The latest social media trends for 2024

From its humble beginning in the early 2000s, social media has progressed into one of the most vital aspects of any business, no matter the industry. 

Approximately 5.06 billion people across the globe use these interactive technologies, with an increasing proportion deeming social media as one of their main sources of product inspiration.

Therefore, brands are now tasked with creating, engaging and interactive experiences across a variety of channels in order to capture fleeting consumer interest, which can be a sizable challenge. 

Throughout this article, you will discover how you can maximize the capabilities of your channels by implementing the social media trends projected to be most effective in 2024. Additionally, you will learn about the best practices to keep in mind when leveraging social channels to drive lead generation. 

12 social media marketing trends to focus on this year

In an ever-changing online landscape, it can be somewhat challenging to curate strategies that will be as engaging as they are effective. This is particularly true when attempting to formulate campaigns to carry out on social channels.

However, one way to combat any potential decision fatigue is to consider what social media trend is currently occurring and weave these into your strategies in a way that rings true to your brand. Additionally, embracing digital transformation can be key to staying relevant in this evolving environment.

Let’s take a look at these 12 social media trends for 2024 that you should pay close attention to:

1. Continuation of social commerce growth

The rise of e-commerce has encouraged the development of social commerce, the practice of using social channels to sell products and services, carried out by businesses. 

Numerous social platforms have implemented features that make it easy for consumers to shop in-app, without disrupting their scroll, making conversions easier for businesses to achieve.

It is forecasted that social commerce will generate $3.37 trillion by 2028, growing at a 28.4% annual pace. Therefore, it is wise to increase your involvement in this social media trend by linking to product pages and featuring shoppable posts on your channels, particularly on Instagram. Shoppable posts allow you to tag your products within your feed posts, enabling customers to click through in order to make a purchase.

2. Increase in creator and micro-influencer brand partnerships

The creator economy is growing exponentially, being composed of over 200 million active creatives that specialize in a variety of fields. In 2024, you can expect to witness a noticeable increase in brand partnerships with various creators, and more specifically, micro-influencers.   

The value of micro-influencers has become more apparent as brand partnerships have risen in popularity, primarily as they tend to garner greater levels of trust amongst their following and are deemed significantly more authentic than macro-influencers. 

The self-made platforms and highly focused audiences related to micro-influencers give way to their ability to achieve higher engagement rates, typically generating up to 60% more than their macro counterparts.  

When selecting an influencer for your brand partnership, consider choosing a creator that has a following between 10,000 and 50,000 with a target audience that is similar to your own.

Take a look at how Audible leveraged this social media trend in their collaboration with photographer Jesse Driftwood. 

3. Sustainability is becoming a key driving force 

Consumers tend to buy from brands that emulate values that are personally important to them. One of the most apparent examples of this is Gen Z’s climate change concerns, with more than 75% of this generational group ranking the climate crisis as one of their top concerns. 

With Gen Z making up almost half of the global consumer market, one of the best social media trends to partake in is to establish and showcase your businesses’ stance on important environmental and social issues.  

Toms, the well-known Shoe brand, shared its dedication to maintaining environmental consciousness via their Instagram.

4. Increase in the importance of authentic, channel-aligned ads 

As social advertising has developed over time, content has become substantially more sophisticated and engaging. Even with marketing saturation, this progression has not gone unnoticed and consumers are holding brands to a higher standard of social advertising. 

Overt ads and in-your-face marketing campaigns are a thing of the past, no longer having the same effect on prospective customers who have become accustomed to a preferred style of communication. 

This year, the social media trend to focus on is maintaining authenticity throughout your advertising, and matching your campaign formats to the channel on which it will appear. For instance, native app content such as Instagram Stories or built-in TikTok ads can be leveraged to achieve your objectives whilst simultaneously utilizing the most suitable channel features. 

5. The power of TikTok will continue 

Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has steadily amassed a usership that has seen it become one of the most popular platforms available to date. With over 1 billion monthly active users, global consumer spending from this app has exceeded $2.5 billion. 

In addition to allowing businesses to use short-form videos to showcase their product or service creatively, TikTok provides a variety of in-app features, including business profiles and ad objectives, that can be used to engage audiences and increase brand awareness. 

LeadsBridge offers a number of integrations that can enhance your TikTok advertising capabilities, including TikTok Lead Generation, which allows you to collect your follower’s details, and TikTok Custom Audiences which enables the implementation of laser-focused targeting. 

6. Significance of social SEO

As well as performing SEO on your website, the same is necessary for your social channels. As a lesser-known social media trend for 2024, you may be asking yourself – what is social SEO?

