13 social media research topics to explore in 2024

Last updated

15 January 2024

Reviewed by

Miroslav Damyanov

To help you choose a specific area to examine, here are some of the top social media research topics that are relevant in 2024.

  • What makes a strong social media research topic?

Consider the factors below to ensure your topic is strong and compelling:

Clarity: regardless of the topic you investigate, clarity is essential. It ensures readers will be able to understand your work and any wider learnings. Your argument should be clear and your language unambiguous.

Trend relevancy: you need to know what’s currently happening in social media to draw relevant conclusions. Before choosing a topic, consider current popular platforms, trending content, and current use cases to ensure you understand social media as it is today.

New insights: if your research is to be new, innovative, and helpful for the wider population, it should cover areas that haven’t been studied before. Look into what’s already been thoroughly researched to help you uncover knowledge gaps that could be good focus areas.

  • Tips for choosing social media research topics

When considering social media research questions, it’s also important to consider whether you’re the right person to conduct that area of study. Your skills, interests, and time allocated will all impact your suitability.

Consider your skillset: your specific expertise is highly valuable when conducting research. Choosing a topic that aligns with your skills will help ensure you can add a thorough analysis and your own learnings.

Align with your interests: if you’re deeply interested in a topic, you’re much more likely to enjoy the process and dedicate the time it needs for a thorough analysis.

Consider your resources: the time you have available to complete the research, your allocated funds, and access to resources should all impact the research topic you choose.

  • 13 social media research paper topics

To help you choose the right area of research, we’ve rounded up some of the most compelling topics within the sector. These ideas may also help you come up with your own.

1. The influence of social media on mental health

It’s well-documented that social media can impact mental health. For example, a significant amount of research has highlighted the link between social media and conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress—but there’s still more to uncover in this area.

There are high rates of mental illness worldwide, so there’s continual interest in ways to understand and mitigate it. Studies could focus on the following areas:

The reasons why social media can impact mental health

How social media can impact specific mental health conditions (you might also look at different age groups here)

How to reduce social media’s impact on mental health

2. The effects of social media exposure on child development

There are many unknowns with social media. More research is needed to understand how it impacts children. As such, this is a very valuable research area.

You might explore the following topics:

How social media impacts children at different ages

The long-term effects of childhood social media use

The benefits of social media use in children

How social media use impacts childhood socialization, communication, and learning

3. The role of social media in political campaigning

Social media’s role in political campaigning is nothing new. The Cambridge Analytica Scandal, for example, involved data from millions of Facebook profiles being sold to a third party for political advertising. Many believe this could have impacted the 2016 US election results. Ultimately, Facebook had to pay a private class-action lawsuit of $725 million.

The role of social media in political campaigns is of global significance. Concerns are still high that social media can play a negative role in elections due to the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and the bandwagon effect.

Research in this area could look into the following topics:

How people are influenced by social media when it comes to voting

Ways to mitigate misinformation

Election interference and how this can be prevented

4. The role of social media in misinformation and disinformation

Misinformation and disinformation mean slightly different things. Misinformation is unintentionally sharing false or inaccurate information, while disinformation is sharing false information with the deliberate intent to mislead people.

Both can play a role not just in elections but throughout social media. This became particularly problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research into this area is important given the widespread risk that comes with spreading false information about health and safety-related topics.

Here are some potential research areas:

How misinformation and disinformation are spread via social media

The impact of false information (you could focus on how it impacts health, for example)

Strategies for mitigating the impact of false information and encouraging critical thinking

The avenues through which to hold technology companies accountable for spreading misinformation

5. The impact of AI and deepfakes on social media 

AI technology is expected to continue expanding in 2024. Some are concerned that this could impact social media. One concern is the potential for the widespread use of deepfake technology—a form of AI that uses deep learning to create fake images.

Fake images can be used to discredit, shame, and control others, so researchers need to deeply understand this area of technology. You might look into the following areas:

The potential impacts of deepfakes on businesses and their reputations

Deepfake identities on social media: privacy concerns and other risks

How deepfake images can be identified, controlled, and prevented

6. How social media can benefit communities

While there’s much research into the potential negative impacts of social media, it can also provide many benefits.

Social media can establish connections for those who might otherwise be isolated in the community. It can facilitate in-person gatherings and connect people who are physically separated, such as relatives who live in different countries. Social media can also provide critical information to communities quickly in the case of emergencies.

Research into the ways social media can provide these key benefits can make interesting topics. You could consider the following:

Which social media platforms offer the most benefits

How to better use social media to lean into these benefits

How new social platforms could connect us in more helpful ways

7. The psychology of social media

Social media psychology explores human behavior in relation to social media. There are a range of topics within social media psychology, including the following: 

The influence of social media on social comparison

Addiction and psychological dependence on social media

How social media increases the risk of cyberbullying

How social media use impacts people’s attention spans

Social interactions and the impact on socialization

Persuasion and influence on social media

8. How communication has evolved through social media

Social media has provided endless ways for humans to connect and interact, so the ways we do this have evolved.

Most obviously, social media has provided ways to connect instantaneously via real-time messaging and communicate using multimedia formats, including text, images, emojis, video content, and audio.

This has made communication more accessible and seamless, especially given many people now own smartphones that can connect to social media apps from anywhere.

You might consider researching the following topics:

How social media has changed the way people communicate

The impacts of being continuously connected, both positive and negative

How communication may evolve in the future due to social media

9. Social media platforms as primary news sources

As social media use has become more widespread, many are accessing news information primarily from their newsfeeds. This can be particularly problematic, given that newsfeeds are personalized providing content to people based on their data.

This can cause people to live in echo chambers, where they are constantly targeted with content that aligns with their beliefs. This can cause people to become more entrenched in their way of thinking and more unable or unwilling to see other people’s opinions and points of view.

Research in this area could consider the following:

The challenges that arise from using social media platforms as a primary news source

The pros and cons of social media: does it encourage “soloization” or diverse perspectives?

How to prevent social media echo chambers from occurring

The impact of social media echo chambers on journalistic integrity

10. How social media is impacting modern journalism

News platforms typically rely on an advertising model where more clicks and views increase revenue. Since sensationalist stories can attract more clicks and shares on social media, modern journalism is evolving.

Journalists are often rewarded for writing clickbait headlines and content that’s more emotionally triggering (and therefore shareable).

Your research could cover the following areas:

How journalism is evolving due to social media

How to mitigate social media’s impact on neutral reporting

The importance of journalistic standards in the age of social media

11. The impact of social media on traditional advertising

Digital advertising is growing in popularity. Worldwide, ad spending on social media was expected to reach $207.1 billion in 2023 . Experts estimate that ad spending on mobile alone will reach $255.8 billion by 2028 . This move continues to impact traditional advertising, which takes place via channels like print, TV, and radio.

Most organizations consider their social strategy a critical aspect of their advertising program. Many exclusively advertise on social media—especially those with limited budgets.

Here are some interesting research topics in this area

The impact of different advertising methods

Which social media advertising channels provide the highest return on investment (ROI)

The societal impacts of social media advertising

12. Impacts of social media presence on corporate image

Social media presence can provide companies with an opportunity to be visible and increase brand awareness . Social media also provides a key way to interact with customers.

More and more customers now expect businesses to be online. Research shows that 63% of customers expect companies to offer customer service via their social media channels, while a whopping 90% have connected with a brand or business through social media.

Research in this area could focus on the following topics:

The advantages and disadvantages of social media marketing for businesses

How social media can impact a business’s corporate image

How social media can boost customer experience and loyalty

13. How social media impacts data privacy

Using social media platforms is free for the most part, but users have to provide their personal data for the privilege. This means data collection , tracking, the potential for third parties to access that data, psychological profiling, geolocation, and tracking are all potential risks for users.

Data security and privacy are of increasing interest globally. Research within this area will likely be in high demand in 2024.

Here are some of the research topics you might want to consider in this area:

Common privacy concerns with social media use

Why is social media privacy important?

What can individuals do to protect their data when using social media?

  • The importance of social media research

As social media use continues to expand in the US and around the world, there’s continual interest in research on the topic. The research you conduct could positively impact many groups of people.

