2024 predictions from the Ragan Communications team
We have lots of thoughts on X.
One thing you can say about 2023: it wasn’t boring.
From upheaval in the social media world to the AI revolution, the use of tech in communications dominated the headlines. But we’ve also seen a confusing economy, crises at every turn and a greater demand for organizations to take a stand – and the risks they face when they do.
These storylines will continue with us into 2024, for better or worse. So we asked our team at Ragan Communications to put on their fortune-teller hat and gaze into the not-so-distant future and offer their predictions for the year ahead.
One thing’s for sure: they don’t have high hopes for X. Weird.
Responses have been lightly edited.
Communications
“The lines will be even blurrier between internal and external communications, as organizations recognize that what’s internal is external and vice versa. The upcoming Presidential election in the US and the potential upheaval it may create will not be as challenging for communicators who’ve paid attention and learned from the past three years of major crises.”
–Diane Schwartz, CEO
“Employer branding competing more with traditional marketing: I’ve seen employer branding really start to gain momentum over the last few years, with more teams being developed and bigger budgets. However, a lot of the content/tactics are old and feels like it’s the same for all companies. I also think their work is getting lost in the competition with traditional marketing (and their big budgets). I’d predict the best employer brands are going to really start using the tools, tactics, storytelling, etc. that successful corporate marketers are using to stand out from the noise/sameness.”
–Ashley Perez, project manager, creative and production
“The hybrid work conversation sort of comes to its natural conclusion four years after the COVID outbreak and companies start finalizing permanent hybrid policies.”
–Sean Devlin, editor
“Companies will increasingly be forced to take a stand on issues the management team knows nothing about. McKinsey will make millions consulting on these responses.”
–Brian Gilbert, CFO
Social media
“I predict that X’s Linda Yaccarino will jump ship well before the platform bursts into flames because of Elon Musk’s unstable and #cringeworthy behavior.”
–Sherri Kolade, staff writer and producer
“We’ll see which platform, new or existing, becomes the new Twitter with users and advertisers leaving X. Twitter 2.0 should have the spirit of Pre-Musk Twitter, but address the old issues users had and innovate further to succeed.”
–Jon Minnick, special projects manager
“I think you’ll see more social pros rise into c-level roles such as a CMO while companies also expand their social teams to include roles that serve as the ‘talent face’ for video content.”
–Silvia Pittman, social media specialist
“I predict that Threads will overtake X (fka Twitter) in number of active monthly users and that Bluesky will exit beta mode and will no longer be invite-only.”
–Justin Levine, senior manager of member relations, leadership councils
“Meta changes its algorithm to push Threads content onto our Instagram and Facebook feeds.”
–Alyssa Smith, director of event programming
“TikTok (and then Instagram) will make moves to become more like YouTube, focusing on search and discoverability and the staying power of videos as evergreen content, and it will overhaul its approach to ad serving.”
–Jess Zafarris, director of content
“Social influencers are the modern-day infomercial actors/actresses from the ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s. Consumers are catching on. Comms professionals must add creativity and authenticity to their paid social and earned media efforts to combat this.”
–John DiCostanzo, membership advisor
AI
“I predict that next year will start to see the trend of trying to prove authenticity in writing and communications to combat the rise in AI and everyone believing things are written by AI now.”
–Claudia Sozio, marketing coordinator
“X’s Grok application will get the platform sued.”
–Jess Zafarris, director of content
Spicy
“Taylor Swift will break up with Travis Kelce and her song about the breakup will be a Billboard #1 hit.”
–Diane Schwartz, CEO