Social SEO is designed to help businesses ensure that their content is seen by the correct audience by adding text-based features, including links, captions, and alt-texts. This practice also takes interaction into account when deciphering search rankings. 

To achieve optimal SEO, you can begin by eliminating empty fields from your social channels and being as descriptive in your profiles as possible. Consider using keywords and phrases pertaining to your business and searches that your target customers may perform. 

Additionally, link building is an integral part of effective SEO. The greater the number of high-quality inbound and outbound links, the higher Google will rate your authority, and thus, your ranking will increase.  

7. Focus on user-generated content 

User-generated content (UGC) refers to content, be it images, reviews, or videos, that is created by a customer and published on their personal social media, and then re-posted by the business itself. This has become a preferred technique used by companies to promote their product or service in a more authentic way. 

Not only does content published by UGC creators foster greater impressions of authenticity amongst leads, but it also lends itself to improved SEO and an increase in brand reach and engagement. 

UGC content is 2.4 times more likely to be viewed as authentic than brand-created content. With 88% of consumers stating that brand authenticity is an important factor in deciding what brands to support, this is a social media trend that cannot be overlooked. 

8. Social search will have heightened significance

What is social search? This is a type of web searching that takes into account the social activity of the lead that is carrying out the search, using content tagging, shared bookmarks, and algorithms to generate results. 

The entire idea behind the social search is to show human network-orientated results for search queries that are more relevant to the user, as opposed to solely using results derived from computer algorithms. 

As well as offering more suitable results, social search plays a role in creating a human network, which facilitates a more trustworthy impression. 

9. Pay-to-play will be essential 

The surge in e-commerce that has taken place in recent years has paved the way for a heightened degree of competition amongst businesses trying to sell their product or service online. 

This competition has created a necessity for businesses to pay to play, a social media trend that cannot go unmentioned. In order to project your brand above competitors, you will have to reinforce your advertising campaigns across multiple channels using financial means. 

Using LeadsBridge, you can automate these advertising campaigns by employing a range of our available integrations, including Facebook Custom Audiences, Instagram Lead Ads, LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, and Facebook Lead Ads. 

10. Video content will remain

Now more than ever, video content is an integral part of any effective campaign with 96% of marketers stating that they see video as an important part of their strategy. 

With video-focused platforms, such as TikTok, leading the crusade against monotonous marketing, businesses are presented with a prime opportunity to showcase their creative flare and engage customers in a way that text simply cannot achieve. This is the reason why businesses are now using online video editor tools because they find it effective and easy to use and provide great quality videos as it has a lot of features that you can leverage. You can even create funny memes for your videos using a meme generator, which will be great if you want your video to be relatable, entertaining, and shareable on every social media platform. 

Whether it’s behind-the-scenes content, packaging videos, brand Q&As, or participation in viral trends, customers relish the opportunity to visualize a company and discover another layer to the brand that may not be otherwise accessible.  

11. LinkedIn will change the focus on content

If you have not already noticed, LinkedIn has begun to feature content that is less focused on people’s professional lives and job finding, and turned toward showing content that is much more personal in nature.

Take, for example, this post by Erin Gallagher, the founder of Ella. 

Although the reasoning for this is unclear, it is a social media trend that seems likely to continue based on reception and engagement. 

In 2021, LinkedIn launched its own Creator Fund, designed to invest in creators and prompt them to incite conversations and build community on the platform. This, matched with the introduction of carousels and reactions has seen many businesses change their approach to how they use LinkedIn. 

Going forward, you should begin to alter your LinkedIn-specific content to showcase a  more human side to your business, potentially focusing on the reasoning behind your core values, times you faced challenges as a company, and how you overcame this, as well as other anecdotal, thought-provoking tactics.  

LinkedIn is a rich source of leads, and when used correctly can be an advantageous asset for businesses. LeadsBridge offers several integrations that help to streamline your lead generation efforts on LinkedIn, including the following:

12. Reaching new audiences will be integral 

With each social media platform comes its own distinct audience. While Facebook is primarily inhabited by millennials and boomers, apps such as TikTok and Snapchat are predominantly favored by Gen Z. 

What people engage with on Instagram may not necessarily have the same effect on Facebook, and vice versa. Therefore, in order to reach your segmented audiences, you must embrace an omnichannel approach and create relevant content for each platform in which your business holds a presence. 

How to keep up with social media trends

Staying on top of social media trends has never been more crucial for marketers. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, here are three strategies to ensure your social media tactics are fresh, relevant, and impactful.

