Social media is an ever-evolving landscape, and each year brings new trends and changes (as well as a fair share of challenges for us social media agencies!) With just a few months to go to 2024, we wanted to get ahead of the curve and make our predictions as to what trends will shift in the social media sphere – so we can start preparing for them!

Trend #1 – ‘Meta Verses’, VR And AR

Something that’s really exciting is the development of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) on social media. With Meta (formerly Facebook) leading the way, it’s thought that soon, users will be able to interact in shared virtual spaces and even attend virtual events. Is this something we need to think about in a social media strategy for 2024?

At the moment, the use of AR and VR on social media is still in its early days – however, ideas for virtual tours of our client’s show homes, and virtual conferences for some of the businesses we work with have already begun buzzing around our brains. Let’s see what happens next year.

Trend #2 – Long-Form Content Creation

Content creation (a service that we offer now at Source PR) has been growing for the past two years, especially when it comes to using Instagram Reels for businesses.

It’s not breaking news to say this should continue into 2024 and beyond, but something we think will make more of a comeback is long-form content shared through these platforms. Think: explanation videos, tips and tricks, even stories. Already we’ve seen creators racking up the views with this kind of content, and with maximum video lengths being extended to 10 minutes on TikTok, it’s not a crazy leap to make. Instagram are yet to follow suit, with their maximum video length still at 90 seconds – do we think they’ll make it longer?

It’s worth noting, though, that long-form content will only work for a certain type of client, and one that you know will have an engaged audience. For most B2C social strategies and with clients wanting far-reaching content, short, snappy videos work the best. 15-30 remains the optimum length by our book!

Trend #3 – AI… (Maybe!)

If you look up social media trends for 2024 now, it’s hard to get through a piece without AI being mentioned in some capacity. But are we worried it will take our jobs? Nah!

ChatGPT and other similar tools have certainly risen in popularity, and agencies have been trialling and testing them for a while now. Hardcore believers will say that AI can replace the person at the other end of the laptop, typing up social media content, but we think that will never happen.

Though clever, we don’t believe that AI can ever truly replace the human emotion and empathy that goes into social media management. Plus – we can’t see robots heading out to film your Reels and TikTok videos any time soon, can you?!

Trend #4 – Sharing Sustainable Initiatives

As the world grapples with more environmental issues by the year, we’d like to think we’ll see more businesses adopting and sharing eco-friendly practices and promoting sustainability.

We’re lucky enough to work with some great, pioneering businesses in the sector and also have clients that are open to our suggestions on how they can become greener and communicate it to the world too.

Trend #5 – Better Ephemeral Content

Content that is only around for 24 hours or less, also known as Ephemeral content, started with Snapchat but has been stolen by Stories. Including Instagram Stories in your social media strategy is not a new thing, but we think long may it continue into 2024 and beyond. We love collaborating with our clients to bring you ‘here and now’ content that goes on to Instagram Stories and actively promotes what a business is up to, or what they’re all about.

We hope to see more interactive elements and widgets introduced and think that ‘shoppable stories’ will become more prevalent as this feature moves out of infancy and is used more often by companies.

Trend #6 – Regulation And Accountability

And finally, as social media continues to influence society, we are all responsible for the content we put out there. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) are doing a lot more to banish ‘fake news’, and in other news the ASA continues to put pressure on influencers to declare sponsorships and collaborations.

We think we’ll see more of this into 2024 and will continue to always make sure we’re following the latest guidelines and putting out genuine, authentic and honest content for our clients.

We hope this blog gave you some more progressive social media trends for 2024 than the usual ‘younger audiences’, ‘TikTok trends’ and ‘updated algorithms’ roundups. What do you think? What quirky trend do you think will dominate social media as we head to a new year? Always happy to chat on Twitter, you can reach me (Jess) directly at @jessicapardoePR.

