“If you’re an organization that’s considering a new platform, that platform should be TikTok,” explains Janessa Bishop, VP and digital communications practice lead at Kaiser & Partners. “We’ve seen over the years that the potential on that platform is huge, and it continues to grow every year.”

In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, TikTok has emerged as a powerhouse, shaping trends and influencing the way brands engage with their audience. And if 2023 was known for “life hacks” in the TikTok universe, then 2024 will be known for what the social media giant calls “creative bravery” in its fourth annual What’s Next Report.

The mindset refers to influencers leveraging the platform to share candid insights about products, expressing genuine opinions on their effectiveness or value for money. The authenticity that TikTok encourages has paved the way for a new era of social media marketing, where transparency and honesty are valued more than ever. Just look to the emergence of “deinfluencing,” a TikTok-coined term that describes the pushback against materialism and the purchasing of over-priced viral lifestyle products.

But attempting to predict yearlong trends with any scientific precision (in a space as dynamic as social media) is more than challenging, it’s near impossible. “The trends of today are going to be different next week,” Bishop reminds. The fluctuations of TikTok, in particular, are marked by its responsiveness to the zeitgeist and its ability to swiftly embrace new cultural and social activities and perspectives. And for marketers, keeping up with the trends and having the courage to try things out are integral.

So, what does 2024 look like? With social fatigue setting in for some, Bishop anticipates the impact of the online space on mental health to continue to be a concern. “People are starting to do something similar to Dry January, but for social media. They take a day of the week or even a full month to disconnect,” Bishop says.

When it comes to influencer marketing, she notes a clear ongoing move toward micro-influencers, reflecting a desire from brands for more authenticity as they look to align themselves with influencers who have a personal affinity for their products or services and close relationship with their following. Another trend to stay abreast of, is the changing habits of newer generations, particularly Gen Z, who are using the social media platform as a search engine. In Canada, the TikTok Drives Brand Trust study revealed that users are 2.7x more likely to agree that TikTok introduces them to new topics they didn’t know they would be interested in.

And then there’s artificial intelligence. The integration of AI makes content creation and editing more accessible. “The caveat is that AI is still very new. It comes with a lot of inherent biases, and the regulation and legislation around it are still forming. So, understanding the importance of disclosing the use of AI is going to be important. We’re at a point where AI is a powerful tool, but it still needs a human touch,” shares Bishop. Marketers, this year, should also anticipate the prevalence of video captions as a standard, making content more accessible for those who are hard of hearing, for example, and more engaging for all.

This year, brands will continue to exercise more caution and take time to evaluate the suitability of each social media platform for their specific objectives. Privacy concerns, cultural controversies and platform-specific challenges are prompting a more discerning approach to social media usage.

“The beginning of a calendar year is a great time to do a social audit to really understand what your top performing channels are. What kind of content is working for your brand? Are you putting a lot of effort into a channel that’s really not yielding results for you? Take a hard look at that and evaluate the ROI of those channels. Consider scaling back or focusing your energy into the channels that are working,” Bishop advises.