Harness the Power of Google Alerts

Keep Informed on the Go: Google Alerts is your personal watchdog for the social media industry. By setting up alerts for crucial keywords, industry terms, and names of key influencers, you can keep your finger on the pulse. You’ll receive updates on trending topics, new platform features, and major industry shifts in your inbox. This tool allows you to monitor influential figures and understand consumer desires and industry standards, enabling you to tweak your strategy in real time to stay ahead.

Engage in LinkedIn Groups

Connect and Converse with the Pros: LinkedIn Groups act as a congregation point for like-minded professionals to discuss, dissect, and delve into the nuts and bolts of social media marketing. By joining groups relevant to your interests or industry, you tap into a reservoir of insights from colleagues, industry leaders, and innovators. Active participation not only nurtures learning and collaboration but also arms you with cutting-edge strategies and perspectives, setting you up for unparalleled success in the dynamic domain of social media marketing.

Invest in Social Media Certification

Bolster Your Skillset with Certification: Venturing into social media certification is a strategic move for those serious about mastering the platforms. Renowned institutions and organizations offer courses encompassing all facets of social media marketing—from strategic planning and content creation to analytics and campaign optimization. Getting certified isn’t just about adding a badge to your portfolio; it’s an investment in becoming a bona fide expert. These programs often grant access to exclusive tools and insights, ensuring you’re equipped to excel in an ever-changing digital arena.

By adopting these strategies, you’re not just keeping up—you’re staying ahead, ready to capitalize on the next big wave in social media marketing.

How to generate more leads from social media 

When thinking of how to keep up with social media trends and generate leads from social channels, it is easy to become unsure of where to start considering the multiple paths available across the range of platforms.

With that in mind, we have listed three ideas that are simple to implement, which are as follows:

1. Select the appropriate channel

The first step to ensuring that your social media lead generation strategy is effective, is to ensure that you are using the most suitable platform. Not every platform, despite how many users it has, will be aligned with your objectives or target audience. 

If you are a business selling B2B, it would be best for you to begin engaging leads on LinkedIn, given that it is a professional platform where many companies across the globe hold a presence. However, if you wish to focus on B2C, social channels such as Instagram and Facebook would be a more suitable choice. Create and share engaging videos on your profiles, especially on Instagram. Get followers who can help amplify your reach by sharing your content.

2. Begin live streaming 

Live streaming has become a social media trend to watch for 2024, as engagement rates for this activity have increased over time, particularly for businesses with a following between 5,000 and 10,000. In fact, 23% of global viewing time is spent watching live content.

A clever way to leverage live streaming is to transform it into gated content. Be it a webinar or product release, you can require users to register with their email before granting an access code.  

3. Use hashtags to expand your reach 

Although they are not useful on every social media channel, related hashtags can make your content more discoverable on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If a user is searching for a particular product or service, and is unsure of what brands are available or what others are using, they may browse a related hashtag to do their research.

While creating your own hashtags can work for some campaigns, you also need to use the tags that other people are already using and browsing.  

For more inspiration, discover how to generate more leads from Facebook. 

Social media best practices for 2024

Social media will play a huge part in brand marketing this year, but it’s important to get it right. If you want to succeed, try some of the following social media trends for 2024:  

• Employ social commerce features
• Partner with creators and micro-influencers
• Promote your sustainability efforts
• Create authentic ad campaigns
• Start using TikTok 
• Pay to play with social ads
• Build your library of video content 
• Focus on authentic content 
• Reach new audiences on their favorite platforms 

Let’s take a closer look at each platforms social media marketing trends for 2024.

Google trends for 2024

This year, we will begin to see the following three trends come to the forefront;

•  Automation will continue

As expected, Google has improved the ability of automation to drive greater results for advertisers whilst simultaneously saving time and other resources related to data management.

However, this can sometimes result in a degree of loss of insights and control, meaning that it is important to strike a balance between automation and the retention of control. 

Therefore, you must place a focus on evaluating your campaign performance in regular intervals, and optimizing your insights accordingly in order to maximize your performance. 

• A rise in the importance of Google Performance Max

Performance Max, the objective that allows you to access the entirety of Google Ad’s inventory from within a single campaign, has a direct effect on Smart Shopping.

This is due to the transition of both Smart Shopping and traditional Local campaigns to Performance Max, making it imperative to leverage this with feeds as Performance Max is designed to locate audiences within the Google ecosystem that are ready and willing to convert. 

With the aforementioned continuation of automation of Google services, Performance Max will see a growing impact. 

