Social Media 2024: Centring the Spotlight on Audience Engagement

Social media trends are constantly evolving and changing, and it’s no different for audience engagement. The ways in which businesses engage with and tailor their content to audiences has developed over time. So, what better way to start 2024 than to centre a spotlight on what’s really important for audience engagement this year?

In this blog, we will run through the continued importance of authenticity and a well-thought-out content strategy, as well as what decentralised social media and the “Fediverse” is.

Let’s dive in.

Building authenticity & a well-thought-out content strategy

You’ve likely heard the term ‘authenticity’ thrown around a lot in recent years due to the rise of influencer and user-generated content. But, what does it mean in 2024?

With the rise of AI-generated content, creating authentic, trustworthy content is going to be even more important for businesses this year.

Let’s take a deeper look into why.

Why is authenticity important?

Authenticity should be the backbone of any robust content strategy. It helps to build a connection and trust with your followers and audience. Consumers are becoming more aware of false advertising or brands cashing in on trends, and are more interested in valuable conversations, honesty, and transparency.

Here are some of the ways businesses can utilise authenticity in their content:

• Niche content: Focus on niche content aligned with the business’s core values and expertise rather than mimicking trends.
• Expert insights and education: Provide valuable insights and educational content relevant to the audience’s interests and inquiries.
• Entertainment and relatability: Recognise the growing importance of entertaining and relatable content to engage audiences effectively.

The key thing is to be yourself. When customers see the real you, your values and personality, they are more likely to engage with and trust your content. Fostering a culture of employee advocacy and personal brand building will also enhance brand loyalty, your overall brand awareness and visibility on the platforms you use.

Be selective with platforms

Choosing the right platforms for your target audience is important when creating your content strategy. It may seem appealing to create business profiles on every popular platform, but avoid this approach.

The platform you choose should not only align with your target audience, but your business goals and content types too. This will optimise your engagement and audience reach because you’re targeting the right audience on the right platform.

The rise of AI

Everyone’s talking about it. It’s becoming more and more used across different industries and roles – sometimes, where you least expect it. But, even though usage in social media and content creation is starting to increase, it’s important to note it can cause some problems.

There is a huge wealth of AI tools that can help with content creation, from image generation to copywriting suggestions. At first glance, this may sound very helpful, and in a way, it is. Nevertheless, we can’t forget the human touch when we consider authenticity. Content should always be reviewed by a human eye to ensure its relevance to the target audience and avoid potential automation or duplication.

On a darker note, there has been an increase in the amount of content that includes “deep fakes” of prominent figures, depicting distressing scenes or spreading misinformation. Therefore, social media platforms have had to adapt by introducing changes such as an AI disclosure feature. This essentially means that any content created by AI, even advertisements, needs to be disclosed.

The conclusion? Focus on authentic, human content to engage your audiences. It’s what social media users are demanding, and we can understand why.

The “Fediverse” integration

Social media, and digital marketing in general, are constantly evolving. It’s what digital marketers claim is the most exciting part of working in the industry. But, it can be hard to keep up with all the changes — and the last 12 months have been no different.

You may have heard terms floating around like “decentralised social media” and the “Fediverse” and thought, huh? No problem – we’re here to help.

Let’s dive into what these new phenomena are and the potential future of social media platforms.

What is decentralised social media and the “Fediverse”?

Essentially, decentralised social media allows users to send messages and engage with users across networks. But, how does this work?

Well, social media platforms will operate on various independent servers and/or a blockchain instead of being controlled by a single server.

We know that Threads was created by Mark Zuckerberg with the intention of integrating it with the “Fediverse” – Zuckerberg’s version of decentralised social media. Threads aimed to address Instagram’s limitations by incorporating text-based posting, serving as a precursor to a decentralised network.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a decentralised social media network seamlessly integrated with existing platforms like Instagram. Zuckerberg has already merged Mastodon with Threads, enabling users to view Mastodon posts within the Threads app, which indicates that progress is being made towards decentralised networking.

What are the advantages of decentralised social media?

Whilst this is all still new and very much in development, it’s already clear that there are significant advantages to moving towards decentralised networks.

They are:

• Reduced risk and streamlined content: Decentralised networks reduce platform oversaturation and streamline content for users, enhancing their experience.
• Data Security and Content Moderation: Decentralised networks reduce the risk of data leaks and empower communities to implement their content moderation policies.
• Global Participation: Decentralised social media enables global participation without geographical restrictions, fostering inclusivity and community building.

We’re sure that more insights will become available the more the “Fediverse” and decentralised social media is developed and explored, but for now, Zuckerberg’s commitment towards integrating platforms and supporting decentralised networks signals a shift towards a unified, decentralised social media landscape.

Looking to transform your organic social media strategy?

There’s a lot to look forward to with the future of social media. From the development of decentralised social media and the “Fediverse” to the importance of authenticity in content, we can expect to see many changes in 2024.

If you’d like to take your organic social media further, get in touch with our team of experts today. Or, for more tips and tricks on creating organic social media content, keep up with our blog.