Social media is an ever-changing landscape, in our 15 years of Source PR we’ve seen the content we produce and for what channels change time and time again – it’s a tough job to keep on top of it, but that’s what we’re here for!

The past few years have seen the resurgence of video on social, and it’s back bigger and better than ever before. Thanks to the popularity of TikTok and the introduction of Instagram Reels, platforms, especially Meta, are now favouring this type of content even more than static images – so it’s essential that they form part of your social media strategy.

A Little About Instagram Reels

Instagram launched Reels in 2020 in the UK, following the ubiquity of TikTok in most people’s lives – Meta knew they had to compete. Following a steady launch, as of 2023 it’s thought that Reels reach 2.35 billion people each month internationally, and that’s not just the Gen Z-ers either! Though the 18–34-year-old market makes up over 60% of the share of users, 16.1% fall into the 35-44 age bracket and almost 6% of users are over 55.

Currently, Reels get 22% more interaction on Instagram than standard videos, and we don’t doubt that before long… These stats will be similar if not stronger than for typical images. The future is in motion. Which is why at Source PR, we’re taking FULL advantage.

Why You Should Use Instagram Reels For Business

Some businesses, especially those that are B2B, may think that Instagram Reels are not suitable for their business – but we like to think you can make them work for any trade. There are plenty of benefits to using Instagram Reels for businesses (even without advertising) that include:

1. They add a depth to your content, videos tend to show more than still images
2. Reels are favoured by Meta’s algorithms, meaning they can reach more people
3. Popular music means you can create shareable content that’s reactive to trends
4. Visual appeal of products and services can be enhanced by Reels
5. You get more user time to show off to your customers… According to recent data, feed videos that perform best are around 26 seconds

How To Add Instagram Reels To Your Social Strategy

It’s imperative with social media that you move with the times, whether that’s exploring new channels such as Instagram Threads, or ensuring that your content is as dynamic as possible on established platforms, for example, by introducing video content to your pages.

But how do you go about doing that? Because it sure isn’t an easy or quick process!

Instagram Reels For B2C Companies

Naturally, Instagram is a platform that lends itself better to consumer-centric companies, it’s very visually focused which works brilliantly with companies that have great products and services to show off. For clients in travel, hospitality, health and beauty etc., Reels will effortlessly fit into your business. Consider the steps below;

• Create a plan thinking about what your customers would like to see more of – can you give them show-around tours of your business, demonstrate key features of your product, highlight results and testimonials from happy customers?
• Utilise trending audio and don’t be scared to get creative and take risks with what you pick! Due to licensing, the music that can be used on business accounts, but there are still ways to find popular songs and sounds
• Work with a content creation business so you don’t end up spending all of your time capturing and editing content. It’s a good idea to leave it up to professionals who understand what your customers want to see, and how to get it to them
• Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – do you have team members up for jumping on the latest trend? Great! This is the kind of video that tends to get the best kind of interaction on both Instagram and on TikTok too

Instagram Reels For B2B Companies

While creating Instagram Reels for B2C businesses may be an easier feat, it doesn’t mean that if you sell directly to businesses, that you shouldn’t give it a go! B2B content can be extremely satisfying for users to engage with, as well as helpful to your potential customers. Because you’re still selling to real people at the end of the day.

Think about what your business has that could have visual appeal, do you work with printers or interesting machinery? You’d be surprised at what can work and what people find interesting – from videos of hydraulic presses and scraping wax from industrial machines, anything goes when it comes to Instagram Reels and TikToks

• Ask the advice of those who work in social content creation, as they’re sure to know what works on these channels already, and what kind of trends your business can get involved in
• Acknowledge what your customer might like to see – could you produce ‘how to’ or FAQ videos for people in the consideration stage of the customer journey, that could help them to make a final decision to purchase?
• Your business is more than just the products you sell or services you provide… Showcase the people behind the brand and the way you work day in, day out. People buy people after all

Start Content Creating For Your Business

Instagram Reels are only going to get more popular, so if you haven’t started dabbling already, now is the time! At Source PR we’ve been developing our expertise in this area and now work with several clients on content creation. If you’d like to pick our brains, we’re here to chat! You can get in touch via our website.