Topics can cover a broad range of areas. You might look at how social media can harm or benefit people, how social media can impact journalism, how platforms can impact young people, or the data privacy risks involved with social media use. The options are endless, and new research topics will present themselves as technology evolves.

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  • Open access
  • Published: 29 April 2024

Problematic social media use mediates the effect of cyberbullying victimisation on psychosomatic complaints in adolescents

  • Prince Peprah 1 , 2 ,
  • Michael Safo Oduro 3 ,
  • Godfred Atta-Osei 4 ,
  • Isaac Yeboah Addo 5 , 6 ,
  • Anthony Kwame Morgan 7 &
  • Razak M. Gyasi 8 , 9  

Scientific Reports volume  14 , Article number:  9773 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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  • Public health
  • Risk factors

Adolescent psychosomatic complaints remain a public health issue globally. Studies suggest that cyberbullying victimisation, particularly on social media, could heighten the risk of psychosomatic complaints. However, the mechanisms underlying the associations between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints remain unclear. This cross-cultural study examines the mediating effect of problematic social media use (PSMU) on the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints among adolescents in high income countries. We analysed data on adolescents aged 11–16.5 years (weighted N = 142,298) in 35 countries participating in the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Path analysis using bootstrapping technique tested the hypothesised mediating role of PSMU. Results from the sequential binary mixed effects logit models showed that adolescents who were victims of cyberbullying were 2.39 times significantly more likely to report psychosomatic complaints than those who never experienced cyberbullying (AOR = 2.39; 95%CI = 2.29, 2.49). PSMU partially mediated the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints accounting for 12% ( \(\beta\)  = 0.01162, 95%CI = 0.0110, 0.0120) of the total effect. Additional analysis revealed a moderation effect of PSMU on the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints. Our findings suggest that while cyberbullying victimisation substantially influences psychosomatic complaints, the association is partially explained by PSMU. Policy and public health interventions for cyberbullying-related psychosomatic complaints in adolescents should target safe social media use.

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A nationwide study on time spent on social media and self-harm among adolescents, introduction.

Adolescence is noted to be a critical developmental stage, with many problems, including loneliness 1 , poor friendships, an adverse class climate, school pressure 2 , suicidal ideation and attempts, and psychosomatic complaints 3 . Psychosomatic complaint is a combination of physical ailments (i.e., headaches, stomach aches, fatigue, and muscle pain) caused or exacerbated by psychological factors such as stress, irritability, anxiety, or emotional distress 4 , 5 . Psychosomatic complaints are common among adolescents, and recent estimates indicate that the global prevalence of psychosomatic complaints ranges between 10 and 50% 6 . Also, an increase in self-reported psychosomatic complaints and related mental health complaints have been reported in adolescents from high-income countries 7 , 8 . The high prevalence of psychosomatic complaints is of concern as psychosomatic complaints have severe implications for multiple detrimental health outcomes, healthcare expenditure, and quality of life of young people 9 . Thus, it is of utmost importance to identify the proximate risk factors for psychosomatic complaints among young people to aid in developing targeted interventions to reduce the incidence of psychosomatic complaints, mainly in high-income countries.

While extant research has identified risk factors for psychosomatic complaints, including malnutrition, low physical activity, and poor parental guidance 10 , 11 , 12 , one understudied but potentially important risk factor is cyberbullying victimisation. Cyberbullying victimisation is an internet-based aggressive and intentional act of continually threatening, harassing, or embarrassing individuals who cannot defend themselves using electronic contact forms such as emails, text messages, images, and videos 13 , 14 . Indeed, being typical of interpersonal interactions, cyberbullying victimisation has shown a rising trend, particularly during adolescence 15 . International literature has shown the prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation to be between 12 and 72% among young people 14 , 16 . It may be hypothesised that cyberbullying victimisation potentially increases the risk of psychosomatic complaints through factors such as problematic social media use (PSMU) 17 , 18 . However, studies are needed to identify whether and the extent to which such factors mediate the potential association of cyberbullying victimisation with psychosomatic complaints among young people.

Given this background, the present study aimed to investigate the association between cyberbullying victmisation and psychosomatic complaints in 142,298 young people aged 11–16.5 years from 35 high-income countries. A further aim was to quantify how PSMU mediates the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints.

Cyberbullying victimisation and adolescents’ psychosomatic complaints

Research has consistently shown that cyberbullying victimisation significantly impacts adolescents’ mental health 19 . For example, Kowalski and Limber 20 found that cyberbullying victimisation is associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, and social anxiety, as well as psychosomatic complaints, such as fatigue and muscle tension. Further, studies have shown that cyberbullying victimisation and perpetration can lead to a variety of physical, social, and mental health issues, including substance abuse and suicidal thoughts and attempts 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 . Furthermore, cyberbullying victimisation is strongly associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts, regardless of demographic factors like gender or age 21 , 25 . These findings underscore the urgent need for interventions that address the mental health consequences of cyberbullying, particularly for adolescents, who are most vulnerable to its harmful effects. The findings also suggest that cyberbullying might be a potential underlying predictor of higher psychosomatic disorders among adolescents. This present study, therefore, hypothesises that H1: there is a statistically significant association between cyberbullying victimisation (X) and psychosomatic complaints (Y) (total effect).

The role of adolescents’ PSMU

Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU), a subtype of problematic internet use, refers to the uncontrolled, compulsive or excessive engagement with social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, characterised by addictive behaviours like mood alteration, withdrawal symptoms, and interpersonal conflicts. This pattern of social media usage can result in functional impairments and adverse outcomes 26 . Scholars and professionals have shown great concern about the length of time adolescents spend on social media. Studies have observed that (early) adolescence could be a crucial and sensitive developmental stage in which adolescent users might be unable to avoid the harmful impacts of social media use 27 . According to current research, PSMU may increase adolescents’ exposure to cyberbullying victimisation, which can have severe consequences for their mental health 28 , 29 , 30 . Similarly, an association between PSMU and physical/somatic problems, as well as somatic disorders, has been established in many studies 31 , 32 . Hanprathet et al. 33 demonstrated the negative impact of problematic Facebook use on general health, including somatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, depression, and social dysfunction. According to Cerutti et al. 34 , adolescents with problematic social media usage have more somatic symptoms, such as stomach pain, headaches, sore muscles, and poor energy, than their counterparts. Hence, inadequate sleep may be associated with PSMU, harming both perceived physical and mental health 35 , 36 . Again, supporting the above evidence, the relationship between PSMU, well-being, and psychological issues have been highlighted in meta-analytic research and systematic reviews 27 , 31 , 37 , 38 . Thus, this study proposes the following hypothesis: H2: there is a specific indirect effect of cyberbullying victimisation (X) on psychosomatic complaints (Y) through PSMU (M1) (indirect effect a 1 b 1 ).

Study, sample, and procedures

This study used data from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey conducted in 35 countries and regions across Europe and Canada during the 2017–2018 academic year 39 . The HBSC research team/network is an international alliance of researchers collaborating on a cross-national survey of school students. The HBSC collects data every four years on 11-, 13- and 15- year-old adolescent boys’ and girls’ health and well-being, social environments, and health behaviours. The sampling procedure for the 2018 survey followed international guidelines 40 , 41 . A systematic sampling method was used to identify schools in each region from the complete list of both public and private schools. Participants were recruited through a cluster sampling approach, using the school class as the primary sampling unit 42 . Some countries oversampled subpopulations (e.g., by geography and ethnicity), and standardised weights were created to ensure representativeness of the population of 11, 13, and 15 years 43 . Questionnaires were translated based on a standard procedure to allow comparability between the participating countries. Our analysis used data from 35 countries and regions with complete data on cyberbullying victimisation, PSMU, and psychosomatic complaints. The study complies with ethical standards in each country and follows ethical guidelines for research and data protection from the World Health Organisation and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Depending on the country, active or passive consent was sought from parents or legal guardians and students which was checked by teachers to participate in the study. The survey was conducted anonymously and participation in the study was voluntary for schools and students. Schools, children and adolescents could refuse to participate or withdraw their consent until the day of the survey. Moreover, all participating students were free to cease filling out the questionnaire at any moment, or to answer only selected questions. More detailed information on the methodology of the HBSC study including ethics and data protection can be found elsewhere 44 , 45 .

