Data is your best friend when it comes to understanding the market and consumer behavior, and those are both constantly changing as the technology we use becomes more advanced and efficient. We took a look at HubSpot’s most recent report, The State of Marketing, including the challenges and trends that marketers across the globe are experiencing. It seems that just some of them say their sales and marketing teams are strongly aligned, which means less sales and wasted time. Thankfully, you don’t have to go that route. When you know the numbers, you know where to focus your efforts. Here are 2024’s statistics and trends that are making and breaking the way users invest into your brand.

Social Media Is The New Discovery Channel

Last year, 17% of users bought products directly through social media platforms and 87% of those sellers found several platforms to be effective in increasing e-commerce sales. Social media platforms today continue to impact the market as it relates to sales and search, customer service, and brand awareness, and…

Social media is now the #1 product discovery channel among Gen Z and Millennials.

31% of users are also turning to social for answers to their questions, which is only expected to increase. Knowing all of this, you want to make it easy for customers to buy directly from your channels by investing resources into optimizing them. Yes, that includes Facebook (Meta Business Suite), Instagram, and YouTube. Spread your campaigns and ads across these platforms in a way that makes sense for your social media strategy.

The content campaigns that are providing the highest ROI right now:

• Websites, blogs, and SEO
• Social media shopping tools
• Paid social media content and ads
• Email marketing
• Content marketing

Need help with your social media strategy or social advertising? We’ve got you covered.

The Social Trends You Shouldn’t Ignore

With younger users on the rise, social media customer service is another increasing demand. In fact, almost 20% of them prefer customer service through DM’s! We know this might be uncomfortable for some, but selling online requires you to be prompt, helpful, and available to meet the expectations of those who prefer to chat. If it’s needed, an influx of requests can be relieved with the help of a chatbot. 

Speaking of chatbot, 36% of surveyed marketers reported using AI chatbots in their marketing role. Time to embrace the bot! If you’re using AI, just remember that the best content will resonate with its audience on a personal level.

Personalized messages receive a 120x return on investment.

Video content is another format that’s always gaining more attention as creators get more and more, well, creative. Short-form videos are especially effective, consistently delivering the highest ROI and outperforming other formats. Those bite sized clips rule the roost with interactive content (such as livestreams) coming in hot a tool to increase engagement. 

Current content formats boosting social media and online revenue are:

• Short form videos in the top spot
• Content showing brand values
• Influencer marketing campaigns
• Selling on social media apps
• Mobile-friendly websites (can not be understated!)

Where To Focus Your Efforts When You Optimize

Knowing where your users spend their time online helps you meet them where they are. The platforms that are leading the pack in growth and sales for these campaigns are:

Facebook and Instagram each yielding a 29% ROI

TikTok follows closely with a 24% ROI

Twitter/X and LinkedIn bringing in a 16% ROI each

You’ll notice that Facebook and Instagram may offer the highest ROI, but of utmost importance, remember to be sure that your content and platform align with your brand strategy. If your content, strategy, and platform aren’t optimized for your audience, all your efforts could just go down the drain. Focus your resources on the most effective channels to maximize your impact.

Looking to bridge the gap between your content and your customers? Just fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you soon.