The Gist
- Shift in strategy. Marketers reevaluate plans due to Q2-Q3 transitions.
- Automation advantage. AI tools reduce workload, boost campaign efficiency.
- Engagement insights. Instagram leads in user engagement across demographics.
The midyear transition from Q2 to Q3 often tempts marketers to plan a small vacation. Yet, marketers are so overwhelmed they have to save that temptation for later. The transition period is a terrific time to assess how well social media platforms are driving consumer interest. This information can then be used to adjust campaigns well before the holiday season begins.
Let’s take a look at some social media marketing trends.
The timing is critical this year as marketers seek ways to lighten their campaign workload. Two studies by Sprout Social reveal the social media marketing trends of the burdens marketing teams face and provide insights into where the highest potential customers, by demographic, are spending their social media time.
One intriguing fact from the survey is that Instagram has quietly become a central platform for users in the U.S. and UK, regardless of demographic.
What does this mean for social media marketers? It calls for a realignment of resources to maximize campaign effectiveness and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Surveys Show Social Media Marketing Trends: How Marketers Are Feeling
Sprout Social surveyed over 500 social media marketers from the U.S. and UK to examine team productivity issues. The survey investigated what tools marketers use and the impact their current workflow has on their businesses.
Two major social media marketing trends from the research emerged. First, 48% of respondents feel they sometimes or rarely have enough time to complete their work. Most indicated that they are constrained in finding more time to respond to customers, make strategic plans, create content and analyze marketing data.
The second of the social media marketing trends is that 63% of social media marketers agree that manual tasks prevent them from doing high-impact work.
The time crunch implies an opportunity for automation, especially with AI-based content tips and tools lurking about. However, smart automation is key to alleviating backlogs and reducing the number of overworked marketers. Understanding where to apply resources is essential for smart automation to work effectively.
Related Article: How Social Media Marketing Has Changed This Year
How Social Media Is Fairing (Hint: The Lead Belongs to Instagram)
The sentiment of overwork among marketers can cloud their perception of customer behavior on the platforms they manage. Fortunately, Sprout Social has examined the latest behavior through its recent quarterly Consumer Pulse Survey with Cint, a global market research firm. The survey captured the behaviors of 2,059 consumers across the U.S. and UK for Q2 2024. CMSWire received preview access to some of the data.
The participants were evenly split between territories and divided into four main age groups: Generation Z (18-24 years old), Millennials (25-40 years old), Generation X (41-56 years old) and Baby Boomers (57-75 years old). All participants have at least one social media account and follow at least five brands on social media. The survey ranked the frequency of usage, highlighting the Top 10 platforms.
Survey participants indicated Instagram and Facebook as the top two platforms used frequently, with Instagram used by 65% of all participants and Facebook by 64%. TikTok ranked third overall at 46%, followed by YouTube at 36% and Snapchat at 23.5%.
Examining survey responses according to generation reveals platform popularity differences among given generations. Snapchat was ranked in the top five for Gen Z participants, for example, while it ranked ninth among the baby boomer participants.
The change in rank is understandable. Each generation naturally gravitates to a preferred platform choice. TikTok and Snapchat rank high among the Gen Z survey participants, while YouTube appears among the top three choices for Gen X and baby boomers participants.
The platform that remains relatively consistent is Instagram. It scored as a top choice among Generation Z and millennials. It ranked second for Generation X and third among baby boomers. Instagram’s higher rank than that of TikTok across the survey segments is intriguing given its buzz for attracting young social media users.
Related Article: 12 Emerging Social Media Trends in 2024
The (IG) Stories About User Engagement
The survey also asked participants which platform features they used the most in the last six months and which they expected to use over the next six months.
The results show Instagram Stories and Reels being the format choices most respondents used. The format scored in the top one or two most engaged formats over the last six months, outpacing TikTok posts and stories. Instagram Stories and Reels were also well ahead of X as well.
