Why you should start working on your end-of-year strategy now
Curated by Megan Collins, Cultural Anthropologist, Generational Expert and contributor to the MTD blog
From Spotify Wrapped to the In & Out lists to the various formats of annual recaps, the end of one year and the beginning of another marks an occasion for posting on social media. As documented in Taylor Lorenz’s piece for The Washington Post, “If you didn’t share a recap video, did 2023 even happen?,” this past year “videos including the hashtag #2023recap have amassed a collective 1.6 billion views on TikTok.” However, also clear in the piece are the social pressure, anxiety, and FOMO social media users may feel when it comes time to put together a video bragging about what an amazing year they had:
“Several people on social media told The Post that they felt frustrated and overwhelmed at the prospect of summarizing an entire year into engaging short-form content.”
After seeing the videos take over his feeds, he considered making his own. “I kept trying to come up with a plan for how to do it,” he said. “It ended up just creating more anxiety.”
Velazquez felt like the whole process seemed like too much, and since he hadn’t traveled much in 2023, he didn’t feel like he had any good content. “There’s so much effort into posting these videos,” he said.
While this seems like a uniquely 2024 problem, I can’t help but be reminded of traditions that mirror the video recap. For instance, many families send an annual holiday card complete with pictures from the year and an update on members of the family. While technology has certainly changed the distribution channels, the idea that we collectively take stock at the end of the year and share it with our communities is nothing new. What is new is the scale at which we can share and our abilities to make highly professional-looking content from our phones… if we know what we’re doing.
While the ship has sailed on 2023, now is the perfect time to think about the end of 2024. To empower you to create the 2024 recap video of your dreams (without stressing) we’ve put together takeaways for creators & brands alike navigating the “recap industrial complex”:
Define your audience: Who is your recap video for & what would you like it to accomplish? Do you genuinely want to share your best moments of the year with your nearest and dearest? Are you hoping it gets picked up by the algorithm and goes viral? Do you want an excuse to remind your crush how good you looked on vacation this summer? Or does it simply look cool and you want one too? All are valid reasons but they each require a different approach. To avoid unnecessary anxiety and pressure around your recap keep this goal in mind and remember: At the end of the day, no one person is likely going to spend more time with your recap video than you.
Map your year: If you’re reading this it’s not too late to spend a few minutes in your notes app listing one thing to look forward to each or anticipatory highlight for each month of the year. Bonus: make a list of friends or collaborators you’d like to include in the video now so that you don’t accidentally forget anyone in the excitement to post. Whether or not you are diligent about updating it, you can come back to this list at the end of the year as an outline to make deciding which content to include seem less daunting.
Set up your camera roll for success: That said, the most effective way to ensure you have a 2024 recap to be proud of is to save content as you go throughout the year. While ideally we’d all have perfectly organized camera rolls, realistically by the end of the year it’s a disorganized collage of selfie sessions, screenshots, memes, and more photos of one’s dog than you’d think possible. Separate your best content and favorite memories from the clutter by favoriting them or putting them in their own designated folder. All in all, you want to make it as easy as possible for future you to decide where to start.
Lean on apps: As Taylor points out in her piece, content platforms and apps are adapting to keep up with the rising bar of this digital tradition. “While CapCut makes creating yearly recap videos easier, Sheel Mohnot, a venture capitalist in San Francisco, said that soon AI tools may allow people to create such videos with the click of a button. He’s surprised that Instagram hadn’t already created an easy way to create recaps. “I feel like Instagram should give you a year in review like Spotify does,” he said.”
While we wait for Instagram to adopt this as a new feature, consider if other apps might be useful to help you recap. For example, the 1-second everyday app will help you get that fast-paced, montage (even if you miss a day every now and then)
Get comfortable sitting trends out: Finally, maybe you don’t need to recap. Wanting to join a trend can be a beautiful thing. Seeing other people be creative and wanting to try their hand at it is one of the best parts of social media. However, if an end-of-year recap is feeling forced, it’s likely not authentic to the brand or person considering posting about it. Going back to the audience you identified at the beginning, consider: what value is this adding? Perhaps there are other year-end recap moments better suited for your brand or social media sharing habits like Spotify Wrapped, favorites, or Top 9. Besides, posting content isn’t the only way to engage with the trend. If scouring your camera roll and clipping highlights isn’t your thing, consider spending that time leaving nice comments on the recaps of your friends, family, and followers as a way to engage with the moment.