I’m not sure which social platform will win the algorithmic gymnastics competition this year. Is it Instagram? Maybe TikTok?
Either way, it seems like all of our favorite channels are actively competing for gold, which creates a whole host of social media marketing challenges for us.
From algo updates to unpredictable trends, we always ask ourselves the question: Which platforms offer the highest return? Where does our audience hang out now? And how can we create content that actually interests them?
These are all legitimate questions. Actually, Our latest social trends report shows that they have manifested themselves in the biggest challenges facing social media marketers this year.
That’s what the data says.
The 6 Biggest Social Media Marketing Challenges in 2024
1. Create engaging content.
As someone who creates content, I can tell you firsthand that creating good content is difficult. And the benchmark for good content is always Change.
It looks like I’m not alone in this opinion because our survey shows it 17% of marketers said they create engaging content would be her biggest challenge this year.
The key to creating quality content is meeting your audience at the intersection of what matters most to them and what’s trending on their favorite platforms.
Add in a few fickle social algorithms and you’ve created one of the most complicated recipes ever.
So it doesn’t surprise me that this is a pressure point for marketers.
How to overcome this challenge
Rachael SamuelsDirector of Social Media at Sprout Socialbelieves that committing time, resources and personnel to social media is critical to long-term success.
As she puts it: “The social landscape is becoming increasingly saturated with new networks and seemingly endless potential audiences to interact with. One-person social teams are no longer sufficient to keep up with demand.”
Samuels adds, “As consumer preferences and expectations continue to grow, social marketers will need to invest more heavily in their teams and resources to be successful.”
“Brands need to ensure that social networks are prioritized as a key communication tool and provide their teams with the resources they need to produce creative, relevant and authentic content.”
As a former social media team, I completely agree that lack of time and resources hinder content creation.
However, if you are unable to increase your social media headcount, here are a few more ways you can overcome the challenge with engaging content:
- Reuse content across channels to get the most bang for your buck. For example, take one of your 1,800 word blog posts and rework it into meaningful short content for channels like Instagram or TikTok. HubSpots free AI paragraph rewriter is great for that.
- Use AI tools for social media to optimize the planning, creation and publishing of content on your social channels – and to free up time for more creativity.
- Watch the video below for tips on creating an effective social media content calendar:
2. Stay up to date on features and algorithm updates.
I’ve already mentioned the moody social algorithm, and here it shows up again, rearing its not-so-pleasant head in challenge number two.
This is what our data shows 16% of marketers are struggling to keep up with new social media features and algorithm updates.
After looking at just one example of Facebook’s algorithm from Meta, I get it. (Not the algorithm, but why this is giving social media marketers headaches.)
And if I’m talking about a blogger who has been quietly arguing with Google over its all-too-regular algorithm changes, you can trust and believe that I understand the fight.
How to overcome this challenge
As marketers, we cannot stop the algorithms from changing. But we can take steps to be proactive, stay informed, and adapt our content to meet new needs. Here’s how:
- Get to know the algorithms on your most frequently used channels. You’ll have an easier time navigating the changes if you already know the basics of how they work.
- Stay up to date on the latest algorithm changes. Sources like HubSpot (cough cough), Sprout SocialAnd Hootsuite are great resources here.
- Create content Your audience wants to engage with it. Content relevance is an important ranking factor for most algorithms, regardless of platform.
- Post on social media at the right time. The more engagement, the better your chances of appearing in the feed – so get your audience online early and often.
3. Find ideas for new content.
Based on our survey, 16% of marketers also reported this finding Ideas for new content is a big challenge this year.
Why? It can be stressful (and difficult) to constantly pitch new ideas to social platforms, especially when they are already overflowing with content.
Fortunately, we’re now at a point where we can use AI to generate new content ideas when we get stuck. In fact, the following ChatGPT prompt is one of my favorite prompts as a writer:
“Give me (number) of (content type) ideas on (topic) that would appeal to (audience).”
Here it is with the blanks filled in: “Tell me five social media blog post ideas that would appeal to marketers in 2024.”
And here is the answer I got:
I also spoke to an expert about this challenge – let’s see what she recommends.
How to overcome this challenge
Christina Garnettformer lead marketing manager at HubSpot, suggests researching what’s already out there when looking for new ideas.