Only Facebook video topped Instagram Stories and Reels in categories where Facebook was likely to be a top choice — among Gen Xers and baby boomers. Over the last few years, Facebook has seen a steady increase in the average age of its users as younger social media users have moved to newer platforms equipped with the latest app features and video formats.
The survey noted that for the next six months, Instagram should see sustained interest and usage. The same can be said for most of the platforms, with stronger usage expected for Facebook among Gen X and baby boomers, as well as continued interest in TikTok across all generations.
Related Article: What Social Media Trends to Expect for 2023
A Note About IG Live and Threads
One Instagram format that did not significantly resonate was IG Live, which lagged behind TikTok Stories across all generations. Part of the issue may lie in the nature of live formats; many people find recording a video better suited to their casual needs. Livestreaming may be more appealing to users with business communication needs, such as influencers.
The performance of Instagram brings to mind observations about another Meta platform, Threads, which ranked near the bottom for most groups.
However, the ranking of Threads among the surveyed platforms should be expected, as Threads was launched just a year ago. This is a relatively short time for adoption — social media platform adoption among the public has mirrored Gartner’s theory of tech adoption. Nevertheless, Threads had a tremendous launch, garnering 30 million users within a day of its launch, surpassing the previous record set by ChatGPT. Threads has experienced the fastest growth of any platform to date.
Related Article: 7 Emerging Social Media Marketing Trends to Watch
Marketers Must Adjust Workload to Where Customer Experience Happens Online
The topics of both the marketer survey and the customer pulse survey clearly diverge, so forming direct correlations and conclusions from combining their results will not yield immediate insights. However, the platform activity and workload sentiments of social marketers do underscore the importance of consistently checking the alignment of a marketing team’s assignments against the reality of where customer exposure is occurring.
The marketer survey suggests an environment where identifying the best allocation of campaign media and budget is clouded. If an intended customer persona aligns with a platform demographic, then campaign investments should proportionately reflect that platform’s exposure.
That percentage is determined through the analysis of social media traffic — is there a steady frequency of conversions attributed to the platform a brand and team are exposed to? The answer can help rank which platforms, relative to sales activity or branding objectives, should receive marketing investment and how the marketing team, if overwhelmed, can better align its resources.
The breakdown of platform exposure should also indicate the degree of platform risks that may impact campaign choices. For example, Meta is facing several legal disputes that affect its operations in Europe — the latest ruling that its “pay or consent” ads violate a recent EU law regarding competition. This decision will impact the features Facebook can offer in that market.
Navigating Social Media Shifts: How Marketers Can Stay Ahead
A savvy marketing team should stay well-informed about platform news and issues, much like a professional would keep track of market news for a stock of interest. All social media platforms are susceptible to disruptions in their environments. The advertising exodus on X was the first significant disruption, and the ongoing debates regarding TikTok’s presence in the U.S. are the most recent. These issues demonstrate how quickly the environment surrounding a platform can change. Marketers can manage this by monitoring associated issues and understanding the timeline of events and their outcomes.
The Sprout Social Q2 2024 Consumer Pulse Survey isn’t the only research exploring consumer behavior by demographic — eMarketer recently shared a review conducted by agency Captiv8, investigating how influencer programs should adjust to newly developed demographic trends. While the study didn’t break down platform usage among the generations, the media giant noted that shopping behavior by demographic reveals further opportunities for engagement. The results showed that 79.8% of Gen X and 53.9% of U.S. baby boomers use social media for ecommerce. Although influencer marketing is often associated with Gen Z and Millennials, these numbers suggest that there is significant potential to make stronger appeals to Gen X and baby boomers.
With digital commerce heavily linked to social media usage, examining platform interest among the public is crucial for developing marketing strategies that stay relevant and do not overwhelm teams. As the focus on conversions increases, analytics become essential for drawing competitive insights and developing forecasts. Teams must synthesize all of this platform insight so that workflow adjustments align with the social media activity of their potential customers.
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