I think we’ll need to be proactive about adopting AI - both in trying it out and establishing guidelines to make sure our content doesn’t become generic 

Completely different. Every year is different when your responsible for social. Copying & pasting last years strategy is never going to be a luxury of a social media specialist.

I think AI will play a much larger role in our planning process for social media marketing by 2024, as it is already capturing marketers’ attention (as is obvious in these meetings). I also think that more companies will begin to put policies around AI in place for use (or restriction of use). No matter what, SMMs will need to learn, at minimum, how to utilize AI for campaign planning and research.

Navigating the ever-changing rules that Meta, Twitter, Google create while also playing by the rules with new news sharing rules (Bill C-18 up here in Canada, https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/most-canadians-concerned-about-losing-access-to-news-because-of-bill-c-18-survey-1.6474729) and finding creative ways to use tools like Chat GPT to support our work while not taking over our jobs! 

Much higher use of artificial intelligence and use of less platforms, not more. 

We’ll see further bifurcation across platforms. Rather than one true “Twitter alternative” we’ll see many different niche networks each focused on a specialized area, from News to Sports to Pop Culture, etc. No one platform will dominate as they all start to look and function in similar manners.

1. Continued dominance of video content: Video has been a powerful and engaging format in social media marketing, and it's likely to remain a dominant trend in 2024. SMMs will need to focus on creating compelling video content that is short, attention-grabbing, and tailored to various social media platforms.
2. Increased use of influencer marketing: Influencer marketing has proven to be effective, and it's expected to continue growing. However, the landscape might change as brands focus on nano-influencers and micro-influencers with more niche and engaged audiences, rather than relying solely on mega-influencers.
3. Emphasis on authenticity and transparency: Consumers are increasingly seeking authentic connections with brands. In 2024, SMMs will need to prioritize transparency, ethical practices, and genuine communication to build trust with their audiences.
4. Integration of AI and chatbots: Artificial intelligence will likely play a larger role in social media marketing strategies. SMMs might use AI-driven chatbots for personalized customer interactions and to handle routine inquiries more efficiently.
5. Evolving analytics and metrics: As social media marketing becomes more sophisticated, there may be a shift toward advanced analytics and metrics to measure campaign performance accurately. SMMs will need to adapt to these changes to make data-driven decisions.

I feel like AI will definitely be integrated more into social media. It will just be more important than ever to not forget about the “human” part of social media also.

Authenticity will continue to be the name of the game, especially as AI becomes a more commonly  used tool in everyone’s belt. How will we take the content to the next level and using the tools in creative ways to tell a story? In a way, social media managers may want to think more like creators, showcasing their cool creations with a fellow community of fans.

With the advent of Threads, I think we’ll see more of an emphasis on conversation and direct engagement with our audiences. Audiences and Fans are looking for the feeling of engaging with a real person with interests and opinions. A brand persona can help unlock this, and I think we’ll see more differentiation of personality types, beyond the “unhinged mascot” or “rogue intern” of the last few years.

I asked Chat GPT this same question and received some similar insights.

Rise of immersive experiences: Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies are advancing rapidly, and by 2024, they may become more integrated into social media platforms. SMMs may need to adapt by creating immersive experiences that engage users in new and creative ways. This could involve developing interactive 360-degree videos, VR-based product demos, or AR filters and effects for brand promotion.

Enhanced personalization and targeting: With increasing amounts of data available, SMMs will likely focus on delivering highly personalized content to users. Advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques could be utilized to analyze user preferences and behaviors, allowing SMMs to create tailored advertisements and messages. SMMs will need to invest in data analytics and segmentation strategies to effectively target specific audience segments.

Emphasis on influencer marketing: Influencer marketing is expected to continue its growth in 2024. SMMs may need to build strong relationships with influencers who align with their brand values and target audience. Additionally, they may need to adapt their influencer marketing strategies to include emerging platforms and new types of influencers, such as micro-influencers or virtual influencers.

Authenticity and transparency: Consumers are increasingly seeking authentic and transparent interactions with brands. In 2024, SMMs may need to prioritize building genuine connections with their audience by being transparent about their products, processes, and values. This could involve leveraging user-generated content, showcasing behind-the-scenes footage, or actively engaging with customers through social media conversations.

Continued growth of video content: Video content is already a dominant form of media on social platforms, and its popularity is expected to increase further. SMMs may need to focus on creating engaging and shareable video content, leveraging short-form video platforms like TikTok or investing in long-form video content for platforms like YouTube. Live video streaming could also play a significant role in capturing audience attention and driving engagement.

