Social media is constantly evolving as platforms introduce new features and algorithms, and user behavior changes. As we look ahead to 2024, certain types of content are poised to outperform others. The key will be creating content that captures attention and facilitates engagement in a cluttered landscape.
With short attention spans and more choice than ever, social media users are drawn to content that satisfies their craving for novelty, interacts with them in meaningful ways, and provides value. Moreover, authenticity and personality are increasingly prized over polished perfection. Creators who can leverage these insights will gain more relevance.
Several content formats stand out for their potential based on these principles. Let’s explore the types of content expected to perform best on social media in 2024.
Short-Form Video
Short-form vertical video under 60 seconds is exploding, especially on apps like TikTok. As these apps continue to gain popularity, expect short-form video content to dominate social media feeds in 2024. According to HubSpot, short-form video mentions on TikTok increased by 1157% in 2022. And 70% of Tiktok’s user base uses the app daily, spending an average of 52 minutes per day watching short videos.
The brevity and vertical format of short videos is ideal for mobile users. Short videos with dynamic and interactive elements can quickly grab attention and are easy to consume. This leads to higher engagement metrics like comments, shares, and views compared to longer-form content. Brands that create fun, entertaining, or educational short videos aligned with their target audience’s interests will see high organic reach and engagement on social platforms like TikTok. In 2024, short-form vertical videos under 60 seconds will be a must for social media content strategies.
Interactive Content
Interactive content like polls, quizzes, and AR filters have exploded in popularity on social media in recent years. This type of content is extremely engaging for audiences as it allows them to participate and feel involved. According to a study by Socialinsider, interactive content can boost engagement by up to 5x compared to static posts. There are many different formats of interactive content to leverage in 2024. Polls and quizzes encourage participation by allowing followers to vote and answer questions. These are a great way to start a conversation with your audience. AR filters and effects bring an element of fun, allowing users to engage with branded content in a new way.
Interactive content will only continue to grow on social media moving forward. A Social Insider report found that 48% of marketers believe interactive content is highly effective for their social media marketing. Furthermore, Socialbakers found posts with polls receive over 2x more engagement than posts without.
With such high engagement rates, all signs point to interactive content continuing to thrive in 2024. To maximize reach and engagement, brands should incorporate polls, quizzes, AR effects, and other interactive formats into their social media strategies next year.
Behind-the-Scenes
Behind-the-scenes content will continue to be popular in 2024. Audiences crave authenticity and inside looks at how their favorite brands operate. The success of behind-the-scenes style content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok proves that people want to see what goes on behind closed doors. Brands like Glossier and Selena Gomez have had viral success with casual, raw glimpses at company culture, product development, and creative processes.This type of content feels genuine and helps humanize brands. It fosters community and gives fans a sense of connection.
To create compelling behind-the-scenes content in 2024:
- Film spontaneous, informal videos that showcase personalities and capture authentic moments. Avoid overly staged or scripted content.
- Give a peek into new product development and testing. Let audiences see early samples and prototypes.
- Capture meetings, brainstorms, and team events to highlight company culture.
- Show messy, real workspaces instead of overly curated offices.
- Feature employee takeovers to showcase different roles and people within the company.
The key is giving an honest, unfiltered look at your brand. Let audiences feel like insiders with VIP access. This builds trust and affinity for your brand.
Educational Content
One notable content trend that will likely gain even more momentum in 2024 is people turning to social media for learning and education. As the world becomes increasingly digital, social media platforms are emerging as go-to destinations for acquiring new skills and knowledge.
Explainer and educational content really seems to resonate with users, especially shorter videos that teach everything from recipes to finance tips. According to Facebook, educational videos of 10 minutes or less can garner somewhere between 4-6 million more views monthly compared to other types of videos. TikTok has also emerged as a popular learning platform, with the #LearnOnTikTok hashtag garnering over 28 billion views alone.
The effectiveness of educational content on social media can be attributed to a few key factors. For one, it meets an evergreen human need to learn and grow. It also caters well to increasingly short attention spans by delivering knowledge in short, digestible formats. And it provides value to users seeking practical, applicable information they can put to use in their own lives. With the world’s appetite for learning showing no signs of abating, informative social content will likely take an even bigger center stage in 2024 and beyond.
Spotlight on Creators
The rise of influencers and creators will continue to shape social media content in 2024. Brands that spotlight creators and influencers in their content strategies will likely see increased engagement and reach.
