Social networks: strategies for businesses

Author

Stratège numérique et contenu chez Parkour3

PUBLISHED ON 22 October 2024

1. AI and automation: transforming customer engagement

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way brands manage their presence on social networks. Thanks to increasingly sophisticated algorithms, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Meta are able to analyze user preferences in real time, offering hyper-personalized content tailored to each profile.

Publication optimization: AI predicts the best times to publish content, based on audience activity, and automatically adjusts the publication schedule to maximize engagement.
Automated responses: Chatbots on social networks are increasingly powerful, able to respond instantly to customer questions and handle service requests around the clock.
Personalized recommendations: On TikTok or Instagram, AI identifies users' interests and suggests increasingly targeted content, increasing the chances of interaction with the brand.

Thanks to these tools, companies can optimize their presence on social networks while saving time and improving customer relations.

2. Ephemeral and immersive content: creating immediacy

Ephemeral content, such as stories or live videos, will play a crucial role in user engagement in 2024. The temporary aspect of these formats creates a sense of urgency that drives users to react quickly and get more involved.

Interactive stories: Brands can use tools such as polls, quizzes or buy buttons directly integrated into stories to encourage participation.
Live video: Live video continues to grow, especially on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Companies use it for events, product launches or real-time Q&A sessions, offering direct interaction with their audience.
Filters and augmented reality (AR): Platforms like Snapchat and Instagram enable brands to create immersive augmented reality experiences, such as interactive filters or 3D animations, creating an emotional connection with users.

These formats offer a unique opportunity to capture attention in an overcrowded digital landscape, while bringing playfulness and engagement to communication.

3. The rise of micro-communities

While major social platforms like Facebook and Instagram are still unavoidable giants, a new trend is emerging: the rise of micro-communities. These small, hyper-engaged groups, often centered around specific passions or themes, offer brands a golden opportunity to connect with a smaller but highly loyal audience.

Discord: Communities on Discord are becoming privileged spaces for more intimate exchanges. Brands like Nike and Coca-Cola have already created dedicated servers to interact directly with their communities.
Niche influencers: Working with micro influencers, i.e. content creators with smaller audiences, enables companies to reach specific communities while benefiting from a relationship of trust established between the influencer and their subscribers.

By focusing on these niche communities, brands can enhance their credibility and build a more authentic relationship of trust.

4. The growing role of social networks in online commerce

The social commerce or sales via social networks exploded in 2024! Consumers are increasingly using these platforms to discover new products, read reviews and make purchases directly, without leaving the app.

Shoppable Posts: On Instagram and Facebook, posts that enable instant purchases have become commonplace, making it easier for users to convert directly from their feed.
Live Shopping: Live shopping, a practice popularized in Asia, is gaining ground in the West. Brands broadcast live events where viewers can buy products with a click, directly during the video.
TikTok Shopping: TikTok has integrated online shopping functionality, allowing content creators to promote products directly via their videos, making the shopping experience more interactive and engaging.

This convergence between social networks and e-commerce represents a major opportunity for brands, enabling them to interact with their customers throughout the buying journey.

5. Sustainability and ethics: essential values for brands

In 2024, consumers are increasingly sensitive to ethical and environmental issues. They expect brands to be transparent, responsible and committed to social and ecological causes.

Engaging content around sustainability: Brands need to create content that reflects their commitment to sustainability, such as reducing waste, using recycled materials or supporting social initiatives.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Companies that integrate ethical values into their communications, via campaigns on social networks or collaborations with committed influencers, earn the trust and loyalty of their customers.
Transparency: Brands need to be transparent about their production practices and environmental impact. Consumers want concrete proof of actions taken, and prefer brands that demonstrate genuine commitment.

Social networks have become showcases for these commitments, and companies that fail to align themselves with these values risk losing the trust of their audience.

6. Optimizing content for voice and visual search

With the rise of voice assistants such as Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri, as well as visual search, social networks are adapting to these new forms of interaction.

Voice search: Users formulate more natural searches orally, and brands need to adjust their content for these conversational queries. This includes optimizing descriptions and metadata to answer users' questions.
Visual search: Tools like Google Lens allow users to search for products simply by taking a photo. Brands should therefore optimize their images and videos for these types of searches, taking care to provide high-quality, well-referenced visuals.
Use of hashtags and keywords: To ensure that their content is well indexed, companies should use hashtags and specific keywords, enabling better visibility during visual or voice searches.

These new trends are transforming the way consumers interact with products, and brands need to adapt by optimizing their content for these emerging platforms.

7. Generative content creation with AI

The AI-assisted content generation tools like GPT-4 are revolutionizing content production. In 2024, brands can rapidly produce blog posts, product descriptions, and even video scripts, while remaining relevant and creative.

Content automation: AIs can create bespoke content based on collected user data. This saves time and ensures advanced personalization of content.
Real-time performance analysis: By continuously analyzing publication performance, AI tools can recommend real-time adjustments to maximize engagement.
Optimization of advertising campaigns: Ads on social networks can also be optimized via AI tools that test different visuals, messages and formats, to identify those that generate the most conversions.

Companies that adopt these technologies can significantly improve the effectiveness of their campaigns while reducing creative costs.

8. The importance of data and confidentiality

With the massive collection of user data, issues of privacy and security are increasingly crucial. In 2024, consumers are extremely vigilant about the use of their personal information and expect companies to adhere to strict data protection standards.

Stricter regulations: Brands must comply with increasingly stringent legislation, such as Bill 25 in Quebec. These regulations require companies to obtain users' explicit consent to collect and use their data, while allowing them to delete or consult it at any time.
Transparency and trust: To maintain user trust, brands need to be transparent about how they use data. Consumers want to know why their data is collected, how it is used and with whom it is shared. Data transparency is thus becoming a key factor in retaining a loyal audience.
Data security: Protecting user data against cyber-attacks and breaches is becoming an imperative. Companies must invest in robust security technologies and regularly inform their users of the measures taken to secure their personal information.

The ability to manage data ethically and responsibly has become a major differentiator for online businesses. Brands that take privacy seriously and respect the privacy of their users build lasting relationships of trust, which is crucial to their long-term success on social networks.

An increasingly complex social ecosystem

Social networks in 2024 are no longer simple communication tools. They have become complex ecosystems, integrating cutting-edge technologies, artificial intelligence, and growing demands for transparency and accountability. To succeed in this environment, brands need to go beyond simple content delivery and adopt strategies based on:

AI and automation to optimize engagement,
Immersive and ephemeral content to capture attention,
Micro-communities to create authentic relationships,
Social commerce to make shopping easier,
Ethics and sustainability to meet consumer expectations,
Voice and visual search to improve accessibility,
Generative content creation with AI to gain efficiency,
Data protection to maintain user trust.

The brands that successfully navigate this rapidly changing digital landscape will be those that manage to combine technological innovation and authentic human connection, while respecting users' growing concerns about privacy and security. Ultimately, the key lies in the ability to adapt quickly to new trends while maintaining a customer-centric approach.