What are the main social media trends in 2024? This was the question posed to our Data Science team at APPLE TREE. Social media has undergone a significant evolution in recent years, both in terms of user consumption and content distribution. Therefore, we wanted to understand user opinions on the latest developments, formats, and usage to provide the most accurate advice to brands and companies. Download our study ‘Brands Under the Tyranny of the Algorithm’ here.

Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Dangers in Social Media

  • Identity Theft and Deep Fakes: 59.6% of social media users in Spain consider identity theft and deep fakes as the biggest dangers of AI.
  • Virtual Influencers and Creativity Loss: Only 12.2% and 14.36% of users are concerned about AI-generated content like virtual influencers and loss of creativity, respectively.

Content Creators: The New Kings

  • Trust Levels: Content creators enjoy a trust index of 62%, compared to 40.3% for influencers and 45% for celebrities.
  • Brand Collaboration: The study shows strong acceptance of brand collaborations with creators and influencers among social media audiences.

Humor Dominates All Audiences

  • Popular Content: Humor (49.9%), educational content (47.43%), and tutorials/demos (37.03%) are the most liked content types.
  • Age-Specific Interests: Interests vary by age group, with 18-30-year-olds showing a particular interest in video games and sports.

Executives: The New Corporate Influencers

  • Following Executives: Increasingly, users are following top company executives on social media. Three in ten users already follow an executive, and two in ten would like to.

Paying to Avoid Ads: An Emerging Option

  • Generational Shift: While most users would not pay to avoid ads, there is a generational shift. Only 14% of those aged 56-75 would pay, compared to 23% of 18-30-year-olds, indicating a growing willingness to pay for ad-free social media, similar to streaming content.

Customer Service in Social Media

  • Positive Experience: With the rise of ecommerce and social shopping, customer service on social media has become more crucial. 56.8% of users report a positive customer service experience, though 49.7% see room for improvement.

Want to Know More Social Media Trends for 2024?

To analyze these trends and understand user expectations from brands and organizations in the digital environment, we surveyed 1,000 users in Spain. We then cross-referenced the results with other studies and research to provide an accurate and current overview of digital communication and social media trends for brands and companies.