end of 2024, short-form videos are expected to dominate 90% of the internet traffic. 

How To Use Short-Form Videos For Your Business? 

• If you sell physical products, you can use short video platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts to showcase your products to your target audience. 
• Create an explainer video. When you create explainer videos, it helps the audience understand your products or services on a deeper level. 
• Many brands have written testimonials for their products and services.  But if your brand requires, ask your customers to create video testimonials. If not, interview your customers and upload videos of them using your products. 

5. Live Videos

Live videos have become one of the amazing and new social media trends today, allowing brands to engage with their audience and potential customers in real-time. With this feature, brands can explore a variety of content ideas including product demonstrations, Q&A sessions, live events, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and interactive polls.

The possibilities are endless, making live videos a powerful tool for businesses to create meaningful connections with their audience and drive engagement.

Statistics That Show Live Videos Are Essential Social Media Trends for Business

• As per the statistics by TrueList, Live video statistics show that 42% of the US population has streamed a live video online. 
• More than 35% of marketers use live video as a social media strategy. 
• 82% of netizens prefer live video from a brand over any standard social media posts. 

How To Use Live Video For Your Business? 

• Showcasing all the products 
• Answering Frequently asked questions
• Announcing new products 
• Announcing new team member 
• Announcing flash Giveaways
• Random Chitchats with the followers on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc. 

6. Social Commerce

Social commerce is one of the rapidly growing social media marketing trends today 2024.

With more and more consumers spending time on social media platforms, it only makes sense for brands to leverage these channels to reach their target audience. Social commerce provides an opportunity for brands to connect with consumers more organically. Eventually, helping them to discover and purchase products without ever leaving the platform.

In recent years, social media platforms have made significant strides in integrating e-commerce features into their platforms. Given the success of these features on platforms like Instagram, it is highly likely that we will see more social media platforms integrate e-commerce into their platforms in the coming years. For brands, this presents an exciting opportunity to tap into a vast and engaged audience and grow their sales through social commerce.

Statistics That Show Social Commerce Are Essential Social Media Trends For Business

• Millennials will be the most active social commerce customers making 33% of all purchases by the end of 2025. 
•  As per the statistics by Tidio, The social commerce market size will reach almost $1.3 trillion in 2023. 
• By the end of 2030, social commerce revenue is expected to reach $6.2 trillion

How To Use Social Commerce For Your Business? 

• Instagram’s Shopping feature enables businesses to tag products in their posts and stories, allowing users to click through and purchase products directly within the app. 

• Facebook’s Marketplace allows users to browse and purchase products from local sellers.

7. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has become an essential part of many brands’ marketing strategies.

As per the statistics by Influencer Marketing Hub, 59.4% of those respondents who budget for influencer marketing intend to increase their influencer marketing budget over the next 12 months. This proves that influencer marketing is not just a fad and it is here to stay for a longer run. 

Statistics That Show Influencer Marketing Is Essential Social Media Trend For Business

• 50% of Millennials trust product recommendations by influencers. Whereas only 38% of netizens trust the celebrity endorsements. 
• Around 39% of people on social media mention that influencers or content creators have some influence on their buying decisions.

Source: Influencer Marketing Hub 

How To Use Influencer Marketing For Your Business? 

• One of the first steps for influencer marketing is to choose your influencers wisely. Do not run behind numbers. Pick the influencers that are relevant to your niche. If you are a software-based company, you cannot pick up a beauty influencer. 

• Ask your influencers to create relevant content for your business. If your business requires you to create video content, ask them to create engaging video content.

8. User-Generated Content

The rise of user-generated content has given people the power to create and share their content, rather than just consuming what’s provided by brands and media outlets. As a result, a lot of brands have started to encourage UGC as a major type of social media trends today. 

This has led to a more diverse range of voices being heard on social media and has helped to democratize the online landscape.

 With platforms like Instagram continually introducing new features to make it easier for users to create and share content, it’s clear that user-generated content is here to stay. It will be interesting to see how this trend develops in the years to come, and how it will continue to shape the future of social media.

Statistics That Show UGC Is Essential Social Media Trend For Business

• 79% of people say UGC impacts their purchase decisions. 
• 70% of brands believe that UGC helps them to connect with their customers in a better way. 
• UGC is 35% more memorable than the content by any professional marketers. 

How To Use User Generated Content For Your Business? 

• Launch a branded hashtag for a special season. For example, #CelebratingEasterWithBrandName. Ask your customers to create content around it about how they enjoyed using your products. 

• One live example and an exciting way to use user-generated content is ELF Cosmetics. ELF Cosmetics collaborated with iLLWayno to produce a song titled ‘Eyes. Lips. Face’ which became viral on TikTok and resulted in more than five million user-generated videos. While you may or may not be able to create an entire song, incorporating gamification with a contest or challenge is an excellent way to encourage your audience to participate. The thrill of competition is unparalleled.

9. Social Media Platforms For Customer Support 

Over the years, social media platforms have become a mode of communication for customers and brands. As a result, one of the social media marketing trends that is taking place is using social media platforms for customer support. Social media platforms have indeed become essential tools for customer support as businesses recognize the evolving consumer behavior and expectations. Customers now prefer using social media for immediate communication and expect prompt responses from the brands as well. 

Statistics That Show Social Media Platforms for Customer Support Is Essential Social Media Trends For Business

• According to a survey, 75% of Twitter users, 59% of Facebook users, and 34% of Instagram users engage with brands on social media. Almost half of the interactions are related to customer service issues.
• Over 65% of social media users across platforms expect brands to respond, regardless of whether the initial outreach from the consumer was via private message or public post. 

Source: Khoros 

How To Use Social Media Platforms for Customer Support

• Use automated tools to answer frequently asked questions. 
• Reply to queries in the comments first. 
• Provide needed information in the caption. 

The Final Word: What’s Next In Social Media Trend

Social media is a constantly evolving landscape that requires brands and individuals to be adaptable and forward-thinking. By keeping up with the latest social media trend and technologies, businesses and influencers can stay relevant and engage with their audiences in new and exciting ways. 

Whether it’s augmented reality, short-form video, or privacy concerns, the social media landscape of 2024 is sure to be shaped by a variety of factors. 

Those who are willing to embrace change and adapt accordingly will be the ones who succeed in this dynamic and ever-changing world.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try out all those social media trends and see your business grow.