2024 is going to be the “Year of Content”.
I truly believe that we’re going to see a huge wave in the social media world, and the people who are riding that wave will end up on top.
So here are the 5 big macro trends I see coming up this year, that you’ll want to focus on if you’re trying to grow this year.
Let’s do it:
1. Emphasis on video
Video has already become a huge staple of social media, but it’s going to get even bigger.
As it becomes easier and easier to mass-produce written content (hello ChatGPT), audiences are looking more and more toward video to build real connection with people.
Think about it, the best way to build connection with someone is in real life (you know, like how you did with all your closest family and friends).
But that’s hard to do at scale.
Video is the next best thing. By showing up on video every day you get to show up in your audience’s life in a personal way and consistently build that connection with them.
Plus, you can do it simultaneously with hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people.
So if you want to grow you audience and build a loyal following this year, make video a huge part of your strategy.
2. Focus on storytelling
This already started happening last year, but this year it’s going to get even bigger.
We’re seeing a huge shift away from the typical, “here’s a quick tip” type content to more storytelling.
The people who will win out in 2024 will be people who have engaging, interesting stories to tell. Who have real life experience. Who have done stuff.
I say this often: if you want to stand out with your content, focus less on the content you’re creating and more on who you’re becoming.
Instead of writing out scripted videos and reading off a teleprompter, maybe get a friend, spouse, or team member to interview you.
Tell stories, share ideas, and cut them into videos.
Your content will feel more natural, and it will have way more depth to it.
3. Higher standard of quality
In 2024 you can’t just put minimal effort into a video and call it a day.
There is SO much content out there now, and there are people making content that is really high quality.
Not to mention, there’s so much mass-produced, AI-generated content that people are getting sick of it.
Keep in mind that “quality” doesn’t necessarily mean expensive cameras and fancy lights.
It’s more about the “content” of the content.
Put a little more thought into your ideas. Give yourself space to think and be creative.
All it takes is doing a little more than what you typically see out there.
Put your own creative spin on your content, and you will stand out.
4. Sharing “takes”
As the number of people creating content increases dramatically, people are getting overwhelmed with the quantity of content out there.
That’s why people are gravitating toward content that shares “takes”, or opinions on what’s going on.
Think, reaction videos for example, where you take somebody else’s content and you share your take on it.
Or take a recent event happening in your industry and share you take.
There’s so much content out there now, that people are looking to creators to curate the content for them. Show them what they should be paying attention to and if it’s good or not.
Be the filter that your audience uses to find good content.
Find the interesting ideas and share your take on them. Your audience doesn’t just want good content, they want to know what you think about it.
5. Personal branding
Every year this becomes more and more clear, so it’s not hard to predict that this year will be no different.
This is the big macro trend of the next decade. People want to do business with people. Not businesses.
Your personal brand is how people make a split judgement decision about who you are and what level you’re operating on.
Studies have shown that as much as 50% of people are checking you out on social media before buying from you.
That means if you don’t have a presence on social media (or your presence doesn’t represent you well), you could be losing up to 50% of your buyers.
Focus on building your personal brand.
That means not just always talking about your business. Share a little more about you. Let your audience get to know, like, and trust you.
Build that audience and let it compound over time. And it will grow with you and follow you into all your future ventures.
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Was this letter helpful? Feel free to forward it over to a friend or business partner. As always, I’m looking forward to helping you crush it this year!
