January 2024 Marketing Trends with Emily Avdem Nelson

Anticipated Marketing Trends for 2024

by Emily Avdem Nelson

Social media changes every year, and it can be overwhelming to keep up with. Luckily, there are some anticipated trends for the new year that you can focus on as you prepare your marketing plans for 2024.

One of the foremost anticipated trends for 2024 is more casual, impromptu content. Consumers are identifying more with content that's easier to digest, meaning posts that are more personal, less scripted, and concentrate on storytelling. Consumers crave companionship over entertainment, and keeping that mindset at the forefront when creating content will increase the chances that it performs well.

We are seeing this happen through product placement. Businesses are now trying to sell their products in a less in-your-face way. Businesses have influencers share their lives casually, and their product is in the background, or they're using the product but not explicitly talking about it, which intrigues consumers to ask questions like, "Where did you get that product?". This selling correlates to the upcoming trend of being less scripted - influencers no longer stand in front of the camera reading from a script the brand wrote word for word. It provides the consumer with an authentic and casual shopping experience.

Another anticipation is storytelling that is not linear. It provides the consumer with content that keeps them guessing until the end, giving the creator longer watch time and more impressions. For example, starting the story in the middle instead of the beginning leaves the consumer wondering what they missed, so they stay to find out! This type of storytelling leaves the consumers feeling FOMO, and we all know how effective that is. You can implement this type of storytelling using video, reel text, or captions. Get creative!

Details revolving around AI is another anticipated trend for 2024. We've seen how AI has been embraced with caption generators, content creation, and more. However, there's also been controversy on aspects related to plagiarism and inauthenticity. AI isn't going away, but its use will be discussed more in the coming year. A couple of tips from a social media manager regarding AI are:

1. Don't allow AI to replace your business's originality. Use it strategically and sparingly to ensure that your brand voice is heard. You want to sound different from everyone else in the online sphere.
2. Try to rephrase what AI spurs at you! Rephrasing takes much of the work off of you when using the service and ensures your brand voice is still sprinkled throughout.
3. Whatever software you're using for AI, be specific. Tell it exactly what you're looking for, and feel free to have it regenerate more options if what it initially gave you doesn't fit.
4. If there are settings to customize the type of voice you're aiming for - take the time to fill it out! Give it the information it needs to perform its best.

Lastly, it's anticipated that creators will hone in on specific platforms that perform the best. Whichever platforms provide the best ROI are the ones they will spend more time and effort on. Being selective prevents creators from getting burnt out on platform fatigue and spending time on platforms that aren't worth it. In addition, creators will be more mindful of hopping on new and trending platforms because they are unreliable.

Overall, there’s some exciting trends on the horizon for social media! They combine to create an easier experience for both creators and consumers. Tweak these trends to work for your business specifically and don’t be afraid of trial and error. Use your platforms’ analytics to guide you but don’t forget to trust your gut too! Social media can be overwhelming but if you go into this year with the mindset of companionship, authenticity, and selectivity you’re sure to succeed!