Boost Your Brand: Must-Try Social Media Trends for Guaranteed Results

Social media is more significant than it has ever been in 2024. As a brand, you want to invest in the right social media platforms to help drive brand awareness that will lead to an ROI.

As the owner of a digital marketing and creative agency that has produced award-winning campaigns for our clients, I believe in utilizing social media to develop your business, whether you are a D2C or B2B brand. Social media is essential, and you can use many different platforms, ranging from Instagram to LinkedIn, TikTok to Pinterest, Facebook to YouTube and many more. 

It all comes down to understanding what is trending within your industry. You need to take the time to understand the trends and see how you can implement them to drive brand awareness. To give you a helping hand, my team at Bold x Collective has put together a list of must-try social media trends in 2024. Let’s get into them!

Prioritizing Strategic Platforms

I’ve been saying this for a long, long time as an experienced marketer – your brand does not need to be on every single platform! Brands often make the mistake of picking quantity over quality; they end up facing the challenge of maintaining an impactful presence across multiple networks. But here’s the thing: in 2024, you need quality over quantity. Let me explain. 

In 2024, brands are increasingly focusing their efforts on a select few platforms that yield the highest ROI. This strategic commitment means tailoring content to suit each chosen platform’s unique audience, language, and trends. As a result, we’re seeing a shift in platform use, with some brands abandoning platforms that don’t align with their ROI goals. Pick the ones that are best for your brand. This decision should be made through a digital marketing strategy highlighting your target audience, competitors, SWOT, metrics and more. 

Entertainment as the Core of Social ROI

Entertainment is a concept that is now central to social media in 2024. Why do you usually use social media? Most commonly, it is for entertainment, relaxation and downtime. And that is why engaging and relatable content is so key over direct brand promotion. Users do not want to see that “salesy” content at all anymore. 

This major trend in 2024 is a challenge for marketers because they must find a balance between engaging content and brand promotion, ensuring that social media remains a successful and interactive space. Now, as an experienced marketer, tactics that I’ve personally been focusing on for my clients include podcast advertising, UGC TikTok ads, lifestyle videos and more. The goal is to make the product/service not sound like an ad but content that is seen as relatable. You want to seamlessly inject your product or service into this collaboration, ensuring you do not come off as sales. 

In 2024, you must be very strategic regarding the content you post. When producing content, always think about what your consumer will find entertaining. Your customer should be the core of your strategy. 

AI’s Role in Authenticity

We saw it in 2023, and we’re going to see it even more in 2024—Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is significantly impacting how brands present themselves on social media. While AI-driven content creation offers efficiency, it also raises questions about authenticity. Consumer skepticism towards AI-generated content suggests a preference for human touch in brand communication. 

I’ll be honest: when I’m scrolling through social media, I can easily spot the content that was produced with AI, whether it is a video, blog or caption. And to me, this comes off as a fake, which turns me off from investing in this brand. Consumers like authenticity. Brands leveraging AI must create authentic experiences that resonate with their audience, regardless of the content’s origin. 

The Resurgence of Longer Video Content

Have you noticed a rise in long-form content on social media? Short-form content is still relevant. However, long-form content is making a comeback in 2024! This shift is driven by platforms increasing their maximum video lengths and changing user behaviours, as users now turn to social networks for in-depth information. 

Brands are encouraged to create longer, relatable videos that comprehensively answer audience questions while maintaining an entertaining and engaging format. It’s also an excellent way to showcase your brand’s personality. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!

Brands That Do It Right

There are so many different brands that have done a fantastic job utilizing social media. Here are some examples.

Authentic Engagement with LEGO’s User-Centric Platform

LEGO has consistently been at the forefront of engaging with its community, especially on Instagram and Twitter. They highlight user creations and share behind-the-scenes content, which not only showcases their products but also celebrates the creativity of their customers. Our takeaway from their approach to social media is that you should involve your audience in your content creation process and celebrate their contributions to foster a sense of community and belonging. Community is the keyword here!

Content that Captivates with Red Bull’s Adventure-Driven Storytelling

Red Bull is an excellent example of a brand that has turned its product into a lifestyle for the last several years! Through high-energy content and sponsorship of extreme sports, Red Bull’s marketing strategy managed to keep their audience engaged and excited about the brand. This is what we like to call “lifestyle” content. If it works for your brand, we always recommend crafting a lifestyle around your product or service that fits naturally with your audience’s interests and passions.

Sephora’s AR and AI Integration

Sephora has always been known to be modern, innovative and a leader in new trends. Sephora has always integrated AR filters and AI into its social media strategy, particularly on Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. They have provided virtual try-ons and tutorials, enhancing the shopping experience and boosting online engagement. Our takeaway from this? We recommend leveraging the latest tech tools on social platforms to enhance user interaction and provide value beyond just selling a product.

Cross-Platform Storytelling with Netflix’s Engaging Content

Netflix is a favourite at our agency and for many individuals worldwide with its frequent fresh, new content! Netflix does an excellent job at creating buzz around its shows by utilizing a multitude of teasers, memes, and user engagement across multiple platforms. They create a universe around their content that lives on social media. Their content is exciting and engaging. Based on their excellent approach to social media, we recommend utilizing the strengths of each platform to create a cohesive narrative around your brand, product or service.

Encouraging User-Generated Content with GoPro’s Adventure Sharing

This is a social media case study for the books. GoPro encourages users to share their adventure videos, which often go viral. Who doesn’t love to see real, authentic content of someone using a product or service before making a purchase themselves? That is GoPro! This user-generated content serves as authentic and compelling testimonials for the durability and quality of their cameras. Our takeaway from GoPro’s marketing strategy is that you should encourage your users to share their experiences with your product or service to generate authentic content and engage with a broader audience. Authenticity is everything in 2024.

Ready to Take Your Social Media Marketing to a New Level? 

Social media is becoming more significant than ever, and it is also making rapid changes. As a brand or marketer, you need to be on top of the trends. I hope this blog gives you insights to help produce a solid social media marketing strategy that will drive an ROI for your business.

Do you have a brand but don’t know how to execute social media in 2024? My award-winning team at Bold x Collective has the expertise and experience to help you produce and implement a stellar social media strategy. We understand all the digital trends and are always on top of them.

Want to get started? Submit an enquiry, and we’ll be in touch. We look forward to meeting you!