What will be the biggest marketing trend on Instagram and TikTok in 2024?

Only time will tell, but I’m going to break down three content trends we’ll be seeing in our feeds this year:

1. Dynamic video angles and the return of horizontal video

2. Using AI for content creation 

3. Reels templates and the rise of template creators

Not to age myself, but this is my 9th (!!) annual Instagram trends blog post, which is absolutely wild to me. And the one thing I’ve learned is that what’s old will become new again, like the shift back to landscape video we’re already seeing. 

And since the INs and OUTs trend has taken over our feeds the last week, here’s what I think is IN and OUT when it comes to content creation, presented without any explanation: 

Us marketers know that staying ahead of the trend on social is a full time job, it’s extremely time-consuming, and it’s not as easy as it may appear to some people. So without further ado, here are the trends you’ll see popping up in your feeds this year: 

Marketing Trend #1: Dynamic Video Angles & the Return of Horizontal Video!?

Remember the 0.5x video trend that took 2023 by storm, mainly thanks to the Tube Girl phenomenon? Well, buckle up because Gen Z is ready to shake things up once again. Now that Millennials (myself included) have caught on to Gen Z’s preferred video format, it's time for a fresh perspective. 

In 2024, anticipate a surge in content shot from new, dramatic angles like this horizontal-to-vertical shot that makes you instantly look cool:

We’ll also continue to see a lot of content filmed from above, like THE legendary Joe and the Juice Video that had everyone taping their phones up on the wall. 

I’ve also seen a lot of creators exploring fresh, new angles that look down on the subject like this:  

Or this angle from above, which also happens to double as a great way to show off your full fit:

Not to mention the iconic comeback of filming video in landscape, because what’s more anti-millennial than filming horizontally instead of vertically? And since Gen Z really did make low-rise jeans come back, their power to influence trends is unmatched. 

Now this is really going to age me, but sometimes I think back to the F8 in 2018 where Kevin Systrom (the OG IG CEO) announced IGTV and declared that vertical video was the future. Everyone was quick to hate on it, mocking IGTV as a failure, but it turns out he was just a little too ahead of his time, because we’re coming full circle now. 

Actually *posting* a horizontal video is not the move though. Instead, we’re seeing creators stack horizontal videos on top of each other to fit the vertical video frame: 

If this is *brand new information* to you, make sure you subscribe to my weekly newsletter Trendspotter, where I share both the macro and micro trends across social and give you a ton of content ideas and audios to post every Monday!

And don’t worry, @samanthaduy  is the resident Gen Z TikToker on my team who ensures all the trends we share are actually cool. 

Marketing Trend #2: Using AI for Content Creation 

In 2024, AI isn’t just a buzzword; it's a game-changer. 

And a job stealer!! *cries copywriter tears*

But it’s time to admit that yes, AI is here to stay, and you better dive in or you’ll be left behind like someone who still thinks their grid aesthetic is more important than the content they are posting.

Meta has turned celebrities like Kendall Jenner into your new AI bff, and Instagram is going all in on bringing AI features to the platform, like their new AI Backdrop feature which allows you to change the background of your story (currently being tested and only available in the US).

But what I’m really paying attention to is the use of AI in marketing tools, specifically for creating and editing content. I loved this prediction about AI from Debra Williamson, Independent Tech Analyst in my friend Lia Haberman’s ICYMI newsletter (which you should subscribe to if you’re interested in creator marketing!)

“We are now entering the social AI era. There will be a flood of new tools, resulting in a huge increase in the number of AI-created ads, videos, images and posts.

This transition is poised to be even more momentous than previous shifts -- bigger than the transition to mobile or the rise of short video. Emerging AI-based social platforms will challenge established ones, heightening concerns about regulation, consumer privacy, and brand safety.”

Here are a few practical ways you can integrate AI in your content:

Generative fill: multiple apps like Canva, Photoshop, and Midjourney have the ability to not only create images from scratch, but also automatically expand images so they fill a larger space. 

I have used this for creating my Reels covers, when the subject of my 4:5 photo just doesn’t fit with the 9:16 view needed for a cover. Other examples could be adding flowers to a set, without having to actually order $800 worth of florals (it’s me).

Keep your eye on Adobe’s generative fill for video called Fast Fill which is just mind-blowing: 

AI Video Editing: we hear a lot about using AI tools like Persado or ChatGBT to generate content ideas, create outlines, and even write your captions or blog posts (cries more copywriter tears). 