• Local inventory ads will need to be leveraged 

Local inventory ads, or LIAs, are integral in helping businesses acquire customers that are nearby. With a handful of advances already being made to LIAs throughout 2024, you can expect to see the importance of these ads continue to grow. 

By inputting your business information to Google Maps and utilizing the Google My Business feature, you can connect the information to your Google Ads campaign. Customers coming from your LIA will be sent directly to your landing page thanks to the merchant-hosted storefront program. 

Facebook trends for 2024

On the Facebook platform, we can expect to see the following three trends;

• Growth of short-form video 

Short-form video dominated social media last year, with 96% of consumers stating that they preferred this type of content.  

This surge in popularity is sure to continue in 2025, along with the growth of TikTok and Instagram reels.

Having noticed a gap in the short-form capabilities, Facebook will be prioritizing this variety of video content and will begin pushing it into more direct focus in users’ feeds. 

However, it is important to remember that by default, Facebook does not add sound to their video. You must choose to activate the sound before publishing in order to achieve the intended objective of your visuals. 

• Facebook Story Ads

Facebook will be initiating a heavier shift toward short, time-restricted content this year, following on from the inspiration of Instagram and Snapchat stories. 

Aside from the ability to add photos and videos to your stories, Facebook has introduced new features that allow for the inclusion of polls, making the objective more interactive.  

• ​​ Augmented reality

As for now, there are only a select few accounts that have access to Facebook’s augmented reality advertising features. However, it is expected that this will become more widely available in 2024 as one of the most popular Facebook trends. 

The benefit of this augmented reality is that it allows users to engage with a brand interactively, from allowing users to try on sunglasses and lipstick, to sitting inside a brand new car. 

LinkedIn trends for 2024

It is predicted that the following three trends will gain popularity on LinkedIn;

• Introduction of stories

One of the main LinkedIn marketing trends that we can expect to see this year is the expansion of LinkedIn stories following the popularity of short-form video.

Similar to other platforms, LinkedIn stories will allow you to view images or videos uploaded to a user’s story for 24 hours.  

The aim of this feature is to weave a human touch into the professional setting, enabling users to showcase a different aspect of their personality.  

• Focus on personalization

Targeting your segmented audiences with content that is suitable to them is imperative. Thanks to changes that have occurred within the LinkedIn algorithm, it has become significantly easier to monitor and evaluate your campaign using the campaign manager. 

This aids you in delivering content to qualified leads, allowing you to offer a personalized experience with customized advertising. 

• Conversational marketing

Given the cookies revolution that has taken place, it is extremely important to continue to find alternative ways to target prospective customers at the most opportune time. 

Conversational marketing is a technique that can help businesses target leads by gaining recognition and engagement with relevant audiences by initiating a dialogue. 

It is expected that this type of marketing will gain prevalence on the LinkedIn platform this year, as users are being pushed to incite conversation through thought-provoking content.

TikTok trends for 2024

This year, we can expect to see the following on TikTok;

• Stitch and duets 

One of the most notable TikTok marketing trends has been stitches and duets, and this is set to continue into 2024. Dueting offers businesses the chance to showcase their creativity and humor, whilst simultaneously intertwining their brand message in a relevant way. 

Partaking in these social media trends can increase your brand’s reach by placing you in front of an audience that may not have otherwise been aware of your existence. 

• Behind-the-scenes content

Customers have a genuine interest in gaining an alternative view of the businesses that they purchase from, and TikTok presents the prime opportunity to grant this access in an engaging, light-hearted way.  

Offering behind-the-scenes content goes a long way in building a feeling of familiarity, which can lend itself to creating a relationship of trust with customers. The more authentic the content, the more inclined a user will be towards your brand. 

In 2024, you should place a focus on diversifying yourself from competitors and showing your audience that you want them to be aware of the multiple aspects of your business, making them feel valued. 

• Increase in the use of paid advertising

It is predicted that paid advertising will become one of the most popular TikTok marketing trends this year, considering the platform’s growth and the advertising opportunity that it presents. 

Instagram trends for 2024

Instagram has become a cornerstone of brands’ online presence, with a billion active users spending hours daily sharing, liking, and browsing through an endless stream of visual content. To cut through the noise, fine-tuning your approach to Instagram is essential, and doing so in 2024 involves several key strategies.

• Embracing reels and short-form video

In 2024, video content reigns supreme, with Reels at the forefront of Instagram’s algorithm. Brands and creators are crafting content that’s not just informative or entertaining, but also deeply engaging in the first few seconds. 

Gone are the days when stylish images alone could drive engagement. Today, a balance of Reels, Stories, and IGTV – Instagram’s long-form video feature – offers an eclectic mix that caters to different user behaviors. From quick tutorials to behind-the-scenes glimpses and brand storytelling, short-form videos connect well with audiences.