Outcome variable: psychosomatic complaints

Psychosomatic complaints was assessed by one collective item asking students how often they had experienced the following complaints over the past six months: headache, stomach aches, feeling low, irritability or bad mood, feeling nervous, dizziness, abdominal pain, sleep difficulty, and backache. Response options included: about every day, more than once a week, about every week, about every month, and rarely or never. This scale has sufficient test–retest reliability and validity 46 , good internal consistency (Cronbach’s a = 0.82) 47 , and has been applied in several multiple country analyses 48 , 49 . The scale is predictive of emotional problems and suicidal ideation in adolescents 50 , 51 . For our analysis, the scale was dichotomised with two or more complaints several times a week or daily coded as having psychosomatic complaints 47 , 49 .

Exposure variable: Cyberbullying victimisation

Cyberbullying victimisation is the exposure variable in this study. Thus, the exposure variable pertains to only being a victim of cyberbullying and does not include perpetration of cyberbullying. Students were first asked to read and understand a short definition of cyberbullying victimisation. They were then asked how often they were bullied over the past two months (e.g., someone sending mean instant messages, emails, or text messages about you; wall postings; creating a website making fun of you; posting unflattering or inappropriate pictures of you online without your permission or sharing them with others). Responses included: “ I have not   been  cyberbullied”, “once or twice”, “two or three times a month”, “about once a week”, and “several times a week”. These were dichotomised into “never" or “once or more". This measure of bullying victimisation has been validated across multiple cultural settings 43 , 52 , 53 , 54 .

Mediating variable

Problematic social media use (PSMU) was assessed with the Social Media Disorder Scale (Cronbach’s a = 0.89) 55 . The scale contains nine dichotomous (yes/no) items describing addiction-like symptoms, including preoccupation with social media, dissatisfaction about lack of time for social media, feeling bad when not using social media, trying but failing to spend less time using social media, neglecting other duties to use social media, frequent arguments over social media, lying to parents or friends about social media use, using social media to escape from negative feelings, and having a severe conflict with family over social media use. In this study, the endorsement of six or more items indicated PSMU as evidence suggests that a threshold of six or more is an indicative of PSMU 54 , 56 . This scale has been used across cultural contexts 43 , 52 , 54 .

Informed by previous studies 43 , 54 , 57 , the analysis controlled for theoretically relevant confounders, including sex (male/female) and age. Family affluence/socio-economic class was assessed using the Relative Family Affluence Scale, a validated six-item measure of material assets in the home, such as the number of vehicles, bedroom sharing, computer ownership, bathrooms at home, dishwashers at home, and family vacations) 56 , 58 . Finally, parental and peer support were measured using an eight item-measure 59 . Responses were recorded on a 7-point Likert scale (ranging from 0 indicating very strongly disagree to 6 indicating very strongly agree).

Statistical analysis

Region-specific descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the sample. Next, Pearson’s Chi-squared association test with Yates’ continuity correction was performed to examine plausible associations between psychosomatic complaints and other categorical study variables. Also, to account for the regional clustering or unobserved heterogeneity observed in the analytic sample, sequential mixed effect binary logit models with the inclusion of a random intercept were fitted to further examine the associations between psychosomatic complaints and cyberbullying victimisation as well as other considered covariates. Furthermore, a parallel mediator model was fitted to evaluate the specified hypothesis and understand the potential mechanism linking cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints. More specifically, cyberbullying victimisation (X) was modelled to directly influence psychosomatic complaints (Y) and indirectly via PSMU (M). Since core variables were binary, paths could be estimated with a sequence of three logit equations: 60 , 61

where, \({i}_{1}\) , \({i}_{2}\) , and \({i}_{3}\) represent the intercept in the respective equations. The path coefficient, c, in Eq. ( 1 ) represents the total effect of predictor X on outcome Y . In Eq. ( 2 ), the path coefficient a denotes the effect of predictor X on the mediator M . Also, the c' parameter in Eq. ( 3 ) represents the direct effect of the predictor X on the response Y , adjusting for the mediator M . Lastly, the path coefficient b coefficient in Eq. ( 3 ) represents the indirect effect of the mediator M on the outcome Y , when adjusting for the predictor X . These logit models provide effect estimates on the log-odds scale, and thus can be transformed into odds ratios. Each model was adjusted for the potential confounding variables.

All statistical analyses were performed using R Software (v4.1.2; R Core Team 2021) with \(\alpha\)  =  0.05 as the significance level. More specifically, the package “mediation” in R 62 was used for the mediation analysis to estimate direct, indirect, and total effects. Inference is based on a non-parametric, 95% bias-corrected and accelerated (BCa) bootstrapped confidence interval 63 , 64 . Bootstrapping for indirect effects was set at 1000 samples, and once the 95% bootstrapped CI of the mediation effects did not include zero (0), it was deemed statistically significant. We also conducted further analysis by including an interaction between cyberbullying victimisation and PSMU to obtain insights analogous to the mediation model.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The research was exclusively based on data sourced from the World Bank, which adheres to rigorous ethical standards in its data collection processes. Therefore, no separate ethical approval was sought or deemed necessary. Ethical approval was not required for this study since the data used for this study are secondary data. Necessary permissions and survey data were obtained from the World Bank. The World Bank data collection process upheld ethical standards and relevant guidelines in the research process including informed consent from all subjects and/or their legal guardian(s).

Preliminary analyses

The final analytic sample comprised complete information on 142,298 adolescents from 35 high-income countries (Table 1 ). The median age of the sample was 13.6 years. Most participants resided in Wales (6.26%) and the Czech Republic (6.16%). Notably, the prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation was 26.2%, and the majority (53%) were females. As observed in Table 2 , 84.6% of the participants self-reported high levels of psychosomatic complaints. Furthermore, among the participants who experienced PSMU, about 81.16% reported high levels of psychosomatic complaints. About 84.47% of the participants indicated receiving parental and peer support (see Table 2 ).

Main analyses

Results from the sequential binary mixed effects logit model are shown in Table 3 . In the first step, we included only cyberbullying victimisation in the model. We found that cyberbullying victims were 2.430 times more likely to report psychosomatic complaints than those who were not cyberbullied (OR = 2.430; 95%CI = 2.330, 2.530). The second step included sex, PSMU, parental and peer support, and family affluence as covariates. We found that cyber bullying victims were 2.390 times significantly more likely to report psychosomatic complaints than those who never experienced cyberbullying (AOR = 2.390; 95%CI = 2.29, 2.49). Additionally, the third model, which is an additional analysis involved the inclusion of an interaction between and cyberbullying victimisation and PSMU. The results showed that PSMU moderates the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints. Adolescents who were cyberbullied but did not report PSMU had reduced odds of psychosomatic complaints compared to those with PSMU (AOR = 1.220; 95%CI = 1.110–1.350). Furthermore, a caterpillar plot of empirical Bayes residuals of the models for the random intercept, region/country is obtained and shown in Fig.  1 . This represents individual effects for each country and offers additional insights into the extent of psychosomatic complaints heterogeneity across different countries. The plots visually demonstrates that regional variation for psychosomatic complaints does exist.

figure 1

A caterpillar plot of empirical Bayes residuals of the models for the random intercept, region/country. This represents individual effects for each region/country. Region or country abbreviations in the figure are as follows: [AL] Albania, [AZ] Azerbaijan, [AT] Austria, [BE-VLG] Vlaamse Gewest (Belgium), [BE-WAL] Wallone, Région (Belgium), [CA] Canada, [CZ] Czech Republic, [DE] Germany, [EE] Estonia, [CA] Canada, [ES] Spain, [FR] France, [GB-ENG] England, [GB-SCT] Scotland, [GB-WLS] Wales, [GE] Georgia, [GR] Greece, [HR] Croatia, [HU] Hungary, [IE] Ireland, [IL] Israel, [IS] Iceland, [IT] Italy, [KZ] Kazakhstan, [LT] Lithuania, [LU] Luxembourg, [MD] Moldova, [MT] Malta, [NL] Netherlands, [PT] Portugal, [RO] Romania, [RS] Serbia, [RU] Russia, [SE] Sweden, [SI] Slovenia, [TR] Turkey, [LU] Luxembourg and [UA] Ukraine.

