AI Generates a Renaissance for Social Media Marketing in 2024

Social media marketing is seeing massive changes in 2024, according to a new report. Generative AI is the driving force behind many of them. We’ll see the rise of user AI-generated content, the long-waited breakthrough of personalised communications, and the spreading of virtual influencers. These and other key trends are found in a new whitepaper by the world’s leading independent agency network thenetworkone and its member Kurio, an award-winning social media agency. 

“We’re in the middle of the biggest shift in social media marketing since its birth,” said Jari Lähdevuori, the analyst-in-chief of the report and the creative director of Kurio. “Gen-AI will have a huge impact on social media managers, creators, and users alike. It has taken everyone by storm. A case in point: generative AI was mentioned only once in last year’s report, but now it dominates the key insights.” 

The Social Media Marketing Trends 2024 report is compiled from interviews made with agencies of the network. All the experts’ answers were summed up into the following trends: 

1. The emergence of UAIGC. Generative AI is here to stay for both brands and consumers. And in 2024, thanks to gen-AI, traditional User-Generated Content (UGC) will be renewed. As these tools become more common, fans will have a new way to mix things up with their favourite brands. This calls for flexibility on brands’ side – letting go of the control on an unforeseen level, as the creativity of customers is running wilder than ever. 

2. Personalised content breakthrough. There has not been a year in which trend reports have not emphasised the personalization of social content. Thanks to generative AI it will finally become reality. 

3. Virtual influencers go mainstream. The influencer game is changing with virtual stars. They offer brands the chance to craft perfect brand ambassadors, especially with the help of AI. But the question is, will virtual ones form deep and long-lasting bonds with real audiences? 

4. B2B becomes B2C. Previously, business-to-business may have been behind in fully leveraging the potential of social platforms. However, as of 2024, it is starting to catch up quickly. B2B companies can learn a lot from the insights and lessons that B2C ones have to offer. After all, business-to-business is all about human-to-human as well.

5. UGC strikes back. During the early days of social media marketing, user-generated content (UGC) gained a significant amount of attention. Then it got a bit forgotten among CPMs, influencer strategies and live streams. Now, UGC has experienced a resurgence, providing brands with an opportunity to embody authenticity and foster a sense of community in their campaigns. 

6. Social media mgmt renaissance. Social media marketing is undergoing a significant change. This change is happening on the tables, screens, and sheets of social media managers. As a whole, generative AI is fundamentally reshaping the way we work. Let us welcome this transformation and make the most of it. 

7. Analytics over influencer followers. The focus has evolved beyond mere follower counts, a trend that has been ongoing, especially with the emergence of micro influencers. However, AI is now contributing increasingly nuanced methods to influencer selection. Brands are looking more closely into the selection process, prioritising authentic engagement and shared values to establish meaningful and purposeful partnerships.  

8. Peak short-form video. We’ve all seen the tiktokification of all the channels. The highly dynamic and attention-grabbing aesthetic, characterised by frequent jump cuts, has infiltrated various forms of entertainment. However, every action has a reaction. In 2024, we anticipate the saturation of short-form content and the first signs of the rise of a clearly different approach. 

9. Going communal with creators. There's a shift towards nurturing real communities with creators, focusing on long-term storytelling. It's all about collaborating for genuine, value-driven stories. 

10. Truth re-defined. The rise of AI-generated content is challenging traditional ideas of authenticity. In 2024, will our default assumption be that an Instagram Story represents reality, or will the default assumption lean towards it being fake? Does it matter what we believe? Everyone will be recalibrating their approach to truth. 

The insights were gathered by interviewing 33 social media marketing experts from 23 award-winning independent agencies. The participants represent a broad range of countries, including China, the USA, India, Indonesia, Germany, Chile, the UK, UAE, Lithuania, and many more. The interviews were conducted in December 2023. 

All the interviewees are using social media to help their clients do better communications, marketing, and eventually, business. They don’t work with any particular social media platform, thus their insights come from an objective point-of-view. Coming from not only different countries, but also different types of agencies, their answers offer a 360 view of social media marketing for the upcoming year. 

The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, social media supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, vice president - director of engagement strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, digital director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, senior social strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, campaign director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, associate strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and digital transformation director; Olivia Hussey, strategic planner; Simi Srinarula, social media manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, managing director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, planning director; Pedro Rojas, social media manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, head of digital planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, social account director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, creative director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, chief strategy officer; Dhruv Gaur, digital planning lead; Leonie Mergulhao, account supervisor - social media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, head of digital & social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, account manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, vice president digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, managing consultant, head of global integrated communications; Lydia Aprina, account manager, integrated marketing and communications; Nita Prabowo, account manager, integrated marketing and communications; Okhi, web developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, insights director; Daffi Ranandi, insights manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, head of social and digital innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, strategy director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA). 

The Social Media Marketing Trends 2024 report can be found here.