1. Short-Form Video Content

Short-form video content has become a game-changer. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are not just fads; they’re here to stay. Quick, engaging videos resonate deeply with audiences who have increasingly short attention spans. In my experience with paid social media, short-form videos under 6 seconds consistently outperform those that are longer in terms of engagement and conversion rates. 

Short form captures users’ attention quickly, and effectively, making it an ideal for various types of content. They’re perfect for: 

• Product showcases
  
• Behind the scenes glimpses
  
• Fun tutorials 
  
• Customer testimonials 
  
• Quick Tips and Hacks 

Example: Perhaps take inspiration from the Ottawa-based brand Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company, whose short-form video content on Instagram Reels has helped them connect with their customers. 

2. Authenticity and Transparency 

People crave nothing more than authenticity. Overly polished content can sometimes feel insincere, disconnected, and artificial, leading to a lack of trust with your audience. Of course, don’t post content that is sloppy, because nobody wants to see that. Instead, let your audience see the real you. Share your journey, your struggles, and victories. Being transparent about your business practices and values builds trust and fosters a deeper connection with your audience. 

Practical Tips:

• Share behind the scenes content to give your followers a glimpse into your daily operations
  
• Highlight employee stories and their contributions to humanize your brand
  
• Be honest about challenges, and how you overcome them 

Example: Patagonia is known for its transparent business practices and commitment to environmental sustainability, which has built a loyal customer base. They openly share their environmental impact and improvement efforts, resonating with their audience and reinforcing their brand values. 

3. User-Generated Content 

 User-generated content (UGC) is exceptionally powerful. Featuring customers using your products or services can build trust and authenticity. Encourage your followers to share their experience and highlight this content (with their permission) on your social media channels. 

It’s a strategy that not only boosts credibility, but also create a sense of community around your brand. On a practical level, UGC provides fresh content that saves you time and resources on content creation. 

Example: GoPro does this exceptionally well by showcasing incredible videos and photos taken by their customers. Their #GoProAwards initiative incentivizes users to submit their best content for a chance to be featured, further fostering a loyal and engaged community. 

4. Social Commerce is Booming 

Social commerce has exploded this year. With platforms like Facebook and Tiktok integrating shopping features, selling directly through social media has never been easier. This seamless shopping experience has led to higher conversation rates for many brands as it allows customers to brose, select, and purchase products without having to leave the platform. 

 Example: The Ottawa-based company Little Jo Berry’s has efficiently leveraged Instagram shopping to provide a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience, directly from their social media page. 

5. Personalized Marketing through AI

Personalization is crucial for an effective social media marketing strategy. AI makes personalization accessible, even for those without the means to develop it in-house. AI-driven tools can analyze user behaviour, preferences, and interaction patterns to deliver relevant content, offers, and ads. On social media, here is how you can leverage AI. 

•  Content Recommendations: Tools like Facebook’s Audience insights can help you tailor posts to match user preferences 
  
• Targeted Advertising: If you have the budget to do so, platforms use AI to segment audiences and deliver relevant ads to the right user. 
  
• Chatbots: Facebook Messenger AI-powered chatbots can provide personalized customer services and product recommendations. 
  
• Predictive Analysis: Services such as Hootsuite and Sprout Social use Ai to analyze past behaviour and predict trends. 

Example: Ikea uses an AI-powered chatbot on Facebook Messenger to provide furniture recommendations, design tips, and customer service support. 

6. The Influence of Micro-Influencers

Influencer marketing is still going strong, but there is a noticeable shift toward micro-influencers (1,000 – 100,000 followers), who offer more engagement and authenticity with their smaller, yet highly dedicated fan base.  In addition to these influencers having a closer, more personal relationships with their followers, micro-influencer are typically more cost-effective compared to macro-influencers. 

Example: To promote their bedtime products, The Honest Company worked with 30 mom micro-influencers. This campaign, with 133 pieces of content across multiple platforms was able to garner over 109k engagements, 1.6 million impressions, and 578 clicks to their website. 

Conclusion

Keeping up with social media trends is crucial for maintain a strong online presence. By embracing short form video content, prioritizing authenticity, utilizing UGC, exploring social media commerce, leveraging AI, and partnering with micro-influencers, you can stay ahead of the curve for the end of 2024, and beginning 0f 2025. 

If you're ready to elevate your social media game, let’s connect and explore how tailored strategies can help your brand success in the latter half of 2024 and beyond. Contact me today for a consultation.