Psst. Want to know the secret to smashing your socials in 2024?
Long-form video. Well, that’s just one of the secrets. We’ve sleuthed the internet and our collective brain power to pull together a wrap of all things social media so far this year into one, nice tidy little (big) post.
It’s been a big few months in the social media landscape. Things are as fast-paced and quick-changing as they’ve always been. Platforms are fighting to keep users on the platform rather than clicking off, and they’re all competing with each other to grab and keep the attention of their users. AI integrations have shot through the roof and privacy and security concerns are at an all-time high for users. Here are a few highlights for the past few months:
🎬 We’ve known for a while that video is king in the social space. With the increase in popularity of TikTok, short-form, highly engaging videos were the key to success for many but all that's changing and it’s starting to feel like we’re headed back into peak YouTube era… just not on YouTube. That’s right, long-form videos on your beloved Facebook, Instagram and yes, even TikTok are on the up.
🎥 TikTok is actively promoting long-form (and landscape!) original videos. Emphasis on original. TikTok by reports that users spend over half their time on the platform watching videos that are a minute or longer. Instagram is jumping on the bandwagon as well testing out longer reels to maximise engagement.
What’s the key message here? Short-form video 100% has a place in your strategy to pique interest. But start thinking about how you can bring long-form storytelling elements into your content.
🚨 AI baby!
It’s quickly become a VERY handy tool in a marketer's toolbox and many social media platforms are adopting AI-driven tools. But the development of AI throws up some big questions around the nature of creativity, copyright and the biggest question - can AI help or harm us? AI tools bring a lot of benefits but it pays to pick and choose where you utilise AI to help you. And bearing in mind many of these tools are still in their infancy.
📚 Storytelling is less linear
Telling a story mid-way through, instead of at the beginning. The ultimate hook. Things like sharing a sound bite that's bound to stop viewers. Storytelling remains one of the most important things on social media, but how it is executed is changing. The most valuable commodity in the digital space is attention, and this is a surefire way to grab it and keep it.
❌ Brands are realising you don’t need to be on EVERY social media platform and users are realising the same thing! This is one we are celebrating! It is so, so true! Not every platform will be the right fit for your brand and like a square peg in a round hole, it's best not to force it, especially if it's costing you money. Put those valuable dollars into a platform that has a good return on investment instead.
🔑 Keyword search and SEO taking centre stage: Move over Google, nearly half of Gen Z is using TikTok and Instagram to search instead. This means your SEO efforts for your websites need to be reflected in your social content as well.
Does all of that ☝️ scare the life out of you? Let us help! Give us a squawk.
