Social trends to expect in 2024
BridalBuyer.com expert Megan Garmers pinpoints the top five strategies to implement next year for your social media to soar.
In the dynamic landscape of social media, staying ahead of trends is crucial for any small business in 2024. Social media is not going away and the longer you wait to hop on the bus, the more you will need to run to catch up. This is the perfect time to get ready for the new year with a new, revamped, or set an initial social media strategy.
Here are the top five trends that are not going away for 2024:
Short-Form Video Reigns Supreme
Short-form content is not just prevalent; it’s the most consumed type of content online and so dominates the social media sphere regardless of platform. To achieve success on social platforms in 2024, creating engaging social media videos is essential. If you don’t have a strategy for this, email me to set up a time to discuss the most effective strategies for leveraging this trend: hello@thebridalmasterclass.com.
In devising a short-form video strategy, remember:
The key lies in crafting bite-sized, engaging content that resonates with your audience. Remember, it’s not just about following trends; it’s about creating value-driven content that aligns with your brand’s goals and resonates with your ideal clients.
The essence of high-quality content remains in delivering value. Aimless content creation is a big mistake. Remember, views and likes don’t translate directly into revenue. Devise a purpose for your content and a clear Call-To-Action (CTA) to funnel viewers towards your objectives for the content.
Before creating the content, answer the following:
1. Who is your target audience?
2. What are your video goals (brand awareness, audience engagement, education, entertainment, social ads)?
3. What platform(s) will the video be posted on?
4. How can the content be repurposed?
There are tons of apps to use to make creating short-form video easy but the first step is knowing what you want it to do for you.
The Rise of Social Commerce
Social commerce, or the process of selling products directly through social media platforms, is predicted to increase significantly.
With consumers increasingly turning to social platforms for shopping, integrating seamless purchasing experiences into your social media strategy is essential. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer native shopping experiences, allowing customers to explore and purchase from you with ease, enhancing customer engagement and driving sales.
Social commerce allows customers to discover, research, and purchase products without leaving the social platforms. Utilizing the shoppable features on Instagram and Facebook allow for a seamless shopping experience. Tag your products in posts and stories, making it easy for brides-to-be to click and buy. You can event offer live shopping, allowing you to host virtual trunk shows or live Q&A sessions. Showcase your dresses in various settings – from runway shows to real weddings – to provide a comprehensive view of your collection.
You can also create promotions exclusive to your social media followers. This not only incentivizes purchases but also encourages more users to follow and engage with your brand on social platforms.
Social commerce allows you to connect with your audience in a meaningful and profitable way. Gone are the days of just posting a picture of a dress in a magazine or online to get sales. Gen Z requires you to invest in the relationship part of sales. They need to understand why you and what you have to offer meets their needs and wants. By embracing social commerce, you can enhance your online presence, reach your target audience more effectively, and provide a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience that meets the expectations of the modern bride.
Social SEO: A Game Changer
Optimizing your content for search engines is no longer confined to websites. Social SEO is a critical aspect of ensuring your content reaches the right audience. Use relevant keywords in your posts, hashtags, and video descriptions to improve visibility. For instance, hashtags like #BridalFashion2024 or #WeddingGownTrends can help your content surface in relevant searches.
While hashtags are a great start for the social SEO strategy, keywords are becoming increasingly important for making sure your content shows up when brides are searching for their bridal fashion options. The importance of SEO on social media platforms is expected to grow, possibly even surpassing the relevance of hashtags in content discoverability.
With the rise of video content, the use of captions for videos will also increase, enhancing accessibility and engagement. These captions count for social SEO and so choosing the right copy for your video and captions is more important than ever.
If you don’t have a social SEO strategy, you need one to help brides find you. You can post great content without anyone seeing it and then all that work and time yields you nothing. Creating content is only half the battle in your social media strategy. Social SEO is the other half.
Leveraging AI
The use of AI is on the rise, offering new opportunities for creativity and efficiency. You can utilize AI tools to generate ideas or even create initial drafts of content or copy. However, it’s important to maintain the human touch, especially in the wedding industry. Weddings are emotional and personal events and the investment in wedding fashion requires more than just the right designer or price point.
Use AI as a tool to enhance, not replace, you allows for you to get more done in less time. There are options like customized GPTs where you can customize a GPT like you would a bot on your website so a customer could type in questions and get answers immediately to their queries. It can certainly be helpful for things like your FAQs but may not be as helpful when a personalized and nuanced approach is needed for a particular customer or concern. Remember that AI is a tool and is only as smart as you program it to be – and even then, it may hallucinate (which means it gives incorrect answers).
You can also use AI to create content as simple as signage, marketing materials or business cards or you can use it to help formulate ideas for short-form video, copy, and hashtags. AI can help you get more done but only if you know what and why you want to get those things done. It’s like cruise-control in a car. You have to know where you are going, get started (plug in your destination to Maps or GPS) and then it will help make sure you can continue your trip with the least amount of effort on your part. You still have to oversee it all but don’t have to do every little part.
No More Gambling: Doubling Down on Social
For those who are still not treating social media as an integral part of your business the same as your inventory, store staff members, and physical store building, it is time to stop gambling with your own success.
Algorithm changes and platform features are becoming exponentially rewarding to those who have a clear strategy and consistently work that strategy versus those who dabble when the stars align and post a picture or reel on occasion. The most consistent and quality content you create, the more the algorithm will show your content to more people. The less consistent and lower quality content, the less it will show your content – even to your followers.
What many don’t realize is that just because you have followers doesn’t mean they see everything you post. You now have to clear the hurdle of the algorithm and prove your content is worth being shown on the platform.
In Conclusion
Embracing these trends means staying relevant and competitive in the ever-evolving social media landscape. By focusing on short-form video content, leveraging social commerce, optimizing for social SEO, judiciously using AI-generated content, getting serious about your social media strategy, you can effectively engage with your audience and grow your brand in 2024. Remember, the key is to stay authentic and true to your brand’s essence while integrating these new trends into your current social strategy.
And as always, if this seems confusing or just too time-consuming, just send me an email and we can set up a time to discuss it all: hello@thebridalmasterclass.com. We have new options to help manage your social media so you don’t have to.
Megan Garmers is the founder and director of MG Hair and Makeup, as well as The Bridal Masterclass. With 25+ years’ experience in the beauty industry alongside 20 years in weddings, she now offers her two decades of knowledge in the form of business coaching. Megan also started The Bridal Masterclass Experience to offer online courses for those eager to upgrade their businesses.
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