Paid Social Trends 2024

In the first half of 2023, ad spending on social media platforms was lower than usual, according to Forbes. This could be put down to economic downturns, new technology, and unexpected changes like Twitter (unfortunately) rebranding as X.

However, things did improve and experts at Statista believe spending on social media ads should exceed $215 billion in 2024.
It’s not just a social media marketing strategy that brands have to keep reimagining; it’s keeping up with massive changes in the industry. For instance, TikTok is still climbing in popularity which has forced YouTube to focus more attention on their version of short-form video, Shorts. Artificial intelligence is also improving by the week, so one to keep an eye on.

With that in mind, let’s look at the big paid advertising social media trends to expect throughout 2024.

Paid social media trends for 2024

If you’re keen to improve your social media marketing strategy for 2024, or you’re new to the industry and you need quick wins, then our list of the biggest social media trends is perfect.

Video content is king

While YouTube has been around for what seems like forever (it literally has for the younger generation) and TikTok has been a staple in our lives since COVID, video content is still important.

According to Sprout Social, more than 50% of social media marketers believe video content creation is the most effective form of marketing across their social media channels.

Also, 87% of marketers believe that video content is better at driving sales.

There has been a shift in short-form video content on TikTok in recent months, though. Users are starting to favour longer-form video content on the social media app now, with minute-long videos growing in popularity.

Meanwhile, YouTube is keen to keep up with TikTok by pushing its own version of short-form videos, Shorts.

So, if you want to dominate social media platforms throughout 2024, follow consumer behaviour and incorporate video content into your social media marketing strategy.

AI-generated content is here to stay

According to studies, 72% of consumers prefer user-generated content and 81% believe brands should engage with them at the right time.

This need to be connected has introduced AI tools to social media platforms.

Direct messages are essential if a brand wants to provide tailored customer service for its users. With AI tools, many companies have introduced this to their strategy, allowing for a more engaging and relevant user experience.

Not only does this make it easier for users to interact, but it increases trust in the brand, improving the chances of repeat purchases.

Growing social commerce

Not sure what social commerce is? Well, it’s the combination of social media platforms and online shopping, allowing users to purchase items from a social media app.

If you use TikTok, you’ll notice a lot of video content leading users to the TikTok Shop. Studies claim that a huge number of TikTok users (71%) purchased within the app when they found something of interest in their feed.

Statista claims that social commerce is only on the up, making it one of the most important social media trends in recent years.

By 2030, the industry is expected to reach $8.5bn in sales – showing what’s possible for brands yet to dip their hands into social commerce. Ensure you create video content – or use influencer marketing – to sell products across social media networks.

If you want to transform your brand, starting in 2024, hop on this social media trend.

Influencer marketing strategy is changing

Influencer marketing is changing, too.

Yes, to many people, influencers can be annoying but the effective ones can have a huge impact on user behaviour on social media platforms.

Research shows that 25% of users will purchase an item based on an influencer’s suggestion, while 23% of marketers have admitted to using influencer marketing.

The next generation of influencer marketing uses AI tools to measure effectiveness, track performance and choose the right influencers for the right campaign.

This allows brands to focus on a long-term partnership to create authentic content that promotes brand voice to their audience. Using these tools also helps to highlight micro-influencers who may have more sway in the purchasing decisions of their followers than a social media account with hundreds of thousands of followers.

Such information can improve the efficiency of marketing spend for ad campaigns.

Interactive content

Is your user engagement down across all social media platforms? One of the biggest social media trends of 2024 is interactive visual content.

Interactive content is key to capturing the attention of social media users worldwide. Surveys, contests, challenges and quizzes are excellent ways to improve how users interact with your content, instead of them passively scrolling past.

Up your content creation game and don’t allow your work to be swallowed into the void. Make it stand out and try to engage your users with imaginative content on every social media platform.

Conversational advertising with a target audience

The old way to advertise on social media platforms is gone and a new style has arrived: conversational ads.

These types of ads are often found on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. They initiate conversations with users to offer guidance and product recommendations, as well as seek opinions for more in-depth engagement and research.

If you’re seeking deeper connections with your consumers, consider conversational advertising for the rest of 2024 and beyond.

What does the future look like for social media platforms?

So, now we know what the rest of 2024 will look like online, what future social media trends should we keep an eye on?

• Augmented reality – AR has been available for some time, but it’s projected to have a huge increase by 2025, with a $6.68bn expected market spend.
• Sustainable ad targeting – Consumers are leaning towards the brand’s values that reflect their own, which includes using sustainable materials for products and more.
• Social responsibility – Similar to the last point, companies understand the way of the world a lot more. This includes fighting injustices and supporting worthwhile campaigns.
• Enhanced analytics – As technology continues to improve, analytics tools are too. Google Ads has received a huge update in 2024 and is set to become even more helpful moving forward.

Advertise to social media users with Paramount Digital

So, are you ready to adopt the latest paid social media trends?

If you’re unsure how to do this yourself, we know just the people who can help: us!

At Paramount Digital, we have a team of highly qualified and experienced paid social media experts who understand the latest social media trends and can adapt a marketing strategy so their content creation reflects them.

We’re always keeping a close eye on the industry and staying ahead of social media trends so we can give our clients the best service possible.

If you’re interested in letting us handle your paid social media efforts, get in touch by calling 01744 747474.