The core of social media marketing won't change, but the techniques and strategies will need to evolve as platforms and technology progress. SMMs who stay agile and embrace new approaches will thrive in 2024 and beyond.
I think SMMs will need to focus on creating content that's engaging and relevant to their audience, and that helps them connect with the brand in a meaningful way.

Social Media tools will help take content and redesign it to fit other social channels, so you only need to design once, and maybe do a couple tweaks, but AI will know how to reorganize content to look good in different layout sizes.

It will also continue to develop suggested headlines, blog post titles, etc.

Social content will be created from text prompts, including video and animated posts, 

Finally, scheduling social posts will be automated and optimized as well.

I’ve noticed customers using social media increasingly for customer service. We currently have one person who oversees our social media and more and more of their time is being used to handle customer services issues vs. content creation and strategy.

• I think Threads would establish itself as the new Twitter. 
• AI tools to help enhance social content - copy, images and video - will be the norm. The winners will be the ones that actually look/sound fresh and get nuance.
• Conversely, there will be sizeable niche of influencers who will pride themselves on authenticity, using “real images” almost aggressively untouched.
• Aggregators like Poe.AI will also become popular. Ones with guardrails around data privacy will earn trust and get ahead.
• AI partnerships within social platforms - such as Microsoft Designer integrated in LinkedIn, or say, a  Canva joining hands with Threads will start to happen.

I think many SMM’s will be quick to adopt, but will need to be clear on how to explain to clients why they still need an actual person to be utilizing the ai tools vs. thinking they can hand all their content creation over to ai. 

With the prominent usage of AI in the marketer’s toolbox, viewers will likely be inundated with AI-generated text, graphics, and video on all fronts of their social media feeds. This may lead to many tuning out content that they don’t trust and run the risk of social media content looking samey.
It’s important to know our audiences and customize AI-generated content to fit our company voice. We should use AI to increase efficiency and utilize new features on each platforms in creative ways to stay ahead of the curve.

1. Teams will gain a virtual teammate that is resourced by Generative AI to help with social demand. SMMs will have to determine what can be handed off to Generative AI that doesn’t impact the relationships they’ve manually built overtime across social platforms. 
2. Content Creators will start to go client side. Content Creators and SMMS will become a dynamic duo. SMMs will need to make sure they hire someone they can work closely with and has strong video skills across various platforms. 

Definitely more utilization of AI for social media content, whether that’s messaging, video or image creation, and more company leadership getting involved in rules and regulations around how employees in the content development space use AI. For example, my company just created a brand new position, SVP, AI Optimization, who’s going to lead a company-wide initiative focused on generative AI/LLMs. Along that same path, I would imagine companies adding in more requirements around AI competency/knowledge/skills to their job responsibilities for content creators--whether social media or otherwise--or even creating new positions specifically for AI work.

Three things -

1. More integration of AI into tools and platforms - Sprout has already done this with captions, Canva with removing objects/generating things in photos, etc.
2. Balancing out of different content types, more differentiation of content made specifically for each platform - Threads and other Twitter alternatives are taking some of the focus that’s been on video the last few years and bringing emphasis back to text. Brands need to be able to do it all - video, graphics, text-only posts - and well. They can’t put all of their eggs in one basket.
3. After AI has well saturated social, the pendulum will swing back to more unique, human elements and stories - With so much AI-generated content out there, how will you stand out? By creating things that are authentic and real and have a human touch.

Kind of sounds like the “why do I need to hire a professional who wants to be paid real money, when my teenage niece could do it” argument all over again LOL.

I am curious to see which platforms make it to 2024. I don’t know if Threads will still be around and talked about as much as it has been lately. I do think Twitter will make a comeback in 2014 and text-centered platforms will continue to come second to video platforms like TikTok.

Niche, niche, niche! Microinfluencers and tailored communities will continue creating relevant/suggested content, and it will continue to be prioritized over chronological feeds. Really seeing this come to life with Instagram’s latest algorithm updates (and my TikTok feed) recently. 

With social platforms being used as search engines, keywords will be huge. Brands will really hone in on the caption writing with the help of AI tools. 

Related: I feel like hashtags are on their way out, like for real this time. Threads’ lack of hashtags seems intentional. 

Congratulations @brittany.weinzierl! You’ve been selected as the winner. Look for a private message from us.  

Thank you so much! So exciting! and so much great information from yesterday’s recording!