Figure  2 shows the adjusted parallel mediation results. The effect of cyberbullying victimisation on psychosomatic complaints was significantly mediated by PSMU. The paths from cyberbullying victimisation to PSMU (a: \(\beta\) =0.648, p < 0.001), PSMU to psychosomatic complaints (b: \(\beta\) =0.889, p < 0.001), and that of cyberbullying victimisation to 0.8069 (c′: \(\beta\) =0.051, p < 0.001) were also statistically significant.

figure 2

A parallel mediation model of the influence of PSMU on the association between Cyberbullying Victimisation and Psychosomatic Complaints. a = path coefficient of the effect of exposure on the mediator. b = path coefficient of the effect of the mediator on the outcome. c’ = path coefficient of the direct effect of the exposure on outcome. CV, cyberbullying victimisation. PC, psychosomatic complaints.

Bootstrapping test of mediating effects

The total, direct, and indirect effects of the mediation model based on nonparametric bootstrap are presented in Table 4 . We observe that the estimated CI did not include zero (0) for any effects. This observation suggests a statistically significant indirect effect of cyberbullying victimisation on psychosomatic complaints via PSMU ( \(\beta\)  = 0.01162, 95%CI = 0.0110, 0.0120), yielding 12% of the total effect.

Key findings

This cross-cultural study examined the direct and indirect associations of cyberbullying victimisation with psychosomatic complaints via PSMU among adolescents. The results showed that cyberbullying victimisation independently influenced the experience of psychosomatic complaints. Specifically, adolescents who were victims of cyberbullying were more than two times more likely to report psychosomatic complaints. Crucially, our mediation analyses indicated that PSMU explain approximately 12% of the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints. In a further analysis, PSMU moderated the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints. This study is the first to examine the direct and indirect associations between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints through PSMU in adolescents across multiple high-income countries.

Interpretation of the findings

Our results confirmed the first hypothesis that there is a statistically significant direct association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints. Thus, we found that cyberbullying independently directly affected the adolescents' experience of psychosomatic complaints. Previous studies have mainly focused on the direct effect of traditional face-to-face bullying on psychosomatic complaints 20 , 65 or compared the impact of traditional face-to-face bullying to cyberbullying concerning mental health 19 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 . A systematic review of traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimisation offers a comprehensive synthesis of the consequences of cyberbullying on adolescent health 19 . Another review suggested that cyberbullying threatened adolescents’ well-being and underscored many studies that have demonstrated effective relationships between adolescents’ involvement in cyberbullying and adverse health outcomes 70 . Other population-based cross-sectional studies have similarly shown that victims of cyberbullying experience significant psychological distress and feelings of isolation, which can further exacerbate their physical and mental health challenges 22 , 71 , 72 . The present study builds on the previously published literature by highlighting the effect of cyberbullying victimisation on adolescent psychosomatic complaints and the extent to which the association is mediated by PSMU.

Consistent with the second hypothesis, we found that PSMU mediated about 12% of the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints in this sample. While studies on the mediational role of PSMU in the relationship between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints are limited, evidence shows significant interplay among PSMU, cyberbullying victimisation, and psychosomatic complaints. For example, a study of over 58,000 young people in Italy found that PSMU was associated with increased levels of multiple somatic and psychological symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. 73 Another study of 1707 adolescents in Sweden found that cyberbullying victimisation was associated with increased depressive symptoms and the lowest level of subjective well-being 74 .

Other possible mediators of the cyberbullying victimisation-psychosomatic complaints association may include low self-esteem, negative body image, emotion regulation difficulties, social support, and personality traits such as neuroticism and impulsivity 20 , 67 , 72 , 75 , 76 . For example, Schneider et al. 75 have shown that emotional distress could increase psychosomatic symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, and muscle tension. In addition, social isolation can lead to social withdrawal and a decreased sense of belonging 78 , 79 . Therefore, it is essential to explore these variables further and develop effective interventions and prevention strategies to address these interrelated factors and reduce their negative impact on adolescent health and well-being.

In a further analysis, the results show that PSMU does not only mediate but also moderate the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints among adolescents. Specifically, cyberbullied adolescents with no report of PSMU had reduced likelihoods of experiencing psychosomatic complaints compared to those with PSMU. This result is interesting and could be due to several factors. First, individuals with PSMU may already be experiencing heightened levels of psychological distress due to their excessive social media use, making them more vulnerable to the negative effects of cyberbullying 80 , 81 , 82 . For instance, excessive time spent on social media, particularly in activities such as comparing oneself to others or seeking validation through likes and comments, has been linked to increased psychological distress 83 , 84 . Conversely, the finding that cyberbullied adolescents without PSMU had reduced likelihoods of experiencing psychosomatic complaints compared to those with PSMU suggests a protective effect of lower social media use. Adolescents who are not excessively engaged with social media may have fewer opportunities for exposure to cyberbullying and may also have healthier coping strategies in place to deal with any instances of online victimisation 43 , 85 , 86 .

The results suggest that professionals in the fields of education, counselling, and healthcare should prioritise addressing the issue of cyberbullying victimisation when assessing the physical and psychological health of adolescents. Evidently, adolescents who experience cyberbullying require support. Thus, proactive measures are essential, and support could be provided by multiple professional communities that serve adolescents and young people in society, such as educational, behavioural health, and medical professionals. Sensitive inquiry regarding cyberbullying experiences is necessary when addressing adolescent health issues such as depression, substance use, suicidal ideation, and somatic concerns 19 . Our findings underscore the need for comprehensive, school-based programs focused on cyberbullying victimisation prevention and intervention.

Strengths and limitations

The study's main strength lies in the use of a large sample size representing multiple countries in high income countries. This large sample size improved the representativeness and veracity of our findings. The complex research approach helps advance our understanding of the interrelationships between cyberbullying victimisation, PSMU, and psychosomatic complaints among adolescents. However, the study has its limitations. First, the cross-sectional design does not allow directionality and causal inferences. Second, retrospective self-reporting for the critical study variables could lead to recall and social desirability biases. Third, the presence of residual and unobserved confounders, despite adjusting for some covariates, can be considered a limitation of this study. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and better understand how PSMU mediates the relationship between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints.

Conclusions

This study has provided essential insights into the interrelationships between cyberbullying victimisation, PSMU, and psychosomatic complaints among adolescents in high income countries. The findings suggest that cyberbullying is directly associated with psychosomatic complaints and that PSMU significantly and partially mediates this association. This study also highlights the importance of addressing cyberbullying victimisation and its negative impact on adolescent health and emphasises the need to address PSMU. Overall, the study underscores the importance of promoting healthy online behaviour and providing appropriate support for adolescents who experience cyberbullying victimisation. Further studies will benefit from longitudinal data to confirm our findings.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the World Bank, but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study and so are not publicly available. Data are, however, available from the corresponding author ([email protected]) upon reasonable request and with permission of the World Bank.

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Chen, L., Ho, S. S. & Lwin, M. O. A meta-analysis of factors predicting cyberbullying perpetration and victimization: From the social cognitive and media effects approach. New Media Soc. 19 (8), 1194–1213. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816634037 (2017).

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Acknowledgements

We thank the 2017/2018 HBSC survey team/network, the coordinator and the Data Bank Manager for granting us access to the datasets. We duly acknowledge all school children who participated in the surveys.

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best research title about social media

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The rise of social media

Social media sites are used by more than two-thirds of internet users. how has social media grown over time.

This article is an archived version of an article published in 2019. Due to data availability, the article and charts will not be updated.

Facebook, the largest social media platform in the world, had 2.4 billion users in 2019. Other social media platforms, including YouTube and WhatsApp, also had over one billion users each.

These numbers are huge – in 2019, there were 7.7 billion people worldwide, with at least 3.5 billion online . This means social media platforms were used by one in three people worldwide and more than two-thirds of all Internet users.

