2024 The Social Media Trends

Make this the year Social Media works for your local business

Happy New Year! Our best wishes for 2024 to be full of blessings, health and abundance.

At RSX Marketing our belief is that if local businesses do well, their communities do well. And in 2024 we are doubling-down in our mission to help local businesses grow. Join us in this mission.

Oh yeah, the 2024 social media trends. Let's get back to it because you can make this year be the one social media makes a difference for your local business.

Hootsuite is a social media management software and they issued a report of what they see coming.

My job here is to distill it and make it actionable for you: the local business.

What are the top social trends for 2024?

1. The AI trend
2. The platform trend
3. The ROI trend

Let's break them down.

1. The AI Trend

Unless you've been hiding under a rock you know 2023 was the year of AI. And no, AI is not just for high-flying big businesses or tech nerds like me. As it makes its way into the mainstream with more accessible tools and ways to use it, the writing is on the wall: Use it or lose it, as in your lose you business. Beat you competitor across the street to it and make your you don't lose.

But as cool as AI is, AI forces businesses to redefine authenticity.

Hootsuite did a survey and found 62% of consumers they are less likely to engage with and trust content if the know was created by an AI application.

When the pocket watch was introduced in the early 1400's people didn't accept it either. "Who wants to know the time all the time?" was the question. AI will also become socially accepted and soon (how's that for a prediction?).

In 2024, the most successful businesses will redefine authenticity. It’s not about who (or what) creates your marketing content anymore; it’s about the brand experience your content creates for the customer.

Does it feel right? Does it reinforce your brand? Does it work? Get those right and you can dismiss questions about whether a bot made it without a problem.

How to work smarter with AI

1. Know your audience (and how they feel about AI)
It’s timeless advice for a reason. Understand their perception of AI.

2. Decide which tasks to keep on your plate, and which to delegate
AI makes a great assistant—but you still have to run the show. Where can AI help and where is a more delicate hand needed.

3. Create AI policies and best practices for social media
You and your team or contractor should be aligned in how you use AI.

2. The Platform Trend

Businesses should commit to their champion social platforms.

Be where your audience is, this is still true and paramount. But when your audience is everywhere, that’s hard—and the average social media user logs into about seven platforms each month. Seven!

Wait, why is it so hard?

1) Social media content needs to be customized to the unique audiences, lingo, trends, hashtags, word counts, and visual specs of each platform.

2) Platforms change constantly. New user and advertising features are released so often that more than half of businesses say it’s difficult to keep up. And give up.

What to do instead? Because giving up is not an option. Your ideal clients are on social media.

Instead of trying to do everything, everywhere, all at once, and letting time, money, resources, and results fall by the wayside (you know, the usual), businesses should do something about it: use ROI to determine which ones to keep and which ones to drop.

How to declutter your social platform mix

1. Run a social media audit
   Identify the hero platforms to keep and the duds to drop. How? Know your audience, what do they engage with? Which posts and content do you see better responses? And on which social network is that? Yeah, keep those, drop the rest.

2. Put your social platforms in an ROI bakeoff, Sweet 16 style.
   Of every platform you use, find a channel that’s lagging? Even if it generates a positive ROI, it may not be worth the investment if there’s greater potential for growth on the others.

3. Master the art of (proper) cross-posting
   Do not just do the copy-and-paste method. To do it right, align your content with the norms, best practices, and formats of each platform.

3. The ROI Trend

Entertainment fuels the social media engine.

Hold on, entertainment? Consumers are saying it loud and clear. After staying in touch with family and friends, the top reason they use social media is to be entertained and to mentally unwind, according to Hootsuite's Social Trends 2024 Survey.

You know what else they said? That they don’t like it when businesses are too focused on self-promotion. 

"But I'm here to sell", you say. And what if your service is something serious and/or regulated ( I see you financial advisors, lawyers, chiropractors, etc.). How can I plug entertainment to my social media channels? And on top of that be it quantifiable, with ROI.

First, let's back up to the problem. Almost half of businesses publish product or business updates/news multiple times a week, according to surveys. That’s a huge disconnect between what brands are posting and what people really want to see. 

And it gets worse. While businesses are yammering about themselves, they also use engagement as the top metric to demonstrate ROI.

In 2024, businesses that publish entertaining content on their social channels will succeed in winning eyeballs, engagement, and (eventually) market share, over those that keep on posting the same old stuff.

Don't overthink. The dictionary says “Entertainment” is simply providing enjoyment. That could be finding inspiration, getting excited, feeling moved, or learning something new.

How entertainment helps you win on social platforms

1. Follow your audience’s lead for content
   Don’t assume you know what your followers want to see. Ask them what they want through polls and Q&As and when they come see you in person. Also run experiments with new content types or tone of voice. Once you see results, start tweaking future posts and keep testing and iterating as you go.

2. Let social be the long game
   "But I want sales now", you say, again. Social media is best for building brand equity, which takes time. Don’t go back to your old, self-promotion-y ways. No one likes a hard sell, and letting them flock to you will be so much more effective in the long run.

3. Make social relationships the foundation of your ROI
   Measure how far engagements go beyond social and across your larger business goals. Connect the whole customer journey, not just what they said or did in your post. Do they call you on the phone from there? Do they map directions to your office or store? Do they direct-message you for more details about your product or service? This gives your social media a higher purpose and makes it rooted in customer value and authentic relationships.

Let's bring it all home

I know that was a lot for the first post of the year, but we want you to do great this year. Let's take it one step at a time.

Here are the key takeaways:

1. If you don't use AI your competition will.
   Find out what AI tools or services can help your business. And be the one that benefits first.
2. Figure out which social media channels work for you.
   Not all the platforms where your ideal clients are. Do a quick audit, drop the low performers and use those resources on the ones that bring home the bacon.
3. Entertain them for greater ROI.
   No. 1 use for social media is to stay in touch with friends & family, No. 2 is entertainment. Your business is nowhere is those two. But you can insert yourself into the second. Then map the customer journey to see and measure ROI, not just engagement.

But let's share the ideas. What are you doing for social media this year?

Comment below or reply to this email.

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