Top 4 End Of Year Social Media Changes And New Trends

As 2023 winds down to a close, you would expect the new year to make way for social media changes and new trends. However, the changes and trends are popping up early this year. Meta, in particular, is rolling out new tools for creators on Instagram. Meta unveiled these changes before the upcoming holidays because they hope to encourage people to post to its apps over the holiday break. Seeing how creative brands get with their stories and reels using the new tools will be interesting! This is just one of the changes that marketers will need to be mindful of when creating their 2024 marketing strategy.

Instagram’s New Creation Tools

Let’s take a closer look at Instagram’s new updates for creating content. There is a focus on Reels and Stories, with new filters, updated audio clips, improved drafts, and much more. Meta is also making improvements with Insights, so creators can better understand how their content is performing. This will help marketing teams by providing new metrics to track a Reels performance. Both Facebook and Instagram will have the new Reels metric called Replays. They are also working on a new Retention Cart for Reels content to highlight how your clips are holding or losing viewer interest.

Meta is helping creators save time editing videos with new tools to “undo” or “redo” when editing individual clips. The Drafts section will make it easier to edit your in-progress reels by allowing you to view all of your saved drafts. Soon you will be able to view them, rename them, and schedule them in advance. 

Some of the fun and exciting changes include adding popular memes to your photos and videos. You can create custom stickers from your photos and videos, too! They have added new filters and fonts, as well as new English text-to-speech voices to choose from. 

Instagram’s “Guides” Feature Is Retiring

The Instagram “Guides” feature will be retiring on December 15th, which marketers should note if they use this feature on business accounts. Instagram Guides have been around since 2020, and they were used as a way to highlight content. This was a great way for brands to showcase their more in-depth material in a more engaging way for their followers. 

If you have Instagram Guides on your profile, it’s suggested that you download them or update them in the Collections format.

Instagram’s “Close Friends” Feature Is On The Rise

Instagram is expanding the “Close Friends” feature as users have increased utilizing it, turning it into a trend. It seems users prefer to control who sees their content, sharing their private stories with a select group of individuals they choose as “close friends”. This allows them to share in a place free from ads and selling. 

Many social media users of various platforms reported feeling “sold to” more than ever, particularly on TikTok. In fact, a popular marketing trend on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook now is the “TikTok made me buy it” reels that advertise a product that is often marketed on TikTok. TikTok users have reported that the platform’s use of sales makes it feel more like an infomercial space rather than a place where people go to learn or be entertained. 

TikTok and Meta are both testing ad-free subscriptions to eliminate ads for some users altogether. 

So what does this mean for marketers? The key is educating your market: A recent Hubspot article outlined the fact that social media has declined globally, leading to a drop in organic reach for brands and marketers. “All hope is not lost for conducting business on social media, but it does mean brands may need to use social media differently. The average social media user hops online to either connect or learn and brands that position their social platforms as a space for community and education could satisfy these needs.” Social media is the new “word of mouth”, where users often naturally want to share their favorite products and services they use with their friends. A recommendation of your brand on someone’s social media post can go a long way in the marketing world. 

More People Are Turning To Social Media For News Content

A Pew Research article shows an overview of how Americans use social media platforms for sourcing news and information. It shows that Facebook is still the most influential social media news source, however, the overall reliance on social apps for news is decreasing over time. More questions are being raised as to the accuracy and reliability of the news that is shared over social media platforms. Instagram and TikTok have seen a slight rise in news usage, as well. 

In Conclusion

At Finding Business Balance, we’re experts at helping small businesses in the health and wellness industry with their social media needs. We have an in-depth understanding of current trends and the health and wellness industry. We understand the struggle to keep up with your marketing, whether it’s posting consistently or finding the creative edge to drive the right targeted customers to you. If you want to learn more and brainstorm on what is right for you and your business, contact us today for a complimentary consultation call.