Mid-year social media trends you need to know

We’re halfway through the year and with how quickly things can change and evolve, it’s the perfect time to think about the mid-year social media trends that everyone should know.

Let’s jump into it and take a look at some of them now!

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Perhaps one of the biggest trends right now, and a major topic across many industries, is AI. More and more people and businesses are using AI for social media.

While some will use AI tools such as ChatGPT to create all of their images and captions for social media, we would caution against this and here’s why. There have been copyright issues with AI generated images which could land you in hot water. It’s also important to consider your brand values and the values of your target audience. While many users and brands have jumped on trending AI generated images, many people are against AI due to its impact on the environment. So if you’re a brand that places a high value on sustainability (and so does your target audience), you may want to steer clear of creating images that were created entirely by AI. If you’re a brand that places value on artistry and/or design, you may also want to steer clear of doing this as AI has been accused of stealing art.

For captions, you should still strive to create content that feels personal, and content that is written by AI can lack that personal and human touch. We suggest using it more as a guide or as a first draft, and then tweaking it to fit your brand more.

Here are a few ways you can further tap into AI for social media:

• AI is a great tool for those looking for some inspiration. By entering specific prompts, AI can help you come up with a ton of ideas. For example, you can ask AI to give you a list of ideas for Reels related to your industry and a list will be generated. A simple prompt like, “Can you please give me a list of Reel ideas for my beauty brand?” generated a list of 30+ ideas. See below for an example from ChatGPT:

Example using ChatGPT

• While we don’t suggest creating images straight from AI, you can use AI tools to create original content. Tools like Canva utilize AI features, such as background removal to help you create content.

Want to learn more about how you can use AI in your marketing? Check out our blog Exploring AI tools for marketing success

User Generated Content

I feel like we’ve talked about UGC countless times, and we probably have, but it isn’t going anywhere! Using content created by influencers, UGC creators, and your everyday customers, is a good idea for many reasons, such as…

• It helps to give your brand credibility and acts as social proof

• It can feel authentic

• It builds brand loyalty 

• It can be cost effective

Social Media as a Search Tool

For years users have used search engines like Google to look up topics, products, and businesses that they are interested in, however, over the past few years things have shifted a bit, and more and more people are using social media as a search tool as well. Particularly the younger generations such as Gen Z. Users are searching for reviews, tutorials, inspiration, and more, on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest.

As a roundup, here are a few key takeaways for trends that you need to know and should consider:

• Use AI tools for idea generation and to help you create content

• Tap into User Generated Content to build credibility, authenticity, and brand loyalty.

• Consider how your audience may be using social media as a search engine, if they’re looking for products, tutorials, how to’s, and more, how is your brand showing up.