5 themes you should expect on social media in 2024 (ft. experts)

Hey folks👋🏽

I’ve just now gotten around to setting my goals and figuring out my game plan for the year, and one thing I’ve abandoned is the idea of “resolutions.”

In the past, I would make arbitrary statements that I never follow through on because there’s no long-term plan or it’s just not sustainable (looking at you, “work out four times a week”).

That doesn’t mean I don’t have plans; I prefer to take my time to figure out what I can feasibly commit to.

I currently use different systems. Elements of the “12-week year”, monthly vision boards (you should see my Pinterest) and my favorite, to-do lists.

Lists are great because I can set expectations for myself without feeling absolutely dejected when I don’t or can’t follow through — I can just move it to the next week or month or quarter. For example, I wanted to publish on LinkedIn for 7 days this month, and that definitely didn’t work out, but February’s a blank slate.

So whatever your goals are, do what works for you, lean into trial and error, and stay the course. Here’s to ticking off all the items on our to-do lists this year 🥂

Let’s get into it!

💌 In today’s email:

• 🔮 Curious about what might happen in social media in 2024? We break down 5 core themes to expect 
• 🤖 Use this AI Assistant prompt to show off the benefits of your product
• 📱Mitra shares a handy tip for repurposing your video content
• 📣 The latest social news, features, and bonus reads
• And as always, all the latest and greatest content from the Buffer blog.

Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you next Friday!

Warmly, 

Tami & the Buffer team

P.S. Dive into our free tools — especially our AI-powered social media post creator

☑️ The question of the week

🖊️ Deep dive: 5 themes we expect to see across social media in 2024 (ft. expert contributions)

As we dive into the new year, a few things signify change on the horizon for the creator economy. From changing consumer behavior to the influence of AI and the shifting of how platforms function, certain key trends emerge, painting a picture of a different digital world.

Here are five themes for social media in 2024 through the lens of industry experts, unraveling their predictions and the reasons behind them.

1. A new frontier for brands and creators on LinkedIn: LinkedIn is evolving beyond a job-hunting site to a hub for professional creators (and professionals who create content). We're witnessing a blur between professional networking and creative expression, with a surge in influencer marketing, especially for B2B audiences. LinkedIn's focus on sponsored content tools and analytics enhances creator-brand partnerships. We might even see LinkedIn directly facilitating these collaborations.
2. Entering the era of authenticity and personalization: Authenticity is the new currency in content creation. The trend leans towards long-form, original content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Users are seeking genuine connections, leading to a rise in personalized, niche content. This shift towards micro-influencers and authenticity reflects a deeper craving for human connection in our digital interactions.
3. Creators diversifying beyond content creation: Creators are branching out to ensure sustainability and career growth. Many are exploring entrepreneurship, entertainment, or corporate roles, moving beyond traditional content creation. This trend shows creators seeking more sustainable and diversified career paths, underlining the evolving nature of the creator economy.
4. The rise of private, niche communities: There's a growing preference for smaller, private communities. These spaces offer deeper, more genuine interactions, away from the unpredictability of social algorithms. Brands and creators are recognizing the value of engaging audiences in these focused community spaces, both online and offline.
5. YouTube's dominance with long-form video: YouTube is reinforcing its position as a leader in the creator economy with a focus on long-form content. Creators are shifting from short-form to more authentic, longer videos on YouTube, catering to audiences seeking substantial, ad-free content. This trend underscores YouTube's versatility and its strong connection with its audience.

Stay ahead of the curve and use these insights to inform your social media strategy for the year ahead.

🚀 Three entrepreneurs skyrocketing their growth with Buffer

We pride ourselves on being an excellent tool for entrepreneurs and business owners to grow on social media — and our users were more than happy to back us up.

• Jayak at redpigeonmedia: “Over the past 3 months we've managed to grow one of our client's social media accounts by 400% from 6k to over 23k followers!”
• Press 1 for Nick on YouTube: “My following has grown 10% consistently since I started using Buffer”
• Jon Buckley: “Over the last 90 days, I've seen a 24.5% increase in accounts reached, a 53.2% increase in engagement, and a 9.3% increase in followers.”

Want to skyrocket your growth? Click the link below to get started with Buffer today!

👇🏽 The latest from the blog

• How to Grow on Threads: 9 Learnings from the Buffer Team: In our time on Threads, the Buffer team has picked up some patterns — here are our tried-and-tested strategies for growing your following on Instagram's new platform.

• How We Turned an Opportunistic Side Hustle Into an 8-Figure Business: Jake and Jess Munday didn’t plan on building a neon sign empire, but some smart decisions along the way helped them turn an exploratory side hustle into a massively successful business.

• How My E-commerce Company Has Used Personalization to Build an Email Marketing Channel With a 55 Percent Open Rate: Learn how focusing on personalized retention marketing helps Devanshi Garg Sareen manage high acquisition costs and succeed in a crowded market.

• The Best Time to Post on Facebook in 2024: A Complete Guide: We analyzed over 1 million Facebook posts sent through Buffer to pinpoint the best time, day, and post format for maximum engagement.

🤖 A tip for Buffer's AI Assistant

Use this prompt to show off the benefits of your product. You can either copy-paste from here or click the link to get it right in your Buffer Ideas.

Create a social media post showcasing the benefits of a product/service for a specific target audience

Please fill in the following details:

• Product/Service: (Provide the name and brief description of the product/service you want to promote)
• Target Audience: (Specify the target audience, such as professionals, students, pet owners, etc.)
• Platform & Type: (Select the social media platform for the post, such as Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. as well as the type of post like caption or Thread)
• Tone & Style: (Choose the desired tone and style for the post, such as humorous, professional, casual, etc.)
• Key Benefits: (List the key benefits of the product/service that you want to highlight)
• Additional Requirements: (Include any other specific requirements or constraints for the post, such as no hashtags)

Based on the information provided, create a compelling and engaging [insert post type and format again] that showcases the benefits of the specified product/service for the target audience. Ensure that the post aligns with the chosen tone, style, platform, and any additional requirements.

📱Social tip of the week from Mitra, Buffer’s Social Media Manager 

If you’re repurposing your videos across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, be careful that you’re not sharing your videos with watermarks from other platforms. ♻️

Normally when you download your videos directly from these platforms to post elsewhere, they have a watermark on them, which is something the algorithm can detect on other platforms and can hinder your reach.

There are plenty of websites out there that you can use to download your videos (from any platform) without the watermark! Just do a simple Google search of “download [platform name] video without watermark,” and you’ll see lots of options.

TikTok also added a feature that lets you download your videos while you’re still in editing mode in the app!

🤳 What's happening in social?

WhatsApp may soon offer its own AirDrop-like file-sharing feature; Threads shows signs of integrating Instagram DMs; Instagram tests new group chat conversation starters in Notes; LinkedIn is set to have a big year thanks to Gen-Z; Email from YouTube to creators reveals new rules for joining its invite-only Shorts community program; X will now enable Premium subscribers to list open jobs on their personal profiles, a feature previously only available to businesses; TikTok opens live streaming for those with under 1,000 followers; BeReal reveals plans to let brands and celebrities join, starting on February 6; Social platforms become 'marketing engine’s as creators look for direct deals to earn money.

Get these updates and more here!

Thanks for reading! 💟

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