Catching Up: 2024 Social Media Updates

Social Media is an integral part of digital advertising, and one of the most difficult industries to keep track of. As 2025 approaches, updates in this field are often scarce and vague, making it frustrating to keep track of new changes. Often times we either learn of these social media updates through a newsletter or when we log into our social management platforms, only to find that a favorite feature is suddenly gone.

Here, we will round up the most important social media updates, changes, and trends this year. We certainly won’t be able to cover every update, and there’s sure to be new information coming out as you’re reading this, but we’ve done our best to curate the most relevant and impactful changes from this year.

Social Media Market Trends

Before breaking it down by platform, there are a few broad trends in the social media market that changed in 2024.

When it comes to ad spend, the biggest growths in 2024 were from Google, TikTok, Youtube (Google owned), and Instagram. This is not a significant change from recent years, but it’s notable for two reasons. Firstly, TikTok remains a major platform for advertisers, despite the news of a potential ban. While growth did slow after the ban’s announcement, the app remains at the forefront of digital advertising. Secondly, the exclusion of X on the list continues to show the decline since Elon Musk’s takeover.

The big story of 2024 has been the onslaught of AI integration in the digital space. In terms of the social media market, AI tools are being introduced to advertisers that make it easier to track, target, and manage ad campaigns on each platform. But these tools have also impacted the way users navigate social media platforms.

The most challenging change for advertisers to adapt to has been the distinctions between each platform. The emphasis on targeted advertising directly correlates with the unique tools of each digital channel. Most platforms have introduced their own tools and formats, attempting to stay ahead of the AI curve. Not all of these changes have been popular, however, and many are still in “testing” phases.

Anecdotally, 2024 has felt more erratic than previous years in social media. Several major shake ups in the digital landscape have or are imminently expected to happen, opening opportunities for social media platforms to potentially benefit or fall behind.

Beyond simple trend-following, several dramatic changes are expected in the social media market. Most prominent of these is the predicted downfall of TikTok and X (at least in the US). Because of this, other social media platforms are scrambling to position themselves as the beneficiaries of those audiences.

AI Assistants

As we’ve previously recognized, AI is nothing new to social media. In 2024, however, platforms have put their main focus on developing and integrating AI technologies into their user experience.

Where previously, machine learning remained an implicit part of social media through algorithmic feeds, platforms are being incentivized to integrate AI into accessible tools.

Now, it’s as though all social media platforms are giving users an AI assistant to navigate their tools. Beyond the average users, many AI tools have drastically changed the way digital advertising works on their platforms.

Tools like Meta AI, Snapchat’s My AI, and LinkedIn’s AI writing assistant were introduced to users as tools to assist them and answer questions. Though not all of these AI tools appear useful for advertisers, it’s important to note the impact they might have on ads. Snapchat’s My AI, for example, is a chatbot that can potentially provide targeted ads specifically responding to a user’s expressed needs.

LinkedIn Grows

When discussing social media, LinkedIn is often left out of the conversation. Because users engage with LinkedIn fundamentally differently than other social media platforms, it’s often placed in its own category.

Because of its clear distinction from other platforms, however, LinkedIn is able to withstand and flourish in a volatile digital jungle. Other platforms are constantly trying to beat each other at their own game, but LinkedIn is able to hold steady without the same concern of becoming peripheral to a platform that does it better.

2024 saw record-level engagement on the platform. LinkedIn has continued to grow its dedicated audience with new tools, like newsletters and AI integration. Their AI writing assistant and AI-driven insights for sponsored content provide businesses and advertisers with extremely resourceful tools.

One of the most beneficial changes for advertisers is the introduction of In-App lead generation forms within ads. This allows users to submit their information without leaving the LinkedIn platform. Link posting has always been a debated subject in terms of how it impacts visibility. Many advise against it, as apps don’t want to promote content that directs users away from their platform. With this change, however, LinkedIn is creating a more mutually beneficial system for advertisers.

To encourage engagement on the platform, LinkedIn also introduced gamification features, such as achievement badges and a points system. While not as directly significant as advertising tools, the focus on increasing participation and interaction has positive impacts on businesses using the platform.

As social media advertising continues to evolve towards targeting specific platforms rather than widespread engagement, LinkedIn has proved to be an essential platform to reach professionals and businesses.

Meta Makes Its Move

Meta’s connection to AI has continued to cement in 2024. This year saw more tools and features to the Meta AI than ever before. For advertisers, improvements in ad reporting and analytics provide greater insights and visibility on both Facebook and Instagram platforms.

Launching new B2B targeting audience segments globally, Meta is enabling marketers to reach the key people across various business sizes. The ability to target ads to relevant decision-makers and newly active businesses is a game changer for B2B advertising. Through the B2B audience segment, you are now able to target ads to people based on job titles and interests. From IT decision-makers to HR, Meta is reshaping and enhancing the available B2B advertising opportunities.

Instagram, owned by Meta, has seen many changes as one of the most significant and prominent social media platforms. Like other platforms, Instagram is enhancing the ad targeting on the platform, allowing advertisers to segment audiences into more precise categories. Additionally, the available ads have expanded to be more immersive and interactive. Immersive 3D ads and interactive story polls were introduced to boost engagement.

