When a particular action, format, filter or content catches attention on social media, it becomes a social media trend. It sparks curiosity among users and then connects with them on an emotional level. The more people it resonates with, the quicker it spreads on social media platforms whether by using hashtags, participating in challenges and contests or sharing memes. With an industry where 62.3% of the world’s population uses social media, at an 8% YTY growth, you can expect trends to keep on developing.

However, trends are changing and technological advancements are penetrating them in the most unusual yet addictive way starting with Augmented Reality (AR). Brands are rushing to use this technology to create immersive experiences for their audiences. Using AR filters and lenses, they help the user experience and contribute to their decision-making and purchase process by helping them virtually try products on Instagram for example or allowing them to change their appearance and surroundings to see how a specific dress would look on them in a specific setting.

Another trend would be no other than the video format, but with a twist.. While short videos are still dominating the social media world driven by avenues like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, longer videos are starting to become more and more popular and a demand to many social media users especially with Tiktok reporting that users spend half their time on the platform watching one minute or longer videos. They have been pushing bit by bit longer videos and encouraging users to shoot them. At first it was one minute videos, then 10 minutes to reach 30 MINUTE VIDEOS.

Let’s not forget about dissapearing content, which has been the trend among Gen Z for the past 2 years and is going strong with new innovative mediums. What started as 24 hour stories ended as one time seeing picture, message or voice note even! People enjoy the privacy given in these, especially when they can share with a small group of people like the “close friends” feature on Instagram or share my status with “everyone except…” on WhatsApp. Using these features is the new norm!

The Collaboration features, that was meant intially for brands and influencers, is also quikly becoming a user favorite. Whether couples posting collaborative posts together on instagram, friends collaborating on a party post instead of tagging and businesses doing so with a customer in a review or picture involving their clientel, the trend of collaborative posts is here to stay. That being said, it is important to note that the original purpose of this feature is still being fullfilled as many influencers, micro content creators and bloggers use it when featuring a restaurant, shop, or any other business they are working with or promoting.

Now with all this technology settling in, it is no surprise that AI generated content is becoming very popular, especially in terms of media support for blogs and articles, elaborative expressive stories for causes and funny memes. AI generated content makes it easier for the user to deliver his message with the minimal amount of design efforts. Whether DALL-E by ChatGPT or Magic Tools by Canva, the point is to create something that social media users can instantly download, upload and use.

When discussing all these points, we would be bound to think that people create all this content to gain “followers” or “likes”, however, in today’s social media trend, it is community over statistics! According to the Global Web Index, 76% of internet users are participants of online communities. And in order to cater to this adjustment, social media platforms allowed the creation of communities in chats like WhatsApp or via messages on Instagram and TikTok direct messages through replying to a comment privately or sharing it with this “community”.

Another transformation in social media trends would be online shops, and we are not talking websites and e-commerce, but actual pages and instagram e-shops or facebook marketplace commerce store that allows users to browse, order, buy, and even pay directly through social media platforms. It is also a gateway for small businesses with low or no budget to start selling online without the burden of intial investment cost.

Last but not least, transparent, playful and raw content is KING. While we used to have designed posts, animated videos and characterized stories take over the social empire. It is no longer the case. People want to see reel, honest and sometimes even embarassing realities. Whether it’s your dog barking at a stranger or your baby tearing down your favorite book, this is what users want and what users share.

Overall, social media trends don’t change as big topics over the years, but they do evolve and integrate new technologies that tip the scales in the favor of users and businesses who know how to leverage these tools and adapt their contents to meet the requirements and needs of the social media community.

References

Shah, R. (2024, June 17). 11 Social media trends in 2024 [+Actionable tips]. https://www.sprinklr.com/blog/social-media-trends/

Biljman, T. (2024, July 17). Social Media Trends 2024 That You Need To Pay Attention To. Sendible. https://www.sendible.com/insights/latest-social-media-trends-report#community-over-followers

Hill, C. (2024b, July 22). 11 social media trends you need to know in 2024. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-trends/