New Year, New Trends: Here’s What’s On Deck For Social Media In 2024

We’re all looking for easy ways to grow our businesses in the coming year. Stepping up your online marketing strategy is an easy place to begin. But where to start? Which platforms are best for your niche? Each offers versatile options that can be tailored to your audience—the key is using them to your advantage.

 

Brand building on social media requires the right tools and a smart strategy. Here are five trends we recommend incorporating into your content strategy this year:

 

1.     Videos Continue Their Rise In Popularity

 

Short, engaging clips continue surging in popularity for personal and business use. Ranging in length from 10-45 seconds, they hit the sweet spot of just long enough to be engaging but short enough to keep up with short attention spans. Take Reels, for example. More than half of Instagram's audience utilizes the app for brand and product research. The algorithm prioritizes Reels over still images, making it necessary for your social media calendars.

 

2.     More TikTok

 

The current number of TikTok users is 1.7 billion, making it a no-brainer for social media marketing. Unlike other social media outlets, TikTok doesn’t just show content to followers, which allows businesses more opportunities to expand their reach. A single video has the potential to drive brand awareness and generate more sales. 

 

But we often hear from clients that they’re intimidated by the platform and unsure what to post. The good news is you really can’t go wrong. Some of TikTok’s most viral videos happened by accident, so don’t be afraid to experiment and have a little fun.

 

3.     Emphasis on Environmental Sustainability

 

Next year, consumers are forecasted to continue favoring brands that focus on environmental responsibility and sustainability. You don’t need to lay it on thick, but make a note to incorporate at least one post per month showing how your business is committed to helping the planet. 

 

4.     Sales-Driven Platforms

 

Consumers today are all about convenience. They know what they want, and they want it fast. 

To beat out competitors, business owners must figure out how to connect their social media platforms to sales. Tools like Facebook Marketplace and live links in Instagram Reels can help streamline this process, giving businesses greater flexibility and customers greater convenience. 

 

5.     Strength in SEO

 

Search Engine Optimization is a must in getting content seen by a broader network. As more people use social media like they would a Google search, the right words can make a huge difference in exposure and engagement.

 

In the coming year, we expect to continue seeing a rise in SEO as compared to hashtags, particularly with viral videos, as algorithms focus on these keywords when choosing what content to show their users. 

 

2024 promises great opportunities for business owners on social media. We recommend prioritizing your company’s needs, creating a strategy, and staying consistent! As always, our Officially Social team remains committed to helping you build, expand, and grow your online presence. You can reach us anytime with questions at alison@officiallysocial.com

Instagram vs. TikTok: What's the Best Choice For Your Business?

By Jamie Johnson • December 30, 2024
There are lots of hot topics that stir debate. Hot coffee or iced? Mets or Yankees? Taylor ham or pork roll? And when it comes to social media, business owners often fin d themselves torn between two platforms—Instagram and TikTok. Both have their strengths (and limitations), so the choice depends on your audience, niche, and content style. So, how do you know which one to focus on? Let’s break down the key highlights of each to help make the decision a little easier. Instagram With over 1.5 billion active users, Instagram has recently risen in popularity among millennials and gen Xers. For businesses targeting a broader reach, Instagram fits the bill. Here are some of the more popular features users can expect: High-quality visuals: Carousel posts and short-form videos allow businesses to showcase their branding. Instagram Shopping: Allows business owners to share products through tagging for seamless purchasing. Content Variety: Reels, Stories, and IG Live help increase engagement and brand awareness in different formats. In short, if you prioritize visual storytelling, polished branding, and are looking to break into e-commerce, Instagram is the right choice. TikTok TikTok’s rapid growth has them clocking in at over 1 billion active users, with about 60% of users aged 16-24. This younger demographic makes it ideal for businesses that want to target audiences focused on trends and up-and-coming marketing. These are just a few reasons one of social media’s fastest growing platforms may benefit your business. TikTok may be a good fit for your social media strategy: Relatable Tone: The platform is all about short, entertaining, and less formal videos. Humor and unique challenges reign supreme, so if you prefer a more casual, creative content style, TikTok is for you! Easy Access: TikTok’s algorithm offers strong organic reach potential, making it easier for content to go viral. Affordable Outreach: Branded hashtag challenges and paid ads offer cost-effective ways to reach new users. There’s no doubt that TikTok favors quantity over quality due to its faster-paced platform. If you prefer to focus on creativity instead of perfection, consider adding this to your social media calendar. So, the real question is: Do you need to choose one over the oth  er, or can you utilize both? At Officially Social, we encourage our clients to take risks. You never know how it might pay off! But most importantly, make sure you choose platforms that excite you, and that you’ll actually have fun nurturing. There is enough room for both options in your online marketing, depending on your specific needs and goals. It might not be as easy of a choice as say, the Yankees (sorry, Mets fans!) but with the right strategy, you can incorporate both platforms into your business plan.