But what is going to be the most powerful is what AI can do for content production: generating video content from scratch and cutting down video editing time. 

Opus is an AI video editor from OpenAI that does one niche thing, really, really well: it takes one long-form talking video, finds the ‘viral’ moments, and cuts it into multiple short-form videos with ONE CLICK.

*Did you hear that? It’s the sound of video editors crying.* 

The new AI video editor from Vimeo can generate a video script in seconds. But what’s really cool is the text-based editor, where you just delete words in the script and it will delete those in the video, similar to how Descript works (which was a game changer for editing video podcasts).

There’s an auto-AI button that will automatically remove filler words and pauses from your video, which can save you SO much time!

Speaking of Descript, they have multiple AI features for editing video podcasts including the ability to generate your own voice clone for voice-over work and a feature called Overdub that “uses AI voice cloning to replace awkward or incorrect audio.” 

Keep your eye on the ability to create videos with AI avatars too. Personally I don’t think Synthesia is quite there yet, but can you imagine if you could make a video of yourself by just typing in the script? Wild. 🤯

I’m both excited and terrified to see how AI is going to impact content creation and social media in 2024, this is going to continue to be a huge conversation this year and one of my goals is to start learning and sharing more about it. I suggest you do too!

I don’t love how the AI space is dominated by marketing bros, so if you’re looking to follow some women in AI, here are some cool creators to follow: 

Marketing Trend #3: Reels Templates & the rise of template creators

Instagram Reels has a hidden gem that TikTok doesn’t have — the ability to craft and share your own reels templates, right in the app. 

This feature isn't just a game-changer; it's a growth catalyst. Intimidated by video editing? No worries, there’s a creator to follow for that. 

So what exactly are Reels Templates?

Basically they are a super easy and super quick way to create Reels with a specific audio. Creators can make their reel a “template” to line up their video clips perfectly with the beat of the music, so all you need to do is just plug-and-play by uploading your own content.

Just look for the “Use Template” button when you’re on Reels:

In 2024, I hope we see more creators leaning in to creating and promoting their own templates, because it’s a huge growth opportunity! Anyone has the ability to become a trendsetter, you just have to put yourself out there, Tube Girl style. 

Creating your own Instagram Reels templates also attracts new eyes to your profile, because every time someone uses your template, your handle is shared on that reel. This is the *ultimate* growth hack for creators!

It reminds me of when Instagram launched filters for stories, and creators who were making filters saw a massive surge in followers. Creators were blowing up as everyone clamored to follow them so they wouldn’t miss a filter, which was neatly showcased in a special section on their profiles. 

Fast forward to 2024, and we're witnessing the emergence of ‘Trendspotter creators’ (see what I did there) – the ones curating fresh edits and sharing them with their followers through templates, instead of gatekeeping their editing secrets.

In years past we saw the rise of musicians who were creating sick trending audios, like Austin Millz who has gone on to have a super successful career:

And we’ve seen Sabrina Bahsoon aka Tube Girl absolutely blow up and take over the fashion world because of the fearless way she filmed her content, so it’s only natural that a new category of talented content creators emerges this year. 

Recently, Instagram launched a new Templates Browser to help you find inspiration when you don’t know what to post. Instagram is actively adding templates to their collections - we had one of our templates featured and raked in an extra 10k views on a reel! 

It's a whole new wave of creativity unfolding on the platform, and I think we’ll see 2024 become the year that Reels holds its own against TikTok, no longer being the place where you see a TikTok trend weeks later on Instagram. We’re already starting to see that with a recent report that found Reels are outperforming TikToks in views. 

And we can’t forget the slew of template apps (like Capcut, owned by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance) that are here to stay, ensuring faster content creation as AI video editing features advance.

One final note about templates: I think we’re entering the era of slower and simple video edits like this:

Say farewell to the aesthetic video trend where you have a ton of really fast clips edited together. I mean…it looked cool, but it’s not great content because you can’t even see what’s going on in the videos, and we saw an onslaught of them with 2023 recaps.

P.S. Taylor Lorenz thinks so too.

And that’s a wrap on my picks for 2024 Instagram & TikTok marketing trends! The thing I love (and hate) most about social is how it changes so fast; we are always having to learn new skills and constantly adapt to emerging trends and new platforms. Our jobs are never boring!

If you want to stay ahead of the trends this year, make sure you subscribe to Trendspotter, my weekly newsletter full of content ideas, so you’re never late to a trend again!