Social shopping, messaging apps, video content, and artificial intelligence are likely to be integral parts of social media marketing strategies in 2024, notes European Supermarket Magazine.

Expanding Efforts

According to a new study by Emplifi, as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies and retailers set their goals for 2024, marketing teams and customer experience will need to expand their efforts in social commerce, explore new ways to leverage social channels, messaging technology, and chatbots, diversify their mix of social video content, and increase investments in social intelligence tools.

"In 2023, social media marketing faced unprecedented challenges due to the rise of ChatGPT, industry layoffs within technology, and major platform changes such as Twitter's transformation into X and Meta's introduction of Threads," commented Zarnaz Arlia, CMO, Emplifi. "As brands navigated these disruptions, customer experience remains a crucial focus amidst growing consumer expectations."

ESM explores five areas where retail and FMCG companies can ramp up their social media marketing in 2024.

1. Social shopping is gaining traction

According to Emplifi, social shopping is set to become an "essential" element of online commerce strategies as brands aim to optimize the transition from product discovery to purchase on social media.

Today's shoppers use social media not only to learn about certain products, but also to purchase them, so it will be important for brands to create a seamless, hassle-free social shopping experience.

With nearly 90% of consumers indicating that ratings and reviews significantly influence their purchase decisions, incorporating authentic content from real product reviews alongside a purchase link in the same social media post can enhance a company's social commerce initiatives. brands.

2. Messaging and chatbots are seeing increased adoption

Emplifi research indicates that more than 50% of customers expect a response within an hour when they post a question on a brand's digital channel, regardless of time of day, prompting marketers and support teams to explore new ways to interact with customers.

As such, AI-powered messaging apps and chatbots are expected to see greater adoption in 2024, providing marketing and customer support teams with effective 24/7 communication channels at scale.

Along with this, customer support teams are increasingly turning to social media to answer customer questions and concerns. As consumers reach out on social platforms with product questions and inquiries, customer support teams spend more time engaging with customers on their preferred channels.

3. Diversified video formats by Catch The Eye

According to Emplifi, brands that diversify their video content on social media – including short and long-form videos – are likely to achieve greater engagement and resonate more strongly with their target audience.

During 2023, video platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok gained in popularity – Instagram Reels surpassed all other types of content in the app, generating 55% more interactions than single-image posts, while TikTok user growth was increased as well, with brands experiencing up to a fivefold increase in followers. This is likely to accelerate in 2024.

4. Brands Embrace “Social Intelligence”

Understanding customer behavior has long been a delicate art, and brands are increasingly turning to social media for assistance.

Brands can gain a comprehensive understanding of their customers and effectively manage brand reputation in real-time using social listening tools with sentiment analysis, tracking impressions, mentions and social interactions – assets that are likely to gain in importance in the coming year, according to Emplifi.

5. Generative AI to support customer support efforts

According to Emplifi, Generative AI (GenAI) applications and AI-based tools are set to play a crucial role in customer support efforts, increasing productivity in this area.

Remarkably, brands are already witnessing remarkable results with AI-powered chatbots, achieving match rates of up to 97% when answering customer questions.

Moreover, AI can be used to optimize day-to-day tasks—streamlining interactions, automating routine tasks, and providing lightning-fast responses.

As AI tools continue to advance, broader adoption by customer support teams and customer experience seeking to create efficiency across the organization is anticipated.