Short Videos, Big Impact
With the sustained marketing trends popularity of Instagram and TikTok, short-form videos like reels and even YouTube shorts will continue to prove themselves as effective social media tools throughout 2024.
This sentiment is echoed by professionals in the field, according to a survey conducted by HubSpot. They asked marketers if they will increase their investment in short-form videos going into 2024. A majority of 53% said yes they will, with only a small percentage saying no.
While long-form videos can still be effective in specific scenarios, the digital age has ushered in shorter attention spans. Research by Influencer Marketing Hub indicates that content creators have a mere 2.7 seconds to captivate a viewer before they move on. Well-crafted short-form videos, if executed properly, enable creators to quickly capture a user’s attention.
Utilising short-form videos to market products in 2024 is poised to be an effective strategy. According to Google Consumer Insights, the primary reasons consumers watch product videos include wanting to preview a product before making a purchase—especially how others have used it, to gain further insights about the product, and to watch credible reviews.
A study on TikTok conducted by M&C Saatchi Performance reveals that 92% of TikTok users are ready for making purchases – either having already made a purchase inspired by an ad on TikTok or having intentions to do so. Among this 92%, 56% have already completed a purchase.
An important tip to keep in mind when making short-form videos is accessibility, emphasised by a report by 90 Seconds. They’ve found that 75% of social media users often watch videos with their sound turned off. Including subtitles or captions can help boost your view rate by 80%. One more thing to consider, as outlined in a report by the National Library of Medicine, is the impact of using the right sound in your Instagram and TikTok reels. They’ve found that it’s possible to directly influence viewers by inducing emotional states through using music.
2024: An AI Odyssey
In 2023, we saw huge leaps in advancements in AI, with ChatGPT now becoming part of the status quo in digital marketing.
With the influx of AI programs and services flooding the market, finding the right one for your specific business needs can be challenging. Using an AI aggregator, such as There’s An AI For That, can help streamline and simplify your selection process.
AI’s integration into social media platforms has been growing exponentially as well, with Instagram recently exploring AI-generated stickers, allowing users to effortlessly generate custom stickers. Users can now express themselves in a more unique, creative, and personal way. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, is also experimenting with AI image editing. Users can now transform their images by simply inputting a prompt, allowing them to redesign their entire photo or the background with simplicity and ease.
Using AI is not without risks, especially when it comes to generative AI, according to a report by Hootsuite. A study reveals consumers are 62% more likely not to engage with content they know was created using an AI application. They also found that some Gen Z claim to be able to distinguish between authentic content and AI-generated content more effectively than other generations.
According to Hootsuite’s Social Media Consumer 2024 survey:
20% of Gen Z respondents and 22% of Millennials are less likely to engage with AI-created content.
AI is no doubt helpful, but maintaining authenticity is important, and finding a balance between the two is crucial, which is why Hootsuite has revealed a rule of thumb for marketers using AI:
- Use AI for brainstorming ideas, organising thoughts and suggesting content.
- Don’t use AI for developing content strategy, editing and refining captions, quality assurance, and engage with comments.
My Platform’s Better Than Yours
Last year, (like every year!) we saw big changes in the social media landscape, marked by Elon Musk’s acquisition of X (formerly known as Twitter) and Meta’s introduction of a rival platform, Threads. What should we expect in 2024?
X’s decrease on businesses could be attributed to Musk’s takeover of the platform. At a business summit last year, Musk openly expressed indifference of major advertisers such as Disney, Sony and Lionsgate suspending their ad spending due to Media Matters spreading misinformation. This hinted at advertising in general could be removed, as he looks to reshape X’s business model. Musk tentatively announced his intention of wanting to transform X into an ‘everything app’ similar to China’s WeChat. Expect big changes from X in 2024.
Conversely, Meta’s recent platform Threads debuted last year. But, according to user activity from Search Logistics, Threads’ user activity doesn’t bode well for its future. At its peak on July 7, 2023, Threads’ recorded an impressive 49.3 million daily active users, but by August saw a 79% drop to 10.3 million. Threads also averages 3 minutes spent on the app per user. When compared to X’s average of 31 minutes, it appears unlikely for Threads to surpass X in user engagement.
TikTok’s surging popularity can be linked to Gen Z’s widespread use of the app, with 78% of Gen Z being users on the platform – making up for nearly 45% of their total users. TikTok remains to be Gen Z’s favourite platform, with two-thirds using it daily.
Surprisingly, among teenagers aged 13-17 in Gen Z, YouTube is the most used platform, with 95% usage as discovered by Pew Research. In the same age group, Instagram and TikTok have 66% and 62% respectively.
SEO, But Helpful
Google will be reshaping the future of SEO, what do they have planned?
Google announced that they will soon be redefining the meaning of the word ‘Helpful’, by introducing the Helpful Content System. This initiative aims to reward websites featuring content considered beneficial to users (like this blog post), giving them more favourable placement in Google’s search results. The system will be able to identify content with minimal to no value.
If your website is already providing informative content and marketing trends, then there should be no cause for concern. In 2024 businesses should carefully assess their website’s unique value proposition and its contribution to user benefit if they wish to rank well in Google’s search engine.
Another update from Google, is their announcement to roll out SGE (Search Generative Experience), which will create an AI-powered search experience, shaping the future of Google’s search engine.
Google shared an example of how this would work:
Let’s take a question like “what’s better for a family with kids under 3 and a dog, Bryce Canyon or Arches.” Normally, you might break this one question down into smaller ones, sort through the vast information available, and start to piece things together yourself. With generative AI, search can do some of that heavy lifting for you. You’ll see an AI-powered snapshot of key information to consider, with links to dig deeper…you’ll see suggested next steps, including the ability to ask follow-up questions, like “How long to spend at Bryce Canyon with kids?” When you tap on these, it takes you to a new conversational mode, where you can ask Google more about the topic you’re exploring.
Although, SGE is still in its infancy, businesses can prepare for its launch by prioritising content that directly addresses potential user queries.