Social media has changed the world. The rapid and vast adoption of these technologies is changing how we find partners , access information from the news, and organize to demand political change .

Who uses social media? When did the rise of social media start, and how has the number of users changed over time? Here we answer these and other key questions to understand the history of social media worldwide.

We begin with an outline of key trends and conclude with a perspective on the social media adoption rate relative to other modern communication technologies.

Social media started in the early 2000s

MySpace was the first social media site to reach a million monthly active users – it achieved this milestone around 2004. This is arguably the beginning of social media as we know it. 1

In the chart, we plot monthly active users across various platforms since 2004.

Some large social media sites, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit, have been around for ten or more years, but others are much newer.

TikTok, for example, launched in September 2016, and by mid-2018, it had already reached half a billion users. To put this in perspective: TikTok gained, on average, about 20 million new users per month over this period.

The data also shows rapid changes in the opposite direction. Once-dominant platforms have disappeared. In 2008, Hi5, MySpace, and Friendster were close competitors to Facebook, yet by 2012 they had virtually no market share. The case of MySpace is remarkable, considering that in 2006 it temporarily surpassed Google as the most visited website in the US.

Most social media platforms that survived the last decade have shifted significantly in what they offer users. Twitter, for example, didn’t allow users to upload videos or images initially. Since 2011 this has been possible, and today, more than 50% of the content viewed on Twitter includes images and videos.

Line chart of social media users by platform where most have grown rapidly over time.

Facebook dominated the social media market for a decade, but five other platforms also have more than half a billion users

With 2.3 billion users, Facebook was the most popular social media platform in 2019. YouTube, Instagram, and WeChat followed, with over a billion users. Tumblr and TikTok came next, with over half a billion users.

The bar chart shows a ranking of the top social media platforms.

Bar chart of social media users by platform which shows that Facebook is the most popular, followed by YouTube and Whatsapp.

Some social media sites are particularly popular among specific population groups

The aggregate numbers mask a great deal of heterogeneity across platforms. Some social media sites are much more popular than others among specific population groups.

In general, young people are more likely to use social media than older people. But some platforms are much more popular among younger people. This is shown in the chart where we plot the breakdown of social media use by age group in the US.

For Snapchat and Instagram, the ‘age gradient’ is exceptionally steep – the popularity of these platforms drops much faster with age. Most people under 25 use Snapchat (73%), while only 3% of people over 65 use it.

Since these platforms are relatively new, it’s hard to know how much of this age gradient results from a “cohort effect”. In other words: it’s unclear whether today’s young people will continue using Snapchat as they age. If they do, the age gradient will narrow.

Grouped bar chart of social media users by platform which shows that young people are much more likely to use social media.

Let’s now look at gender differences.

This chart shows the percentage of men and women that used different platforms in the US in 2021—the diagonal line marks parity. Sites above the diagonal line are more popular among women, and those below are more popular among men.

For some platforms, the gender differences are substantial. The share of women who used Pinterest was 3 times as high as that of men using this platform. For Reddit, it was the other way around: the share of men was twice as high.

Scatterplot of the share of US adults using social media platforms, by gender showing that there are can be large differences depending on the platform.

In rich countries, almost all young people use social media

From a back-of-the-envelope calculation, we know that if Facebook had 2.3 billion users in 2019, then at least 30% of the world was using social media. 2 This is just an average – usage rates were much higher for some world regions, specifically for some population groups.

Young people tend to use social media more frequently. In fact, in rich countries where access to the Internet is nearly universal , the vast majority of young adults use it.

Our chart shows the proportion of people aged 16 to 24 who used social networks across various countries. As we can see, the average for the OECD is close to 90%.

If today’s young adults continue using social media throughout their lives, then it’s likely that social media will continue growing rapidly as Internet adoption expands throughout lower-income countries .

Bar chart of the percentage of young people that use social networking showing that most young people are online.

The rise of social media in rich countries has come together with an increase in the amount of time spent online

The increase in social media use over the last decade has, of course, come together with a large increase in the amount of time people spend online.

In the US, adults spend more than 6 hours daily on digital media (apps and websites accessed through mobile phones, tablets, computers, and other connected devices such as game consoles). As the chart shows, this growth has been driven almost entirely by additional time spent on smartphones and tablets. 3

Stacked bar chart of the amount of time spent on digital media in the US over time, showing a doubling in the decade from 2008 to 2018.

According to a survey from the Pew Research Center, adults aged 18 to 29 in the US are more likely to get news indirectly via social media than directly from print newspapers or news sites. They also report being online “almost constantly” . 4

Evidence shows that in other rich countries, people also spend many hours per day online. The following chart shows how many hours young people spend online across various rich countries. As we can see, the average for the OECD is more than 4 hours per day; in some countries, the average is above 6 hours per day.

Bar chart of the time spent on the internet per day among young people, showing that most spend at least 4 hours.

Some perspective on how fast and profound these rapid changes are

The percentage of US adults who use social media increased from 5% in 2005 to 79% in 2019. Even on a global stage, the speed of diffusion is striking: Facebook surged from covering around 1.5% of the world population in 2008 to around 30% in 2018. 5

How does this compare to the diffusion of other communication technologies in today's everyday life?

The following chart provides some perspective.

Social media’s growth in the US is comparable – in speed and, to some extent, reach – to most modern communication-enabling technologies, including computers, smartphones, and the Internet.

The rise of social media is an extraordinary example of how quickly and drastically social behaviors can change: Something that is today part of the everyday life of one-third of the world population was unthinkable less than a generation ago.

Rapid changes like those brought about by social media always spark fears about possible negative effects. Specifically, in the context of social media, a key question is whether these new communication technologies are harming our mental health – this is an important question and we cover the evidence in another article on Our World in Data.

There were, of course, earlier, much smaller predecessors of social networking websites. The first recognizable social media site, in the format we know today, was Six Degrees – a platform created in 1997 that enabled users to upload a profile and make friends with other users. At the core, the features that define a social media platform are (i) profiles for users, (ii) the ability for users to upload content constantly, and (iii) the ability for users to discuss content and connect with other users.

To be precise, Facebook had 2.3 billion ‘active users.’ There may be some discrepancies between the number of ‘active users’ and the number of people since one person could, in theory, maintain multiple accounts. In practice, these discrepancies are likely small because most social media platforms, including Facebook, have policies and checks to avoid multiple accounts per person.

Digital media contrasts with print media (including books, newspapers, and magazines) and other traditional or analog media (including TV, movies, and radio).

According to the survey from Pew Research, 36% of adults 18 to 29 in the US say they ‘often get news via social media,’ which is higher than the share saying they ‘often get news via other platforms,’ such as news sites, TV, radio or print newspapers. From the same survey, we also know that 48% of adults 18 to 29 say they go online almost constantly, and 46% say they go online multiple times daily.

The US social media adoption data is here . Regarding Facebook’s global numbers: In 2018, Facebook had 2.26 billion users, and in 2008 it had 100 million; the world population in 2008 was 6.8 billion, and in 2018 it was 7.63 billion (you can check the population data here .)

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Abstract: Do only major scientific breakthroughs hit the news and social media, or does a 'catchy' title help to attract public attention? How strong is the connection between the importance of a scientific paper and the (social) media attention it receives? In this study we investigate these questions by analysing the relationship between the observed attention and certain characteristics of scientific papers from two major multidisciplinary journals: Nature Communication (NC) and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). We describe papers by features based on the linguistic properties of their titles and centrality measures of their authors in their co-authorship network. We identify linguistic features and collaboration patterns that might be indicators for future attention, and are characteristic to different journals, research disciplines, and media sources.

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5 Types of Social Media: Explained with Use Cases

September 25, 2023   •   9 min read

best research title about social media

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But it is also so much more than that. 

Whether you run a small local shop or a big national company, social media not only has the power to amplify your brand image but also influence your marketing and sales funnels. From building brand authority and reputation to impacting product development and customer interaction, social media is the tool for you. 

The only catch — you should and must know how to use it.  

Today, we’ll be exploring and helping you understand the different types of social media, along with 5 successful marketing use cases. And by the end of the article, you’ll have a good idea of how to strategize your social media game. 