Then there’s Threads. Launched in 2023 as a rival to the troubled X, Threads is still being positioned as a valid alternative to the text-based platform. While Threads still hasn’t matched X’s number of daily active users, it is still widely successful.

In 2024, Threads introduced a program to monetarily incentivize large creators from other platforms to join and post to Threads. What this shows is that Meta is still confident in the platform’s future.

In our opinion, Threads is actually one of the most undervalued social platforms. Five days after it launched in July 2023, the platform had a record breaking 100 million users, making it the most successful app launch of all time! The singular use of hashtags proves to make a strong algorithm. More than one hashtag is not allowed and considered spammy. We aren’t sure about the future of ads on this platform, but so far, they seem non-existent.

The X Problem

Since Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter in 2022 (and subsequent rebranding to X), the social media platform has struggled to grow and retain advertisers. While it’s not yet entirely obsolete, as some predicted, it’s not a stretch to suggest that X is a sinking ship.

Advertisers are currently struggling to decide what to do with the platform. As a prominent platform with a large base of active users, there’s still value to advertising to them. Amid continuous and escalating controversy, however, aligning your brand with the platform is becoming increasingly risky.

Many of the changes suggested and enacted by CEO Musk have been widely unpopular. There have been tools introduced to further advertiser insights, but often they’re attached to a price tag.

X has faced a massive decline in advertiser revenue in 2024. While not all advertisers are fully leaving the platform, few are investing further. This reflects user behavior, as few users have joined or increased their usage of X since Musk’s acquisition.

TikTok’s Precarious Position

If things seemed complicated with X in 2024, TikTok is a whole other story. You probably already know that, earlier this year, congress voted on a proposal to ban the social media platform from the US market. If you haven’t caught up on the details, you can read our blog on it here.

As we continue to approach the deadline for TikTok’s ban in the US, advertisers are scratching their heads at how they should respond. As a platform, TikTok is still widely used and taps into a unique market. Pulling your brand prematurely risks missing out on what is still a profitable digital channel.

In terms of brand engagement, TikTok remains unmatched. The growing trend of organic-feeling content to advertise and tell a brand’s story is largely indebted to the social media platform. With or without the ban, trends among all social media platforms will continue to shift towards UGC and EGC that feels authentic, organic, and personalized.

Relating back to the AI trend of 2024, TikTok is both ahead of and behind the curve. Their algorithm is, of course, a form of AI. This curated feed of content is considered to be way ahead of its competition, making TikTok a seeming frontrunner in the AI race. In terms of AI tool integration, however, the app provides very little for users to actually utilize.

The Long and Short of Youtube

As a platform owned by Google, Youtube benefits from the company’s AI integration with google ads. Google’s performance max campaigns have streamlined how various ad formats are run across social media channels.

Since their introduction in 2020, Youtube Shorts have been a major content pillar on the platform. They’ve gradually integrated ad monetization to Youtube Shorts, encouraging mobile-friendly ad campaigns to match the users who access through smartphones.

While many users, especially younger audiences, access Youtube through the mobile app, there has also been an increase in TV viewing. Responding to the big-screen view, Youtube has introduced enhanced ads. Adding QR code, for example, to ads allows for real-time engagement.

Snapchat Boosts Ahead

Snapchat continues to rise as one of the most beneficial platforms for advertisers. With a recently redesigned ad format and improved insights, Snapchat has continued to evolve its advertising opportunities.

In 2024, SMB ad spend on Snapchat increased by 85%, showing a growing market for smaller and medium-sized businesses.

The most major addition to the platform in 2024 has been the introduction of Snapchat+ to the market. This paid subscription provides users with exclusive features, but nothing that appears to be of much relevance to advertisers, as of now.

A change that will have an impact on advertisers is the streamlined ad objectives. Their redesigned ad format has provided advertisers with more control over campaigns, insights on performance, and engagement from users.

Just this past week, Snapchat announced sponsored snaps to the platform. These ads are delivered to users inbox, taking a more direct and individual approach to advertising. New ad placement options are arriving in the wake of the company’s recent ad growth, responding to the ways users are engaging with the app.

Advertising on Social Media

Now we can distill this information overload into a few key takeaways for advertisers in 2024.

First, strategically targeting specific audiences and platforms over attempting a widespread presence is even more crucial now than ever. With further distinctions between platforms and more nuanced insights on user behavior and data through AI tools, you have no reason to be avoiding it.

Speaking of AI tools, the biggest updates in 2024 on social media have all been through the integration of advanced technologies in the available tools for users and advertisers.

SEO continues to be an important consideration on all social channels. Research the ways each platform algorithmically prioritizes content and tailor your SEO strategy accordingly.

Conclusion

Hopefully, breaking down the biggest updates by platform and distilling the relevant takeaways has lessened the headache of staying informed on social media. As with all news, changes are constant, meaning developments are likely happening as you read this.

Keep an eye on the Media Rebel Blog, where we will continue to cover everything digital. If the massive updates on AI integration have made your head spin, read our blog on the good and bad sides to the latest AI tools.

Acknowledging all that has changed this year, read our blog on why and how to prepare your digital strategy for 2025. Before you get started on the new year, though, evaluate your current social media strategy.