Facebook remains the most popular social media platform, now with over 2 billion daily active users. Despite changes, Facebook continues to introduce new trends in 2024. Key questions include whether AI is replacing everyone, if organic reach is easier, and which new features are worth investing time in.
Explore these topics and discover the top Facebook trends marketers need to know this year.
The 11 biggest Facebook trends for 2024
- Facebook launches Meta AI
Meta has launched Meta AI, using the Meta Llama 3 language model. Available since April 2024 in the U.S. and 12 other countries, Meta AI helps users find nearby restaurants, answer study questions, suggest vacation spots, and generate images.
Meta AI is integrated into the Facebook mobile app, replacing the search icon, and is also available on Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. It features a web interface similar to ChatGPT.
Mark Zuckerberg mentioned Meta’s investment in AI research, highlighting the potential to introduce AI to billions in useful ways. AI is now mainstream, and marketers need to pay attention.
Meta AI will expand to more regions and languages soon.
Take action:
- Experiment with Meta AI and envision how your audience might use it.
- Image generation is currently available in the U.S., but expansion is expected. Use Meta AI to create content faster.
- Facebook Ads Are Easier Than Ever
Facebook ads hold the second-largest market share and revenue after Google, accounting for 18% of global digital advertising revenue. Both B2B and B2C marketers rank Facebook as the top social platform for ROI.
With the introduction of Facebook Advantage+ ad campaigns and simplified objectives, getting started with Facebook ads is now easier. Meta has streamlined its ad objectives from 11 to six as of January 2024:
- Awareness
- Traffic
- Engagement
- Leads
- App Promotion
- Sales
This consolidation improves Facebook’s AI ad targeting without reducing potential reach.
Despite the belief that “Facebook is dead for brands,” it remains strong. Pinterest and X (Twitter) have seen brand declines of 11% and 7%, respectively, while Facebook’s decline is just 1%, maintaining stability.
Meanwhile, brands on TikTok have increased by 16%, making it harder to stand out. Facebook ads offer a proven ROI with less competition on the largest social platform, increasing your chances of reaching your target audience.
Take action:
- Consider when to start experimenting with Facebook ads.
- Ensure your Facebook ads strategy aligns with your overall social media marketing plan.
- AI-Powered Facebook Ad Targeting Brings Big Savings
Facebook’s AI-enhanced ad targeting, called Advantage+ campaigns, offers significant cost savings. It’s easy for beginners and beneficial for experienced users, with:
- Up to 68% lower cost per purchase
- 17% average decrease in cost per conversion
- 26% average decrease in cost per acquisition
Mark Zuckerberg aims to build advanced AI products and services. He envisions AI assistants for users, interactive AI for creators and businesses, and state-of-the-art AI models for developers.
With 78% of marketers facing challenges with the right tools for their strategies, Zuckerberg’s focus on AI could be impactful.
To try an Advantage+ campaign, create a new ad in Meta Ads Manager, select one of the six objectives, and use the recommended settings. You can adjust settings as needed or let Facebook’s AI optimize your ad performance.
Take action:
- New to Facebook ads? Experiment with Advantage+ campaigns and let AI find your audience.
- Unsure about ad types? Use the recommended Facebook ad sizes and try different placements for a well-rounded campaign.
- The Metaverse is Taking Off
Meta continues to invest in the Meta Quest family of products, integrating augmented and virtual reality into everyday life. They recently launched Meta Horizon OS, an open-source operating system for developers to create mixed reality apps, opening development to third parties.
Meta envisions the metaverse as a place where identities, avatars, and social connections move seamlessly across virtual spaces, with developers integrating these social features into their apps. Though widespread use of mixed reality spaces isn’t common yet, Meta sees this as the future, bridging multiple platforms for shared virtual experiences.
Gaming, popular among Gen Z, already features such interactions. 33% of Gen Z spends 6-15 hours per week gaming, and 8% spend over 20 hours.
Will Gen Z popularize the metaverse? Time will tell.
Take action:
- Consider how the integration of virtual and real-world elements could impact your marketing or lead to partnerships with mixed reality developers.
