Unsurprisingly, social media for businesses in 2024 still feels like the dumpster fire it did back in 2020, 2019, 2018… The good news for B2B and B2C marketers is that social media still affords businesses with the best opportunity to reach their target audiences online.

In a presentation for the Canadian Farm Builders Association (CFBA), I shared the highlights of what a business owner or marketer needs to know about Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and TikTok.

Most importantly, the case for being on social media as a business has been solidified by the fact that it’s a platform that can influence purchase decisions. We are moving from likes and comments to dollars and cents.

Advertising helps organizations reach their business objectives, but platforms like Meta Ads make it easy to waste money if you are not strategic.

Meta Ads need clear business goals for success

A new concept for this year is the idea of “keeping your logo active” on social media. This means that brands are posting daily on their Instagram Story to keep the pink/orange ring around their profile, which not only entices people to click, it moves their Stories to the front of the list.

Keep your logo active on Instagram

The question on everyone’s mind at the conference was about TikTok. “Does my brand need to be on TikTok?” The short answer is yes. TikTok has been the fastest growing social media platform of recent years but more impressively is how much attention is paid on the app. As of 2023, adult users spent nearly one hour a day on TikTok, almost double that of Facebook and Snapchat.

The State of Social Media in 2024 is very promising for brands who have more opportunity than ever to reach their target audiences, as long they implement a smart, strategic approach to content creation and posting.