So, let's begin with the basics.

  • What is social media?

What are the different types of social media?

What are their marketing use cases, reasons to improve your social media marketing strategy, .css-1qemmfx{font-weight:700;} what is social media.

Social media is a collective term for websites and applications that share ideas and information through virtual networks. It facilitates communication, community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. 

Various platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, allow people to share content, interact online and build communities.

The main aspect that differentiates social media platforms is the type of content that’s on them. With that said, let’s take a closer look at the various types of social media.

1. Social networking sites

Social networking sites are mainly used to connect with people you may or may not know. They focus more on person-to-person conversations and knowledge-sharing. These platforms are considered the center of communication and accommodate different content formats, like text, photos and videos. 

These sites allow users and businesses to:

Create and share content and thoughts with groups that have similar interests

Promote products and services and reach a wider and more diverse audience with advertisements

Reach and influence the right people with specific metrics and demographics by using an immense amount of data

Examples of social networking platforms:

X (formerly Twitter) 

2. Image-based sites

You might have heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, image-based sites are bringing this phrase to life by allowing users to share content in the form of infographics, illustrations and images. 

These platforms inspire creativity. Businesses can encourage their audience to generate unique content to engage with their brand while boosting sales through shoppable posts and images. 

Some sites like Instagram and Pinterest allow business accounts to post images linked to their shoppable items. These usually pop up in the feed with a shopping link and users can proceed to the merchant store to complete their transaction. 

Image-based sites are great for businesses dealing in apparel, handicrafts, accessories and similar products. 

Here are some popular image-sharing networks:

Photobucket

3. Video-hosting platforms

People usually search for all kinds of things in video content, including “how-tos” and “tutorials.” As a brand, you can leverage these platforms to impart information, promote a new product, answer questions or announce new features and packages. 

Brands can also use paid ads to reach new customers or collaborate with influencers to promote their products. Also, if you don’t have a page, profile or social media channel dedicated to your business, you can still advertise on these platforms.

Here are some well-known video-hosting platforms:

4. Discussion forums

Discussion forums are essential platforms that encourage users to answer each other’s questions and share new ideas and news. They’re designed to spark conversations based on shared interests or curiosity.

Businesses can use these platforms to better understand how people perceive their brand and products. You can also start by answering questions correctly to increase your credibility on these forums. This could lead to increased visits to your business or product website. The selection of the right questions to answer is vital here, as it is a chance for you to introduce your products and services without looking like you’re directly advertising.

Some of the most-visited discussion forums are:

5. Blog and community platforms

Blogging platforms are a great way to provide valuable and educational insights that could be related to your product or business. This way, you’ll be informing your audience about specific problems and their solutions as an expert, and you can ultimately position your product as the better way to go. 

What’s more, when relevant and helpful, your blogs can drive more traffic to your website. You can post blogs about using your product creatively or discuss the trending topics in your industry or niche. All of this will also help in building a community around your brand. 

Here are some of the renowned blogging and publishing networks:

Now, let's go through some of the most successful use cases for each of the types of social media we covered. 

1. Social networking sites: Shopify’s iconic “get your hands dirty” ad on Facebook  

Shopify is a user-friendly e-commerce platform that encourages and enables small businesses to build an online store and sell online through one streamlined dashboard. The key idea of Shopify is to offer a platform to anybody interested in selling stuff but is unable to do so due to the lack of the right tool.

It created a beautiful, simple and encouraging advertisement for Facebook that urged audiences to turn their hobbies into businesses.

A Shopify ad on Facebook showing a potter in action

What worked for Shopify?

A thought-provoking picture encouraging artists to embrace their inner passion and turn it into a business

Simple, clear and concise copy that complements the picture

A clear CTA

2. Image-based site: Adidas Neo’s exposure campaign with #MyNeoShoot on Instagram

One of the easiest ways to draw attention via Instagram marketing is through sponsored advertisement campaigns. Brands can collaborate with popular influencers to bring in views and engagement.

Adidas went a step further with their promotions by not spending a single dime.

Here's how.

It asked its followers to publish Adidas-inspired posts on Instagram and share their own experiences. It worked like magic and generated more than 71,000 mentions that had the hashtag #MyNeoShoot, and the brand ended up gaining more than 41,000 followers.

The -myneoshoot campaign on Instagram that featured Selena Gomez

What worked for Adidas?

Making the audience feel valued, heard and important

Brilliant use of social engagement

Relating the brand to stories and personal experiences

3. Video sharing and streaming platform: Slack’s relatable and innovative video ad on YouTube

Given that the average attention span of an individual nowadays is about 8 seconds , it makes sense to explore and try video advertising for your brand.  

Here are some more statistics that will help you gauge the effectiveness of video advertising in the current business landscape:

Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to just 10% when they’re reading plain text

68% of consumers prefer watching videos instead of going through articles, infographics, ebooks and presentations when they’re trying to learn about new products or services

Here’s a Slack video ad so you get an indea of what successful video marketing content looks like.

What worked for Slack?

Employing a relatable storyline that tells how “all kinds of people on all kinds of teams use Slack to do amazing things”

Using playful animations (like that of a “Minions” movie) makes the video more enjoyable

Highlighting the benefits of Slack for team communication and collaboration

Voiceover at the end aligns with the Slack brand, which is casual, friendly and approachable

4. Discussion forums: Beardbrand’s ready answers on Reddit

Beardbrand is an online company dealing in haircare products, specifically for beards. Its product line includes softeners, scented oils, trimmers, scissors and more.    Its took its marketing efforts to the r/beards subreddit forum. It browsed the forum and found a common topic in many users' questions — beard oil. 

Then, it started answering all the questions and sharing its journey.

It began posting short, bulleted lists and informative explanations on Reddit.

Beardbrand-s post on the r-entrepreneur subreddit

Beardbrand also took the initiative to interact with people’s comments. It was always there with an answer when users asked about the application, chemical makeup, etc.

What worked for Beardbrand?

A focused and well-researched strategy

Building credibility and brand reputation by answering questions and sharing informative content

Constant communication to stay visible

5. Blogs and community platforms: Vans embracing its rebellious and youthful spirit on Tumblr

Vans is a famous shoe brand known for tapping into its cultural heritage and providing a social experience that is aspirational, inspirational and nostalgic.

The brand uses social media as a mutually beneficial exchange, where the brand defines the community, and the community defines the brand. The best way to establish this is by creating an awesome Tumblr.

Vans used high-quality and creative images representing the lifestyle of its audience and the brand.

Vans- Tumblr page

What worked for Vans?

Vans' smart research to discover where its audience hangs out and the lifestyle it indulges in

Relatable and shareable content for the audience

Embracing the rebellious, communal and youthful spirit the brand is known for

If you’re still not sold on how social media can make a world of difference in your marketing efforts, here are a few solid reasons.

Building brand awareness

You can use social media to tell your story and encourage others to share how they feel about and relate to your brand. This is a great way to build brand awareness and reputation . You can also grow your audience without making huge investments.  

All you need to do is post consistent and relatable content for your audience. 

Generating leads  

You can create meaningful conversations and engage your audience better by posting photos, videos and news about interesting trends in your industry. This will help build deeper connections with potential customers.  

This can result in gaining new leads and drive organic growth for your brand on social media .  

Greater customer insights  

Social media allows you to listen to what people share about your company. You can get candid feedback about how others perceive your brand. You can build custom audiences and tailor your strategies by getting insights into customer data and activities. 

You can monitor the number of visitors who were interested in your content, clicked call-to-action plugs or purchased from your brand to create more personalized content . You can then improve the weak links of your businesses while reinforcing aspects that resonate with people.  

Sprinklr Tip: Utilizing AI-based conversation suggestions and bots can help your social media managers to engage more effectively with audiences without feeling any rush or pressure. 

Measuring marketing efforts  

Social media platforms and other management tools help you monitor key performance metrics (KPIs) to show you the extent and build-up of your organically engaged audience, among other valuable information. 

You can keep an eye on your competitors by analyzing their marketing strategies when it comes to their style of marketing, type of content and profile performance. 

