January Social Media Digest

Hello, 2024! We’re beating the cold and coming in hot with our January Social Media Briefing. ???

As we bid farewell to the first month of the year, let's revisit some of the social media headlines that caught our attention and sparked discussion across our digital ecosystems. From expert predictions for 2024 to the growing importance of short-form video, join us in reviewing some of the highlights that defined January and set the tone for an exciting year ahead!?

Social Trends to Watch (and Avoid) in 2024 (via Marketing Brew)

In this article, social media consultant and Link in Bio creator, Rachel Karten, shared her thoughts on some of the emerging social trends and strategies for brands to consider in 2024.?

Karten emphasized the success of relatable and humorous content and cautioned against adopting the 'unhinged' brand approach unless it aligns with a brand's identity. She highlights the importance of treating TikTok like TV, advocating for episodic content and recurring formats to continuously engage audiences effectively.?

Looking ahead, she’s predicting a rise in private communities and suggested a potential resurgence for Snapchat among brands targeting the substantial Gen Z audience.?

On the flip side, Karten advised against posting content without sufficient knowledge, being overly formal on LinkedIn, and adopting a one-size-fits-all strategy across platforms. She also discouraged the misuse of fake out-of-home content, expressed skepticism about X/Twitter replacement platforms, and downplayed the current relevance of AI in the social media landscape.

Smarty’s Take?? Understanding the need for relatable and engaging content is something Smarty Social has prioritized for our clients heading into the new year, tailoring our 2024 strategies to align with our clients' brand identities and values effectively. We’ve seen the growth in private communities online (especially within the healthcare and patient verticals) and have advised clients on different approaches they can take to try and reach this valuable consumer segment. Whether it’s through episodic content, short-form video, or ongoing social campaigns and messaging, it’s important that we develop innovative and engaging campaigns that resonate with target audiences, ensuring sustained interest and loyalty, while respecting privacy concerns.?

Should You be Using TikTok for B2B Marketing? (via Insider Intelligence)

The landscape of B2B marketing is evolving, with a growing focus on younger, digital-savvy audiences on social media platforms. According to the B2B Digital Ad Spend Forecast 2023 report, while LinkedIn and Meta remain dominant in US B2B digital ad spend forecasts for 2024, TikTok is emerging as a compelling platform for organic and creator-based B2B marketing.?

With 87.3 million adult users in the US spending an average of 55 minutes per day on the platform, TikTok offers a massive and engaged audience. B2B influencers are already active on TikTok, providing educational content, analyzing industry trends, and even facilitating employee advocacy, indicating a shift in B2B marketing dynamics.?

For brands in categories like Beauty, Healthcare, and Personal Wellness, it’s important to understand that while you may be reluctant to join the conversation on TikTok, chances are providers, creators, and patients are already there, participating in and driving the conversation forward without you.?

As Gen Z and Millennials increasingly become B2B decision-makers, the platform's popularity among these demographics positions TikTok as a valuable channel for B2B brands to experiment with entertaining and engaging content in 2024.

Smarty’s Take?? Along with LinkedIn, TikTok is one of the social networks we’re advising clients to prioritize in 2024. While brands may be hesitant to adopt a social media strategy that includes TikTok, this article from Insider Intelligence highlights just a few of the key usage trends and statistics that reinforce our belief that TikTok is a social network where brands can win this year. This article also highlights the growing importance and benefits of creating organic short-form video content, which we’ve seen repeatedly outperform image and text-based content as the preferred media type for users across almost every major social platform.?

Dominating The Digital Landscape: Video's Undeniable Reign (via Forbes)

This Forbes article underscores the pivotal role of video in contemporary marketing, emphasizing its ability to engage a global audience and reach 92% of internet users.?

Successful companies leverage video not just to deliver messages but to cultivate enduring relationships, fostering brand loyalty and trust. This article advocates for the integration of high-quality video content into marketing strategies, citing its impact on search engine rankings, conversions, and brand awareness.

In the digital era, video is a must-have for any marketer who’s seeking greater brand visibility. Its power to spark engagement and drive conversions makes it a key form of content for businesses in every sector. By leveraging the potential of video to connect with their target audience, companies can beat the competition and broaden their customer base.

Investing in video marketing is a smart move for any company looking to reach more customers and elevate its brand. With digital technologies constantly evolving, it’s crucial for businesses to maintain a sharp focus on video to stay relevant - and to remain in the driver’s seat of their marketing communication efforts.