Five Social Media Trends We’re Watching Right Now

By Jamie Johnson • November 27, 2024
One of the most challenging parts of social media is staying in the know as social platforms evolve more rapidly than ever. While these innovations can be exciting, they also present challenges for users, particularly those using social media for business needs. Staying ahead of the curve is what we love to do, and we want to keep our clients in the loop! Here are five social media trends we’re watching: Shoppable Content : We anticipate a continued rise in e-commerce through social media for 2025. To keep up with this growing trend, businesses should be ready to incorporate purchasing power into posts, videos, and livestreams. AI also offers the opportunity to make product recommendations based on user engagement. If you aren’t on board with social media shopping, you’re missing a huge business opportunity with a relatively low investment. Micro-Influencers : If you follow us on social media or are a current client, you’ll hear a lot about expanding reach, but current trends show users gravitating toward smaller, niche communities online. Facebook groups, for example, provide an outlet for people to find more meaningful connections than on a larger page or profile. Consider creating sub-groups and connecting with micro-influencers to engage your audience better and cultivate a community of trust, authenticity, and brand loyalty. Community Building : Businesses should focus on strategies to help build meaningful interactions with their online community. “Liking” a comment may not be enough anymore, as users crave additional engagement from direct messages, closed groups, and exclusive channels. This kind of personal outreach is an ideal way to stay connected while boosting consumer loyalty and visibility. A Focus on Sustainability : Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, who also happen to be two of the largest audience cohorts on social media, have become increasingly conscious of global changes. And as their awareness grows, so does the demand for content addressing issues like sustainability and ethical business practices. To align with these values, businesses should highlight their eco-friendly values. Transparency and authenticity are essential to getting your message seen and heard. Short-Form Videos: Yes, we know this one sounds obvious, but with so many trends in video coming and going, this trend is staying strong. Short-form videos are here to stay, with TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. These bite-sized videos are usually no less than 60 seconds and can quickly grab and maintain viewer attention through eye-catching visuals, trending audio, and personalized storytelling. They perform especially well on mobile platforms, where users prefer content presented in a fast, easy-to-scroll format. We hope these tips will help inspire you to spruce up your social channels. The key is to stay adaptable and trust the process! As always, we’re here to help with any social media needs. You can reach us at alison@officiallysocial.com.

Are You Posting Consistently? Here’s Why It Matters

By Jamie Johnson • October 31, 2024
Social media trends, platforms, and algorithms change all the time. And if you’ve tried staying up to date on what’s currently working and what’s not, you know how time- consuming it is to keep track. But one strategy continues to benefit every social media channel no matter what industry you’re in. And that, quite simply is—consistency. Maintaining a consistent online presence and posting schedule is essential for growth, engagement, and an increased following. It sounds easy enough, right? Yet business owners often get sidetracked by other projects, and social media takes a backseat on the priority list. Whether you manage your business’s social media independently or are considering working with (or have hired) a social media manager, here is why consistency is the most important thing to remember when planning your content. Building Community Social media is all about the community you create. Talking at people and only selling rather than engaging does not work. By consistently engaging with your audience through replying to comments, sharing posts, and asking for feedback, you signal to followers that you value their input and appreciate their following. Improved Algorithm Metrics It’s not easy to crack the latest algorithms, but it can be done. One way is by maintaining a consistent posting schedule. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok reward regular use by showing your posts more frequently and highlighting them in new or featured feeds. Consistency offers a competitive advantage over competitors; just make sure your content remains on brand with your messaging and audience. Become an Industry Expert Followers should see you as an expert in your field. Create content that offers valuable insight other accounts aren’t providing, or consider sharing industry news so YOU are their go-to resource. It won’t happen overnight, but with time people WILL recognize you as a reliable account, leading to an increased following, more opportunity for partnerships, and overall growth.  Stay Relevant Every day, over 95 million photos and videos are uploaded to Instagram, and TikTok users send an estimated 500 million tweets daily. That is A LOT of new content, which is why users scroll past posts at lightning speed. It also means users barely retain or remember most of what they see in their feeds. But when you maintain a consistent influx of content, the odds of people noticing regularly also increase. Stay quiet for too long, and they’ll move on to a new business or brand. Remember, every post doesn’t need to be perfect. If you spend too much time overthinking the small stuff, you risk missing the bigger picture—consistency. Aim to solidify a brand identity followers can easily recognize and resonate with. It isn’t just about posting daily or keeping a routine; it’s about building a reliable presence your audience can count on and want to keep coming back to.
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