This post first appeared on my PR blog, but I thought it would be good to share on our Source PR website too. Enjoy!

TikTok’s influence is huge. The app’s popularity has grown exponentially over the last few years, fuelled by lockdown boredom initially and more recently by the desire for better social media experiences than Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.

Any marketer can see the potential such a platform holds, but there have been several times where TikTok has truly worked its magic. Instances where its influence has been so great that it has changed lives forever.

3 BookTok Success Stories

‘BookTok’ has become a force of its own, so much so that if you walk into any Waterstones, The Works or WH Smiths nowadays you’ll more than likely see a ‘TikTok recommends section’. But the social platform has not just propped up already established authors, it’s also helped create them too. Turning dreams into reality… Literally.

• One of the most recent examples is TikTokker Marguerite Richards turning her dad’s decade-old novel into an overnight sensation through just one video that went viral. The clip, which now has over 40 million views sent Marguerite’s Dad’s novel, Stone Maidens, into the charts 10 years after its initial release. The overwhelming response to a simple yet emotive video goes to show the influence that organic content can have – with the right messages and just a little bit of magic. Richard, who is just the cutest soul, told the BBC: “last week has been a whirlwind experience for me, truly mind-blowing. However, I earnestly believe that it is most important for a writer to never take no for an answer, to persevere, and never, never give up.” 
• Another that any TikTok aficionado would recognise is Alex Aster, author of Lightlark. The now-novelist posted on the app a few years ago about her ideas for a set of books about a mythical island that only appears every 100 years. After being initially rejected by several publishers, her video went viral and this resulted in Aster being offered a six-figure advance book deal from Abrams Books. The first novel has now been published, with others to follow.
• And finally, it’s not an ‘overnight sensation’ story like the others, but author Colleen Hoover, dubbed the Queen of ‘BookTok‘, would certainly have to attribute a large portion of her popularity to the app. Her book ‘It Ends With Us’ was one of the inaugural ‘BookTok’ recommendations, and when Hoover herself become really active on TikTok, her fame only increased. Now, her novels are commonplace in most bookstores, with large collections being on offer and many ‘BookTok-kers’ still recommending her works. In fact, Colleen Hoover attributes her success so much to TikTok that last year, she released a sequel to ‘It Ends With Us’ that she said she thought to do to thank her loyal followers.

2 BeautyTok Success Stories

Though ‘BookTok’ is incredibly influential, it’s not the only niche of TikTok. As with Instagram and other social media platforms, health, beauty and lifestyle are also other popular genres on the app. There’s been plenty of opportunity to go viral organically in this space since TikTok began getting really popular, and many small businesses have grown to great heights because of this.

• Delhicious, an award-winning Ayurvedic skincare brand really demonstrates the value of TikTok fame compared to more traditionally successful routes, such as appearing on TV. Zara Saleem, who founded the business, actually appeared on Dragon’s Den last year, but her brand really took off anyway thanks to her TikTok channel. At the end of 2021, it was reported that the business hit six-figures and ended up with a 20,000 person waitlist after going viral several times. Since then, Delhicious has only gone from strength to strength. From being kitchen-manufactured, to having a full production line. There’ve also been several new products launched by the brand too. I’ve followed them since very early on, LOVE their stuff and so the story sits really really right with me. It’s a classic example of how TikTok can transform a life!
• If you’ve ever seen the trend of icing your face on TikTok, then know that a lot of this can be traced back to an Australian-born business, The Contour Cube. After one video getting 6m views, the female-founded company sold £20k worth of stock according to the Female Start Up Club podcast. I don’t have much health and beauty content on my feeds, but I did pick up on this trend and the time and when researching extra ideas to bulk up this blog, I was delighted to come across this story.