- Facebook Marketplace Is the New Default
Facebook Marketplace has become the go-to local buy-and-sell source, with 55% of Americans and one in three people globally using it. This shift has made it an essential platform for businesses.
- Listing products on Facebook Marketplace is free.
- Facebook Commerce allows automatic uploads of product catalogs to show across Marketplace.
- Businesses can run ads on Marketplace using their Facebook Business Page, whether for local services or broader sales.
Take action:
- List your products or services on Marketplace or run ads, especially if you have a local business.
- Connect your e-commerce platform with Facebook Commerce for easy listing creation on Marketplace.
- Text Posts Get Big Engagement
A Facebook text post with 270,000 organic reach is possible. Despite X (Twitter) being popular for text content with around 540 million users, Facebook also sees high engagement with text posts.
Successful text posts are either entertaining or educational, offering value and inviting engagement.
For content ideas and captions, consider using OwlyWriter AI, which leverages Hootsuite’s expertise to generate engaging content quickly.
Take action:
- Repurpose your top text posts from X (Twitter) or LinkedIn for Facebook.
- Create simple graphic templates for text posts to share on visual platforms like Instagram.
- Experiment with text, graphic, and video posts to see which format gets the most engagement on your Facebook Page.
- Facebook Is the Most Popular Social Platform to Find Local Businesses
While many use Google Maps to find local businesses, Facebook is almost as popular, with 49% of people using it regularly for this purpose. Facebook offers several ad formats for local businesses, including event promotion and in-store traffic ads.
To promote your business with Facebook ads, click “Advertise” at the top of your Facebook Page or log in to Meta Business Suite and start a new ad campaign. Choose “Promote your business locally” as your goal. Ensure your street address is added to your Facebook Page to access these tools.
Take action:
- Add your street address to your Facebook Business Page to access local promotional tools like ads.
- New to Facebook ads or marketing your business? Use our complete guide to Facebook marketing to get started.
- Facebook Has the Most Reach After YouTube
Facebook is used by 68% of U.S. adults, making it the second most-used platform after YouTube, which reaches 83%. Facebook covers a wide range of demographics, including different ages, income levels, and locations. This broad reach and the ability to post various content types—beyond just videos—make Facebook a valuable platform for brands, even in 2024.
Take action:
- Evaluate whether Facebook serves as a primary or secondary platform for your audience by reviewing your analytics.
- To enhance your video content, explore our tips for creating effective social media videos.
- Facebook Remains the Top Social Commerce Platform
In a recent survey, Facebook was the most popular platform for purchases, with 27% of respondents choosing it. While TikTok and Instagram have slightly increased their share, Facebook remains among the top three in social commerce.
Social commerce is growing, with $67 billion in sales in 2023 and projections to exceed $100 billion by 2025. Recent changes to Facebook Shops have shifted focus from storefronts to features like product tagging, shoppable ads, and Facebook Marketplace.
Take action:
- Connect your Facebook Page and Instagram account and set up commerce features in Meta Business Suite.
- Tag products in photos and videos across Facebook and Instagram to facilitate easy online shopping.
- Video Continues to Dominate Social Media, Including Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg notes that video accounts for over half of all activity on Facebook. In April 2024, Facebook launched a new video player that integrates short-form videos (like Reels), long-form videos, and livestreams in one place. It features an intuitive, full-screen experience with swipe navigation and a slider for skipping within videos.
The Video tab in the Facebook app remains similar to the regular feed, but tapping a video opens the new player. You can now swipe back and forth between videos without leaving the player.
Take action:
- Start posting videos on Facebook if you haven’t already. Video content is growing across social platforms, including Facebook.
- Meta Verification Comes to Brands in 2024
Meta has extended verification to businesses in 2024. Eligible businesses in select countries can subscribe to Meta Verified for $27.99 USD per month and receive a blue checkmark.
Verification can build trust with customers, improve discoverability, and prevent impersonation issues. While this adds a subscription cost, it can protect brand integrity and reassure your audience.
Take action:
- Check if Meta Verification is available in your country and sign up through the mobile app. If it’s not available yet, Meta plans to expand access soon.
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