Smarty’s Take?? Short-form video is an indispensable tool for marketers seeking brand visibility, engagement, and lasting success in the competitive landscape of social marketing. Despite the proven effectiveness of video marketing, many companies struggle to integrate videos into their marketing plans. We believe that a well-thought-out video content strategy is crucial for maximizing success with social media, and can help brands looking to create a strong video presence online as it becomes the guiding force propelling brands toward visibility, engagement, and, ultimately, lasting success in the competitive arena of social media marketing.

93.5% of Brands Prefer LinkedIn for Social Media B2B Marketing Campaigns (via Marketing Interactive)

This article from Marketing Interactive reports that the number of social media users is expected to reach six billion by 2027, with businesses projected to spend $219.8 billion on social media advertising in 2024.?

According to a January social media marketing survey, conducted in late 2023 by GoodFirm, among marketers representing B2B brands, LinkedIn is the most popular platform, with 93.5% of brands utilizing it for B2B campaigns, followed by Instagram (71.4%) and Facebook (68.3%).?

Despite the popularity of short-form videos among consumers, the survey shows that 74.7% of businesses are still prioritizing blog posts, with only 33.9% considering TikTok for their B2B marketing strategies.?

Respondents pointed to social media marketing challenges that include concerns about ever-evolving algorithms, adapting to viral trends, and data security issues as the primary reasons why some businesses allocate less than 75% of their marketing budget to social media.?

The report emphasizes the importance of staying adaptable and having dedicated social media teams or agencies to navigate these challenges and trends effectively when marketing to other brands.?

Smarty’s Take?? The insights from this article highlight the importance of social media B2B marketing on LinkedIn, specifically when it comes to informed decision-making and strategic planning. With brands still hesitant to adopt video-first strategies on more consumer-focused platforms like TikTok and Instagram, LinkedIn remains a key communication channel for clients who still favor text and image-based content. LinkedIn has seen a resurgence as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to its energized user base, B2B focus, content distribution options, and strong audience engagement. As such, it will continue to be a key platform we’re basing our strategies around for the coming year.?

Your Help in a Health Crisis: YouTube (via Politico)

YouTube is taking steps to enhance its role as a source of reliable health information by introducing a new feature for users searching emergency health terms.?

When individuals search for terms like "opioid overdose" or "heart attack," YouTube will display a pinned shelf of first-aid information from authoritative health sources, including step-by-step explainer videos created in collaboration with experts such as Mass General Brigham and the Mexican Red Cross.?

The move is part of YouTube's broader effort to position itself as a trustworthy source for health and medical information, following previous initiatives to remove misleading or harmful content and promote videos from health experts.?

The first-aid health shelves will initially be available in English and Spanish, with plans for additional language options in the future, aligning with YouTube's ongoing exploration of artificial intelligence for dubbing health videos in various languages.

Smarty’s Take?? With many of the brands we represent working within the healthcare, med-tech, and med-device categories, we consider any updates by social networks to prioritize and legitimize healthcare content as being a major win for our clients. YouTube first signaled its commitment to surfacing legitimate and relevant healthcare information to its user base back in 2021 when it unveiled a certification program for licensed medical professionals (like doctors, nurses, and therapists) who produce health-related content. This latest update will now display the content produced by these verified users at the top of the page when people search for relevant information about certain healthcare-related topics, presenting a new and valuable way for providers to reach the audiences they’re trying to help the most, right when they need it. Great update, YouTube!?

As we wrap up our first Social Media Digest of 2024, we reflect on some of the key news that shaped the digital landscape this past month.?

From Rachel Karten's insights on 2024's emerging social trends to the evolving importance of short-form video, we'll continue to navigate the trends that will define an exciting year ahead. We’re aligned with Rachel’s emphasis on creating relatable and engaging content, tailoring our strategies to resonate with brand identities and values.?

In the realm of B2B marketing, our alignment with TikTok reflects Insider Intelligence's data, reinforcing our belief in its potential, further emphasized by Forbes' article highlighting video's undeniable reign, which resonates with our commitment to integrating high-quality video content for enhanced brand visibility on behalf of our clients.?

LinkedIn's continued growth and dominance, highlighted by Marketing Interactive's most recent report, reaffirms our strategic emphasis on a marketing communication channel that’s an appealing option for clients who may be slow to adopt short-form video as their preferred content type for B2B marketing.?

Lastly, YouTube's commitment to improving access to crucial and timely wellness content aligns perfectly with our mission of helping innovative companies (and creators!) connect their brands with the right consumers and inspire them to take action.?

As we embark on 2024, our commitment remains steadfast - to create innovative and engaging social strategies that captivate, educate, inspire and inform audiences, while fostering lasting connections.

See you next month! ??