Freddy Swan
Keeping up with the trendsetters and social scrollers.
What’s on trend for social in 2024, and what’s an off-the-rails-absolutely-no-go post? A little birdie believes more social activism, snappy videos and deep brand bonds will be hitting the top social trends list this year. Stick with us as we spill the tea on what’s brewing in the upcoming social scene.
What’s in?
- Social activism
- Short-form videos
- Brand connections
What’s out?
- Posting for no reason
- Hashtagging without a strategy
- Not mixing up content for each platform
Gen Z’s Social Symphony
In the realm of activism, 2024 is set to be the year of Gen Z’s social revolution. Armed with the powerful trio of educating yourself/others, voting and using social media to spread awareness, Gen Z is not just hashtagging – they’re tagging in to make a real impact. Brands can tap into this by posting their views and supporting organizations other than themselves.
Connecting Beyond Clicks
But it’s not all about activism. Gen Z is rewriting the social playbook by prioritizing meaningful connections. In 2024, social media is their lifeline to keep up with friends and family and stay at the forefront of trends in fashion, music, and tech. “Most major brands are leaning into this change and building their ‘share of emotion.’ Healthcare is not immune to this change, and many, if not most, corporate and product brands have created properties on these platforms. Patients have always had a deep affinity for the brands that help them overcome obstacles, make them feel better and free them to engage with the world.”1
Short, Sweet ‘n Scroll-Stopping
“When the average social media user scrolls the length of the Empire State Building approximately six times a day, social media content needs to be thumb-stopping for brands to have the most chance of making a lasting impact.”1 Video marketing is nothing new but with platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts reigning supreme, how you market is. The dominance of short-form content aligns perfectly with the dwindling attention spans of modern audiences. Brands are not just using short-form videos for ads; they’re becoming storytellers, launching products and sharing customer testimonials. The challenge lies in creating thumb-stopping content that makes a lasting impact amidst the rapid scroll of social media users.
Social is the New Search Engine
Not just a place to pass the time and post pics of yourself, more and more users are using social media as a search tool. They’re finding advice from influencers, crowdsourcing answers to their medical questions and digging into customer reviews of products. “Social media has evolved, and one substantial change is the use of social media for search, information seeking and discovery. This shift in audience mindset has added another layer to messaging and goal considerations for social media engagements. While building brand awareness and providing access to savings programs via social media is still valid, there is also an opportunity to leverage a brand’s social presence to answer queries, provide information on managing conditions, offer patient or HCP perspectives on how the product works, or explain the science behind the molecule.”1
Wondering how FredSwan can turn these social trends into brand triumphs? Let’s chat and make 2024 your most successful year yet!
Source
1 Fontanazza, M. Dec 11, 2023 Healthcare Agency Roundtable 2023: Cutting through the social noise