• Navigating the AI and the personalization wave

Instagram users are accustomed to an experience that feels tailor-made for them. The platform’s AI-driven algorithms can quickly learn user preferences, making it more important than ever for content producers to understand and predict these patterns.

Leveraging Instagram’s insights to analyze when your audience is most active and what type of content they interact with is crucial. This data guides not just posting times but can also inform how you frame your messages, the aesthetics of your content, and what trends and hashtags you incorporate into your strategy.

• Stories as key engagement drivers

With Stories, the ephemeral pulse of content on Instagram, the engagement possibilities are endless. From polls and questions to swipe-ups that lead to product pages or blog posts, Stories encourage active participation from your audience.

2024’s Instagram aficionados recommend a mix of behind-the-scenes peeks, user-generated content highlights, and interactive Q&A sessions that make followers feel like part of your brand’s journey. This real-time interaction can foster a deeper sense of community around your content.

• The Power of aesthetic and consistency

While Instagram is increasingly prioritizing authentic and raw content, there is still a place for curated aesthetic feeds. Maintaining a consistent visual style, color scheme, and tone of voice across your posts is a way of distinguishing your brand and creating a cohesive narrative that’s instantly recognizable in a sea of content.

Pinterest trends for 2024

Pinterest is a visual discovery engine where people go to find inspiration and ideas. With 2024 bringing new dynamics to the platform, there are several practices that both established brands and emerging content creators can leverage to boost their presence.

• Pinterest for lead generation

Pinterest users are often actively seeking inspiration, ideas, and solutions to their problems, making them prime targets for businesses looking to generate leads. By strategically positioning your content on Pinterest, you can reach high-target users who are already in a mindset conducive to engaging with your brand.

Pinterest Lead Ads offer a streamlined way to capture leads directly from the platform. These ads feature customizable forms that users can fill out without leaving Pinterest, simplifying the lead-generation process and increasing conversion rates. With Pinterest Lead Ads, businesses can collect valuable information from potential customers while they are still engaged with the platform.

LeadsBridge offers integrations for Pinterest Lead Ads, allowing businesses to seamlessly connect their lead generation efforts on Pinterest with their existing marketing tools and CRM systems. By integrating Pinterest Lead Ads with LeadsBridge, businesses can automate lead capture and management processes, ensuring that valuable leads are nurtured and converted effectively.

• SEO for the visual web

Pinterest is often likened to a search engine, and with the majority of its content being visual, it’s the visual aspect of SEO that’s crucial here. Optimizing your content for Pinterest means ensuring the images and videos you share are high-quality and compelling, while also paying close attention to your captions and pin descriptions to make them as informative and keyword-rich as possible.

Additionally, the use of appropriate hashtags can help categorize your content, giving it the best chance to be found by users searching for specific terms or themes.

• Creating actionable and shareable content

Pinterest users are planners and doers. They’re looking for content that inspires them to take action, whether that’s a new recipe, DIY project, or product purchase. In 2024, content that offers clear, actionable tips or visually compelling step-by-step guides tends to be the most popular.

Furthermore, encouraging users to save and share your pins broadens your content’s reach, so incorporating a clear call-to-action in your pin design is invaluable.

• Pinterest shopping — The future of e-commerce?

Pinterest Shopping has evolved significantly, blurring the lines between a platform for inspiration and a robust e-commerce hub. In 2024, it’s been integrated with AI technology that simplifies finding and purchasing products within the app.

For businesses, this means setting up a shop officially on Pinterest becomes more critical, with a focus on clear and inviting product images, optimized for user search behavior. Additionally, utilizing Product Pins – which include real-time pricing and availability – can significantly enhance the shopping experience for users.

• The longevity of pins

One of the unique features of Pinterest is the longevity of pins; they can resurface and gain new traction long after they’ve been posted. In 2024, content creators are crafting evergreen content that remains relevant and attractive over time.

This means striking the right balance in the content calendar between timely, seasonal pins and evergreen content, such as tutorials and guides that are perennially useful and appealing to users.

Final thoughts

Social media isn’t going anywhere, but its place in society is changing–it’s now an all-in-one space for consumers to socialize, be entertained, and shop. 

In 2024, brands will need to establish their presence on social platforms and lean heavily into authentic video content. Most importantly, social media trends show that brands should be spreading themselves across a variety of channels if they want to reach a wider audience. 

Generate leads from your favorite social media channels with a variety of available LeadsBridge integrations.