“If you’re trying to find what’s new, you have to consume and see what kind of content is already available and then look for gaps.”
Are there questions that are not answered? Different perspectives are not shared? Maybe the content exists, but not in a format tailored to a specific learner or audience,” Garnett says.
She adds, “Once you determine what you can create, you need to determine who needs it and how best to package it to enhance their experience. Content, like products and solutions, must be adapted to the product market.”
4. Reach your target audience.
Next: Additionally, 15% of marketers reported reaching their target audience as one of their biggest social media challenges.
It’s great to create engaging content and come up with new ideas, but what’s the point if your audience never sees them? (As if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it…)
The good news is that we already have a great article on the blog that explains how to find your social media audience. Below I summarize some of the action points.
How to overcome this challenge
- Identify or create buyer personas. Think about who your current customers are. What are their tasks? Age? Income?
- Find out where your audience is most active. This will help you prioritize which social media platforms you should focus on.
- Look at your competitors. Who do they appeal to? Who responds to their posts and interacts with them?
- Survey your customers. Ask what type of content they consume, what social media sites they like, or who they follow.
Then use all that information to meet them where they are on social media.
5. Create content that generates leads.
Lead generation will also prove to be a hurdle in 2024. 14% of respondents say they create content that generates leads as one of the top social media challenges this year.
Lead generation is a task in itself. Combine that with content creation, trend monitoring, and community management, and you’ve just described the responsibilities of the quintessential social media marketer.
To take some of the pressure off, here’s how to develop a strong social media lead generation strategy.
How to overcome this challenge
First, consider driving your audience from specific social platforms back to specific landing pages or tracking clicks on specific CTAs for each of your social media campaigns.
Let’s say you’re running a campaign aimed at driving sales for a new product offering. Create a product landing page and link to it on each of your social profiles. This allows you to track how many clicks are coming from each page and adjust your strategy accordingly.
For example, if you notice that most clicks are coming from Facebook, that may be an indication that it’s a good idea to integrate paid advertising into your Facebook strategy.
Speaking of paid advertising, social media ads and influencer marketing are also effective ways to generate leads through social media.
Former CMO of Talkwalker Elena Melnikova emphasizes the importance of reading the room when creating social media ads:
“Too commercial, and this young audience will scroll past your brand looking for the next dance routine.” Read the room. Follow the trends. Be spontaneous,” notes Melnikova.
And when it comes to influencer marketing, Melnikova says:
“Savvy brands will work with influencers to create content. And with the majority of TikTok influencers Being Gen ZThey will understand how to make their content stand out and increase a brand’s engagement numbers.”
6. Keep up with new trends.
Last but not least, our data also shows this 14% of marketers said they keep up with new trends as one of their biggest challenges for this year.
At this point, almost everything materializes as a trend – be it a new platform, an old meme, or even just a sound (I’m looking at you, TikTok).
But the reality is this: not every trend suits every brand.
Sometimes the most popular social platform isn’t the right place to find your audience. Or maybe your customers don’t know that trending phrase that everyone is using in their videos this week and therefore wouldn’t appreciate it.
(For example, yesterday I said to my mom, “Sometimes you have to eat a whole cucumber,” and she had no idea what I was talking about. Kudos to her @logagm on TikTok.)
The constant battle between what’s current and what resonates with your audience makes it difficult to determine which trends you should capitalize on.
How to overcome this challenge
I have two important pieces of advice about this.
First, find a way to stay up to date with the latest social media trends.
Follow industry leaders like Sprout SocialSubscribe to expert newsletters like The Marketing Millennialsor see what your audience is currently talking about on forum sites like Reddit.
Additionally, follow the latest news and publications on your favorite social media channels (or curate an insider network like…). Annie May Hodge on LinkedIn) to be the first to know about new features and algorithm updates.
The second is to select the methods with the highest ROI. And if you don’t know how, check out HubSpot’s free lesson How to measure social media ROI to find out more.
Like I said, it’s not worth it everyone Brand to jump on everyone Trend. If it can be aligned with your audience’s interests and your biggest business outcomes, you’ve come to the right place.
Challenge(s) accepted
There you have it! The six biggest challenges facing social media teams in 2024.
Now that you know what challenges you face, take the time to find solutions that will help you improve your social media strategy for the next year and beyond.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated for completeness.