2 FoodTok Success Stories

Everyone’s ‘For You Page’ is different, but I’d bet you that most people have food videos pop up on their app at least every now and again. One business went viral though not for its irresistible food (though I don’t doubt it!) but instead, for its impossible earworm of a song.

• You knew it was coming… Who took themselves off to Binley Mega Chippy last summer? The unassuming Coventry chip shop ended up with queues out the door and down the street after a jingle about it went viral! 🎶 If it’s in your head now, I’m sorry. According to Sky News, the owner Kamal Gandhi said his overnight fame was crazy, but he was so grateful for it. This is definitely one that has me questioning my peers that travelled miles and miles for a chippy (reportedly, even some from overseas?!) but at the same time, it’s great to see yet another small business thriving thanks to TikTok fame.
• The self-proclaimed ‘CEOs of SweetTok’, I loved Candy Works’ videos during lockdown. I still get a serotonin rush when they pop up on my pafe even now. So, when looking around for this blog, I was delighted to see that the business is still doing super well, even nearly 3 years on from its initial rise to fame. The company was created by Sophie and Ryan Taylor, who put about £400 into it and a lot of time on TikTok. Now, it has a reported £1.4m turnover and 1.7m followers. Amazing stuff.

Image credit: Dan Pope

We’re big fans of TikTok at Source PR and have long seen its value in marketing. Read my blog from a few years ago about the value of investing time in this app by clicking here.

This past week, the PR, marketing and comms world experienced something it never had before when the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II was announced on Thursday evening. Any industry pro knows if there’s something we’re good at, it’s adapting to change and thinking on our feet, especially in the PR agency world.

Many brands began frantically posting social media messages some of which came under scrutiny of the general public, with suggestions that the posts were ill judged or in poor taste.

A bizarre photograph from Clutch Points which pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Crossfit UK’s tribute to Her Majesty was a WOD workout

As a nation, we didn’t know what to do on hearing the news. Whether you’re a royalist, want to abolish the monarchy or you just don’t care either way, this situation was new and unfamiliar, which was shown in some of the most Googled questions from last week:

Queen Elizabeth death what will happen

Queen Elizabeth death what happens next

Operation London Bridge

When is the Queens Funeral.

The government did release national mourning guidance, but that didn’t include much guidance, stating: There is no set way to mark the passing of Her Majesty on social media. Organisations may wish to review their planned content for the period.

So, can we blame social media managers and comms professionals for, in some instances, getting it so wrong? While there’s an element of common sense and ability to read the room lacking in some brand’s reactions (Ann Summers, anyone?!), I like to think that the majority of these brands genuinely wanted to pay some kind of tribute to the Queen. After all, the people behind the posts are just that: people. Some of whom may well have been struggling with the news themselves. On the other hand, there are some brands that may have been fearful of saying nothing at all – after all, would that have looked worse for the brand than posting something tone deaf? It depends how you look at it.

For me personally, I struggle with brands that have a lot to say about certain issues on social media but with no real substance behind the message. Want to change your logo to black out of respect but then have your team performing non-essential work come into the office on the bank holiday Monday of the funeral? That doesn’t sit right with me. Similarly to Pridewashing, changing your logo to the Pride rainbow flag but not actively supporting LGBTQA+ employees or recruiting fairly, is on a similar level to this for me. Unfortunately, there will always be a select few that post for clout and likes.

Nevertheless, on this occasion I think we need to give these brands a break, after all, the situation hasn’t been something any of us in the modern media profession have dealt with before, and perhaps it’s a learning curve for us all. At Source, we’d been monitoring the situation since learning the news that the Queen was unwell, and acted accordingly, cancelling both our Source and client social posts, as well as pausing any campaigns. Luckily enough all of our clients valued and understood our advice on the matter, I know some other agencies weren’t so lucky!

If we can help you with your social media strategy, then get in touch.