Driving thought leadership  

Social media is a great platform to learn about people's problems and interests. This allows you to drive thought leadership by providing solutions.  

You can start by creating how-to guides, webinars and why-is-it-not-working advice to help people. This establishes you as an industry expert and helps in gaining people's trust. 

Learn More: How to create a social media marketing strategy from scratch   

Wrapping up

Such a diverse range of features and benefits puts social media among the top tools for marketing. 

It also demands you be present and cater to the audience's needs and comments as quickly as possible. This is doable for a human team without a social tool to a certain extent. However, it gets better with technology. 

Using a smart, AI-driven tool like Sprinklr Social will allow you to be present and engage with audiences across multiple platforms, all from a single, unified dashboard.  

Give it a try today to take your social media marketing to a whole new level.

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The Science People See on Social Media

Science-related facebook pages draw millions of followers but feature more posts with ‘news you can use’ or ads than scientific discoveries.

best research title about social media

Millions of people see science-related information on their Facebook feeds or elsewhere on social media, but the kinds of science stories people most likely encounter are often practical tips with “news you can use” or promotions for programs and events rather than new developments in the science, engineering and technology world.

In an effort to better understand the science information that social media users encounter on these platforms, Pew Research Center systematically analyzed six months’ worth of posts from 30 of the most followed science-related pages on Facebook. These science-related pages included 15 popular Facebook accounts from established “multiplatform” organizations – for example National Geographic and the Discovery Channel – along with 15 popular “Facebook-primary” accounts from individuals or organizations that have a large social media presence on the platform but are not connected to any offline, legacy outlet.

Some of the key findings from this analysis:

Millions of people follow science-related pages on Facebook. Multiplatform organizations have taken advantage of Facebook’s capacity to reach large numbers of followers on a new platform. For instance, as of June 2017, National Geographic had 44.3 million Facebook followers, Discovery had 39 million and Animal Planet had 20 million. (See the Appendix for more details about the nature of these pages.) 1

best research title about social media

At the same time, “Facebook-primary” pages have arisen in a relatively short time and built impressive audiences. This illustrates the degree to which social media have transformed the media landscape, making it easier and cheaper for those with few resources to provide unmediated content and garner followings. For example, a single enterprising writer built the Facebook page IFLScience in 2012, which has grown to 25.6 million followers and a staff of approximately 15 . Social media have also provided a platform for prominent science figures such as Stephen Hawking 2 (followed by 3.9 million users on Facebook as of June 2017), Bill Nye (followed by 4.8 million) and Neil deGrasse Tyson (followed by 4 million).

New scientific discoveries are covered in 29% of the posts on these pages. Each of these 30 science-related pages has its own distinctive flavor. Still, a few common themes emerged from a detailed content analysis of a random sample of 6,582 posts published in the first half of 2017.

best research title about social media

While these 30 Facebook pages with a self-described focus on a science-related area cover a range of topics, just 29% of the Facebook posts from these pages had a focus or “frame” around information about new scientific discoveries. Some pages used a new-discovery frame in the bulk of their posts. For example, that was true of ScienceAlert, IFLScience, NASA Earth and New Scientist. But that framing was rare on other pages. Across the 30 pages, other frames were evident when researchers coded a representative sample of the posts. Fully 21% of posts featured the practical applications of science information, relying on a “news you can use” frame. Another 16% of posts were promotions or advertisements for media or events, 12% of posts were aimed at explaining a science-related concept, and the remainder used some other frame.

The volume of posts from these science-related pages has increased over the past few years, especially among multiplatform pages. On average, the 15 popular multiplatform Facebook pages have increased their production of posts by 115% since 2014, compared with a 66% increase among Facebook-primary pages over the same time period.

The average number of user interactions per post – a common indicator of audience engagement based on the total number of shares, comments, and likes or other reactions – tends to be higher for posts from Facebook-primary accounts than posts from multiplatform accounts. From January 2014 to June 2017, Facebook-primary pages averaged 14,730 interactions per post, compared with 4,265 for posts on multiplatform pages. This relationship held up even when controlling for the frame of the post.

Higher engagement is seen on posts focused on visuals with little additional information. Other posts with relatively high engagement include calls to action and posts dealing with science funding. Analysis of the types of posts yielding the highest average of interactions shows that visual posts with little or no text tend to yield more audience engagement than most other frames. Additionally, posts with an explicit call to action produce high numbers of interactions. However, such posts are quite rare, comprising just 2% of all posts across the 30 pages. And, posts on Facebook-primary pages related to federal funding for agencies with a significant scientific research mission were particularly engaging, averaging more than 122,000 interactions per post in the first half of 2017.

The most-engaging posts from either Facebook-primary or multiplatform pages during this period included a wide range of topics and frames. Video was a common feature of these highly engaging posts whether they were aimed at explaining a scientific concept, highlighting new discoveries, or showcasing ways people can put science information to use in their lives.

Highly engaging posts among these pages did not always feature science-related information. Four of the top 15 most-engaging posts from Facebook-primary pages featured inspirational sayings or advice such as “look after your friends” or “believe in yourself.” And, the single most-engaging post among the multiplatform pages was an expression of support for those in Paris after a terrorist attack.

There is considerable variation in what topics these popular Facebook science-related pages focus on. Most pages in this sample specialized on posts connected with just one or two science topics. For example, pages such as Daily Health Tips and Health Digest focused a majority of their content on health and medicine topics, while NASA for the most part posted content related to astronomy and physics. Only four of the 30 pages covered a roughly even mix of posts on several topics, with no single topic making up more than one-in-five posts on the account.

These findings emerge as more and more material on all kinds of subjects is posted and disseminated on social media. A 2017 Pew Research Center survey found most social media users in the U.S. report seeing science-related posts and a third (33%) consider it an important way they get science news. Some 44% of social media users say they see content unique to that platform at least sometimes, and 26% of users report that they follow a science-related page or account. Other Pew Research Center surveys show that Facebook is used by a far larger share than other social media platforms.

It is important to note that for the purposes of this analysis the selection of “science-related” pages was based on each page’s self-statement that it covers content about science or about a major area connected with science, technology, engineering or math. (Pages focused primarily on commercial or advocacy missions were excluded.) The set of 30 covers a broad range of pages available to social media users, including several that are widely seen in the scientific community as offering questionable or even “pseudoscientific” advice or information.

As concerns about public understanding and acceptance of scientific evidence have increased over the past few years, this analysis provides a window into the sources of information that – while may differ from consensus views in the scientific community – have, nonetheless, attracted millions of followers and more who see posts from these pages in their Facebook news feed even without following the page. As such, these data help better understand the sources of information that may influence public views and understanding of science-related issues.

Science-related Facebook pages are posting more often, especially multiplatform pages

best research title about social media

In just a few years, the volume of posts produced by this set of science-related pages has grown dramatically, particularly among multiplatform pages. The 15 multiplatform pages doubled their production of posts from roughly 37,000 in 2014 to an estimated 79,000 in 2017 (a 115% increase), though much of the uptick in volume of posts from multiplatform pages stems from just a few accounts. 3  The 15 Facebook-primary pages also increased their total number of posts from roughly 31,000 in 2014 to an estimated 52,000 in 2017 (a 66% increase). 4

best research title about social media

The total volume and frequency of posts from each of these 30 accounts varies widely, however. The number of posts from 2017 is estimated from doubling the number posted during the first half of the year due to missing data in Facebook’s API for the second half of the year.

The 2017 annual volume of posts across the 15 Facebook-primary pages ranged from about 24 posts by Stephen Hawking to more than 10,000 posts from mindbodygreen , a health and wellness media company. Four of these accounts – all of which are associated with prominent scientific figures – have more than 3 million followers but posted no more than about 200 times in 2017. Among the other pages, most increased the volume of posts over this time period. See Appendix table for details.

Some science-related accounts use Facebook differently than Twitter

best research title about social media

The profile of these science-related accounts can vary across other social media platforms. To illustrate, Pew Research Center looked at Twitter activity from the same 30 organizations as of January 2018.

While far more adults in the U.S. use Facebook (68%) than Twitter (21%), according to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey , a handful of science-related pages in this study were comparatively more active on Twitter.

