The landscape of consumer behaviour is constantly evolving, and with it, the strategies that brands use to engage with their audiences. What worked a decade ago may no longer be relevant, and even last year’s tactics could already feel outdated in today’s rapidly changing digital environment. Nowhere is this more evident than in India—a nation with a vast and diverse population, where understanding the pulse of various target groups is both a challenge and an opportunity.
As the digital world continues to shrink global boundaries, Indian consumers are increasingly exposed to international standards not only in products and services but also in marketing practices. This has led to a heightened expectation for brands to deliver marketing campaigns that are not only culturally relevant but also globally competitive. Social media marketing in India has become a critical platform where brands must innovate and adapt to stay ahead. In 2024, the key to success for Indian brands lies in leveraging top social media strategies that resonate with local audiences while meeting global standards of engagement and creativity.
As social media marketing becomes an indispensable tool for India brands, let us look at some top social media marketing strategies that businesses can leverage to stay ahead of the curve.
Authenticity
Social media has revolutionized the free flow of information, enabling consumers to research brands and stay informed about industry developments. Today’s consumers are well-informed and quick to spot inconsistencies, exposing brands that misrepresent themselves. For instance, when the World Health Organization highlighted the potential hazards of Aspartame, an ingredient in Coke Zero, Coca-Cola allegedly hired influencers, including dieticians and doctors, through the American Beverage Association to cast Aspartame in a positive light. However, social media users quickly exposed this, leading to Federal Trade Commission notices for violating the FTC Act.
For brands, authenticity is now more crucial than ever. Attempting to project an image that isn’t true to who you are simply won’t cut it anymore. Indian brands need to grasp this quickly to stay ahead. Take The Whole Truth, for example. This brand excels by embracing transparency and empowering consumers with clear information about what they’re eating. Their commitment to authenticity has not only driven their success but also solidified their reputation as a trustworthy brand. In short, to stand out in 2024, brands must focus on creating genuine content on social media and being transparent with their customers. This approach will help them distinguish themselves from competitors and build stronger connections with their audience.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing, while not new, continues to be one of the most effective social media strategies for brands. In fact, the Influencer Marketing industry in India is expected to reach $34 billion by 2026, driven by the rapid rise in internet penetration and digitization. With the emergence of micro and nano influencers, brands now have the opportunity to collaborate with those who closely align with their values, enhancing authenticity and trust. The key for brands is to focus on building long-term relationships with influencers, fostering consistent and genuine content that truly resonates with their audience.
Hyper personalization and Customer Engagement
Everyone loves it when they get personal attention as it makes them feel seen and heard. While providing personal touch to your customers must’ve seemed impossible before, it is not the case anymore thanks to the vast amount of data available for brands. With the help of tools available on social media platforms such as Meta (Formerly Facebook), Instagram, Snapchat, etc, brands can use data analytics to understand what each customer prefers and tailor their content accordingly.
For example, if a person shows interest in buying a t-shirt from The Souled Store, but leaves it in their cart, brands can send them personalized follow-up emails, and maybe even offer them a minor discount to further incentivize them to complete the purchase. Additionally, directly engaging with customers through comments, emails, messages etc. makes them feel valued and understood, which is the need of the hour. So, if there is one strategy that brands should adopt in 2024, it is giving their customer individual attention wherever and whenever it is feasible
Short-Form Video Content
According to a 2023 BCG report, the average attention span of a person has fallen to just 8 seconds in the last few years. While this cannot be directly attributed to the emergence of bite-sized content due to a lack of concrete evidence and studies, the consumption of such content in India has been on a upwards trend. With Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and now even LinkedIn coming up with its own version of short-video content, people are increasingly moving towards content that is under 30 seconds.
While reducing attention spans might not be a particularly good thing for humans, it is the reality. Social media marketing functions on attention, and brands need to be where the attention is. Owing to this, creating bite-sized content to engage with audiences becomes crucial for any brand to stay relevant and engage with audiences directly.
Meme Marketing
When memes first blew up on the internet, no one could’ve imagined them to become powerful marketing tools. Memes basically use humour to engage audiences, which, if leveraged correctly, can work wonders for a brand.
An important thing to note that memes are short lived and new formats and trends spring up every single day. So, it isn’t necessary for brands to jump on all trends as overdoing it could dilute the brand’s voice and positioning in the industry. Identifying the trends accurately and connecting it with your brand is crucial before making content around a trending meme format.
Some great examples of brands leveraging memes would be Swiggy, DuoLingo, and Zomato, who not only are extremely creative with their copy, but also curate meme content in other formats that is relevant and appeals to their audiences.
As Indian brands continue to navigate the dynamic landscape of social media marketing in 2024, embracing these strategies will be vital for success. However, while this list stands relevant today, with the pace at which the global economy is shifting, these might not be relevant next year. So, above all, the one social media strategy India brands must adopt is adaptability, for change is the only constant and going with the tide is a proven pathway to success.