Partnering with nano and micro-influencers who are experts in their niche can lend authenticity and personality to branded content. Look for creators who genuinely care about their audience and community when seeking potential partners. Make sure there is a natural fit between the creator’s brand and your own.
Some tips for successfully collaborating with influencers:
- Give them creative freedom to put their own spin on branded content
- Make sure branded posts use their authentic voice
- Don’t overload them with overly prescriptive instructions
- Compensate them fairly for their time and content
Studies show creator-generated content outperforms brand-generated content across metrics like engagement rate and follower growth. For example, one report found Instagram influencer content has a 4% higher like rate and 2.6x more comments on average compared to brand content.
Leveraging creators as partners allows brands to tap into established audiences and harness fan engagement. As consumers increasingly follow creators who share their values and interests, spotlighting those creators will be key for brands in 2024 and beyond.
Resurgence of Live Video and Streams
Live video is poised to make a big comeback in 2024. As social media algorithms shift to favor authenticity and engagement over polished perfection, users will turn to live streaming as a way to forge real connections.
Live video offers several benefits:
- It’s authentic and raw – viewers see the unfiltered you. This builds trust and rapport.
- It’s interactive – viewers can chat and ask questions in real time. This boosts engagement.
- It’s timely – you can discuss topics and events as they unfold live. This keeps content fresh and relevant.
To use live video successfully:
- Promote your streams so followers know when you’re going live. Send out notifications.
- Interact with viewers by responding to comments and questions. Make them feel involved.
- Keep streams short and interesting – don’t let lulls happen. Always have something to discuss.
- Produce streams on a consistent schedule so fans know when to tune in.
- Save and repurpose streams as regular videos once the live broadcast ends.
As users crave authenticity in 2024, live video will emerge as a powerful way to engage your audience and form real connections with them. Tune in and turn on live streams for your best social content yet!
Video Series Will Thrive On Social Media
Creating serialized video content in the form of a series can be an effective social media strategy in 2024. Though initial development may require more effort upfront, a good video series pays off over time. Viewers are more likely to follow a full series to see the story unfold across multiple episodes. This increased engagement and viewer loyalty leads to higher watch time and more video views in the long run. Serialized shows also give creators valuable content to promote on an ongoing basis.
Strategies for making a winning video series include:
- Developing an overarching narrative or plotline that connects the full series. Leave each episode with a cliffhanger to hook the viewer.
- Maintaining consistent branding, tone, hosts, visuals, etc across episodes. This strengthens the association of your brand with the series.
- Promoting new episodes through videos, posts, stories and email marketing to maximize viewership. Remind people when the next episode drops.
- Releasing episodes predictably on a set schedule, like weekly or bi-weekly. This builds anticipation and habits in your audience.
- Driving viewers from each episode to binge the full series through site navigation, links, and calls to action.
- Some creators have found great success with serialized shows, such as Hot Ones interview series by First We Feast or The Try Guys comedy sketches. As viewers continue flocking to streaming shows over cable, developing must-see video series can help brands stand out on social media.
User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) will continue to be an important part of social media strategies in 2024. Brands that leverage UGC effectively in their content strategy stand to benefit in multiple ways:
– **Build credibility and trust:** Content created by real customers and fans comes across as more authentic and genuine. Audiences find it more relatable and credible compared to brand-created content.
– **Improved engagement:** Users are more likely to engage with content created by their peers. This creates opportunities for more comments, shares, etc.
– **Cost-effective content:** Sourcing high-quality content from users costs less compared to producing original content. Brands can repurpose UGC across platforms.
– **Insight into audience:** Analyzing UGC provides useful insights into the interests, needs and pain points of target audiences. This can inform content strategy and product development.
Brands should actively source interesting and relevant UGC from customers for reposting and repurposing. Contests and user-generated content campaigns can help generate content. Clear rules and permissions must be established before sourcing UGC.
According to recent statistics:
- 72% of consumers say they trust consumer opinions posted online over brand claims.
- Over 50% of the most viewed brand videos on Instagram in 2021 were user-generated.
- Tweets with UGC get 150% more retweets compared to brand-created content.
UGC will only grow in importance for brands as audiences continue to favor authenticity and transparency. Leveraging UGC in social media strategies can help drive better engagement outcomes in 2024. Social media content strategies will continue to evolve in 2024, but focusing on high-quality, engaging video content and connecting with creators and communities will be key.
