What’s trending on social media, what’s causing you? Dagmar’s Head of Social Emilia Liukko read decks from Finland and abroad. The following views are based on them, Dagmar’s constantly updated digital media research and Emilia’s own observations.

Are you now waiting for some big surprise, a new format or a secret? There will be no such thing, we will continue with the same umbrella themes: attention, communities, content, artificial intelligence. But on the other hand, nothing is as permanent as the change in the social media field, where trends have a lifespan of zero to a hundred and next.

Read on to find out which social media topics to look out for now and next year.

• Fragmented use
• Most users or the right audience
• Relevance and perception
• Content
• Social media as a search engine
• Artificial intelligence in social media
• The many layers of responsibility

Fragmented use

According to WARC’s Global Ads Trends 2024, social media advertising investments are the largest globally among channels, with market leader Meta surpassing linear TV in terms of ad revenue next year. When asked about marketers, advertising investments will be directed more towards YouTube and TikTok in the future.

WhatsApp is number one in use in Finland, otherwise Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are at the top. It is followed by LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitch and Reddit, and Jodel, which has gained popularity especially in Finland, although smaller. The evolving Instagram Threads is also interesting, and its advertising opportunities may open up next year. Reels should already be standard for every content creator and advertiser.

The possibility of a ban on TikTok is still there, but support for the initiative is constantly declining, and Americans are skeptical about it. We, too, have seen more and more content creators coming to the platform, from churches to agencies and corporations, and media investments increasing.

Most users or the right audience

Alongside giants, smaller communities and interacting with them are emphasized. Do large numbers of users and low-cost CPM weigh more or more engaged audiences and cultural relevance among the community?

In advertising, extensive targeting through an evolving algorithm and purchasing automation are recommendations, but on the other hand, does age alone indicate a stage of life or need? If year after year you advertise to exactly the same audience on the same channels with the same message, how long will it last? Customized message tips and the right context are the ones that screen the right users from the masses.

Relevance and attention value

You certainly couldn’t help but come across the trending word “attention”. It translates into notice or attention, which is the currency of today. Yes, there is room for noise in the world, but who hears it, and even stops by it, is a different matter. You can either do something really stupid, really daring, conquer the advertising surface, succeed with insightful collaboration, or hit gold with luck – but preferably on purpose.

I have never mentioned the word ‘data’ yet, but now is the time. Data plays a key role in how to be relevant and get attention with personalized messages at the right time. Identifying, measuring and combining signals from one channel and device to another, and that famous own data are tools for how to achieve this. It is not a question of IF, but WHEN, at the latest, the marketer should move to solutions called CAPI and rely on identifiable, measurable signals and knowledge of their target audience through verified research data and modeling.

You need to understand the laws of the platform, the needs of the audience, the prevailing phenomena and the results obtained, which of course are affected by advertising, the goal and method of purchase. Basically, we are not annoyed by advertisements, but by interruption.

Nuanced, channel-optimized content

This brings us to the good old king content on the donkey bridge. A well-worn phrase, but so true and functional. After all, short video services are full of addictive, and not always that much of a consistency, but we still enjoy watching it – often because it is genuine, funny, relevant or surprising to us.

There should always be a concept, a simple idea that guides operations. The bigger challenge is to turn our marketers’ brains to what is interesting today and understand that we too need to be content creators. According to a LinkedIn survey, 40% of B2B decision-makers are more likely to consider buying from a company that they consider creative and creates an emotional connection. Marketing communications that previously focused only on functionality and functionality are also giving way to more “serious” platforms.

UGC (user-generated content) and its utilisation is still on the rise. This doesn’t just have to mean well-known faces, but just plain tramplers in real use situations create approachable content for brands. At the same time, longer-term partnerships are emphasised instead of loose partnerships, and real, measurable goals are set for them.

At the same time, as employee-driven content becomes more common in companies’ social media, we can also use the word pair EGC = employee generated content. I am also very happy to see brands commenting on each other and collaborating “brand to brand” on social media. In my opinion, the term “co-creation” is a great description of doing things together and drawing from different channels. So remember the extremely important social media listening and community management also in advertising, and further refine these blanks into your content.

Social media as a search engine

Social media consumption focuses on entertainment, search, communication, keeping up with the times and following the news. Social media already plays a huge role in purchasing decisions. Although funnel thinking does not disappear, the younger generation is throwing spiral balls at traditional models on the purchase path. For example, viral phenomena sell out immediately, whether the brand, product, service or content creator behind it is familiar or unknown. Buying directly through apps will continue to be a big topic of discussion. TikTok is already in the US testing search ads on its platform.

“You can go through the whole marketing funnel in one step on TikTok.”
Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, CMO of L’Oréal U.K.

Adobe says on its blog that 64% of Gen Z and half of millennials have already used TikTok as a search engine. Large search volumes can also be found on YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest, where searches increase as the holidays approach. For example, Pinterest has 8.3 million searches related to Halloween in the Nordics. According to Meta, during peak seasons, Gen Z and millennials spend a whopping 70% more time on social media than during normal times, with 91% of them making a spontaneous purchase decision.

To get to the basics: do you have your social media profiles in order and model 2025? In Insta’s bio, information and links, the most important content surfaced at the top, curated highlights, on tube, titles and thumbnails, keywords, playlists and tags in place. Christmas cleaning can also be done on a social media profile. We are also happy to help you update their look.

Our friend AI – from wow to how

AI isn’t just about ChatGPT, doing a LI upgrade with AI, or using Midjourney to prompt funny images. In the future, it will be more essential to learn how artificial intelligence can be used, for example, to make work more efficient and better. For example, social media shopping platforms are developing at a dizzying pace, and automation and artificial intelligence help with targeting, optimisation, content production, personalization and reporting. It’s fun to play with AI, but it’s good to keep a common thread in the fact that social media content and tone of voice will continue to be associated with your brand.

Developing algorithms are providing us with more and more content on social media behind artificial intelligence and machine learning. Of course, there are still many ethical issues related to artificial intelligence, and the first EU regulation on artificial intelligence of its kind has been developed to safeguard it. AI-assisted content must be clearly marked in the publication.

The many layers of responsibility

Sustainability is the last overarching theme that is constantly emphasized in the minds of both consumers and marketers. Environmental, social and economic responsibility.

We live in a time where companies are expected to highlight and act on values, the accuracy of information, security and the accessibility of content. It’s not just about green values, social media content should reflect different voices, perspectives and experiences, and be accessible to everyone. Users are also more likely to question the brand’s performance if they encounter conflicts.On the other hand, we live in this world of contradictions with the like. Value choices and everyday choices do not always meet.
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Social media platforms have also come under scrutiny due to their addictiveness, insecurity and passivating properties. Platforms are increasingly working to ensure that not everything can be done and published, parents have tools to monitor the activities of minors, and their policies are transparent and readable by everyone. TikTok, for example, currently has data centers in Europe and is allowed to be monitored by an independent third-party operator.
It is also good to remember that for many, social media is perhaps the only peer support and a place where you can see people like you, feel like you belong and get help. Government communications and agencies, e.g. the police and Kela, as well as news media, produce factual content where users are.

How to keep up with a changing world?

Media use, consumption patterns, technologies, priorities and cultural relevance are changing. We have to change with us. At Dagmar, we help you stay on board.

Sources:

WARC Global Ads Trends 2024
LinkedIn B2B Marketing Benchmark Report 2024
GWI Social Media Trends
Social Media Today
Meta Transparency Center
TikTok Newsroom
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