Neil deGrasse Tyson had about 11.4 million Twitter followers as of January 2018, roughly 2.5 times more than his 4 million Facebook followers. He was more active tweeting (493 times in 2017) than he was posting content on Facebook (about 130 times in 2017).

Similarly, Bill Nye was more active on Twitter than on Facebook (253 tweets in 2017, compared with about 84 posts).

Among the multiplatform pages, NASA and Popular Science were about twice as active tweeting than posting Facebook content in 2017. But while NASA had many more followers on Twitter than on Facebook (28.2 million vs. 19.4 million), Popular Science had a smaller user base on Twitter (1.3 million vs. 3.5 million on Facebook).

But several of these pages were less active on Twitter, particularly among the Facebook-primary pages. The list includes Health Digest , David Wolfe , ScienceDump , Hashem Al-Ghaili and Smart is the New Sexy , all of which have had a far less active presence on Twitter than Facebook and had orders of magnitude fewer followers on Twitter. 5 Stephen Hawking did not have an official Twitter account; Hashem Al-Ghaili and ScienceDump barely had a presence on Twitter, each with fewer than 5 posts in 2017.

All of the 15 multiplatform pages had a presence on Twitter. Only one in this set tweeted less than 1,000 times in 2017: MythBusters , a page that also posted on Facebook fewer than 500 times in 2017. Some multiplatform pages were less active on Twitter than they were on Facebook, including Animal Planet , BBC Earth and Physics Today .

  • Figures for the number of followers come from Facebook’s official statistics. In this report, the term “follower” is used interchangeably with the number of users who “like” a page using the thumbs up icon. It’s possible these numbers are inflated for some or all of these pages because of automated accounts, known as bots. ↩
  • This study was conducted prior to Hawking’s passing in March 2018. ↩
  • The estimated number of posts for 2017 was calculated by doubling the number of posts during the first six months of that year. Facebook’s public Graph API was missing large portions of data during the final six months of 2017, so precise totals were not available. In their forums in early 2018, Facebook acknowledged problems with the API that resulted in the absence of some posts. Analysis of 2014-2016 posts showed roughly even shares of posts in the first and second half of each calendar year. ↩
  • Two accounts began posting during this period: Hashem Al-Ghaili’s Science Nature Page on July 29, 2015, and Smart is the New Sexy on April 29, 2016. ↩
  • Due to the differences in activity across social media platforms, the set of 30 popular science-related pages on Facebook omits some of the most popular Twitter accounts from science figures and organizations. For example, Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s Twitter account had almost 2.6 million followers as of January 2018, while his Facebook page had only 87,000 page likes. ↩

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10 Trending Business Management Research Topics in 2024

Home Blog Business Management 10 Trending Business Management Research Topics in 2024

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Business management has become essential for staying competitive and profitable in today's fast-paced world. It encompasses understanding all aspects of business, from its structure to finance, marketing, and strategy. Pursuing a postgraduate course in business management, such as PGDM, requires writing a well-researched paper to kickstart one's career. 

However, the biggest challenge lies in selecting a relevant and trending research topic. To help with this, we have compiled a list of ten business management research paper topics that are currently trending in 2024, covering advancements in technology and innovative leadership strategies. Enrolling in Business Management training courses can further enhance your skills and knowledge, enabling you to take your career to new heights. So, let's delve into these cutting-edge topics together and gain insights for career growth.

What are some Good Business Management Research Topics?

Every aspect of business, like strategy, finance, operations, and management, is essential. So, it’s hard to say that a particular area of research is more significant. Choosing the best research topic in business management within your area of interest or specialization is one way to decide what your business management research project will be about. It is also a learning process and an opportunity to showcase your in-depth knowledge. 

But if you want to explore other options, write about trending issues and events in the business world, and learn something new, here’s a list of 10 research proposal topics in business management that can help you create an engaging and practical project. You can also take a CCBA training certification to learn more in-depth about business management. 

Conflict Management in a Work Team

With businesses going global, team management has escalated from merely managing people to guiding, mentoring and resolving conflicts among individuals. Teams with multicultural members from different departments are fertile ground for conflicts. If you are looking for international business management research topics, conflict management in work teams is an excellent option. 

This research will give you an insight into the various causes of conflict and different techniques and methods of conflict resolution within global multi-lingual and multi-cultural teams enabling you to lead teams successfully and keep disruptions minimal. Better teams translate to better productivity and, eventually, revenue. On the personal front, it means career growth, leadership roles, and higher pay scales for you.

The Role of Women in Business Management

In contemporary society, women have made notable strides in shattering patriarchal norms and embracing diverse opportunities and career paths, thereby demonstrating their strength and autonomy. While women encounter challenges in assuming leadership roles, often stemming from prevailing cultural attitudes, their presence in business management positions is more prevalent than commonly perceived. This prompts inquiry into the factors that contribute to the exceptional success of certain women in managerial positions and the unique value they bring to such roles. Exploring this subject through qualitative research could yield insightful findings regarding women's impact on business management.

Issues that Affect the Management of Business Startups

The COVID-19 pandemic drove everyone online and created a new digital startup ecosystem. However, while it may be easy to set up a digital business, sustenance, scaling, and growth are some of the challenges that follow. If you are entrepreneurial, your research title about business management should read something like “Challenges in the startup ecosystem.” Such research covers issues that affect the management of business startups. It covers the various factors that lead to success and the pitfalls and obstacles on the growth trajectory. It covers effective strategies to mitigate or work around challenges, and this is where you can get creative. Limiting your research to startups is okay, but you can also cover significant ground across other business models.

Consequences of Excessive Work in Business

Work-life balance is the buzzword in today’s business environment. If you choose to write your thesis on the impact of excessive work in business, it could well escalate to international levels as everyone talks about employee well-being, from corporates to SMEs and top management to HR. 

The single most significant reason behind this is the instances of early burnout seen in the past. Secondly, globalization is another cause for concern since people are often required to work multiple shifts. Lastly, the recent trend of post-Covid layoffs that have driven the need for side hustle makes it even more necessary to keep track of how hectic business operations are. 

Why You Should Start a New Business After One Fails

Failure is the steppingstone to success. Or so the saying goes. The recent outcrop of start-ups has proven this to be true. If one venture fails, do not give up. Learn from the experience and start again. Not only is that the mantra of the current generation, but it is also among the trending quantitative research topics in business management. 

The main objective and outcome of this business management research topic are to explore lessons learned from failures, the advantages of starting afresh, and the strategies for overcoming the fear of failure.

Importance of Inter-organizational Leadership and Networks

This research focuses on managing global networks in leadership roles. It is among the hot favorite research topics for business management students considering how businesses are going global. If you are an aspiring global entrepreneur or leader, you would want to know more about local and global inter-organizational networks, how things work, how people communicate, etc. Researching inter-organizational leadership and networks can provide insights into businesses' challenges and opportunities when building and maintaining relationships. Managing these relationships is another challenging part of the process, and that is what you will learn through this research. 

How to Manage Organizational Crisis in Business

Not only is crisis management a critical leadership skill, but today's turbulent business environment is fertile ground for an organizational crisis. Globalization, digitization, and the startup ecosystem have disrupted the environment. Barring corporates, a crisis can strike any business at any time and bailing out of that crisis is the responsibility of the business leadership. Managing an organizational crisis in business is a popular business management research paper topic, especially among MBA students, PGDM, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Product and Service Development in a Strategic Alliance

When it comes to research paper topics related to business management, one area worth exploring is product bundling in a strategic alliance. The ICICI credit card offered to online customers of Amazon India is a classic example.

Development of such strategic products or services requires in-depth product knowledge, knowledge of finance, and of course, a strategic mindset. If you have a strategic mindset and interest in product management, this is one of your best business management research project topics.

Innovation and Network Markets as a Business Strategy

Innovation and Network marketing is an emerging and strategic business model for startups. When entrepreneurs need more resources to raise seed or venture capital for their businesses, they elect to market their products through networking. Social Media platforms like Facebook offer substantial networking opportunities. Choose this probe as your quantitative research topic for business management if you have entrepreneurial aspirations to understand every aspect of this business model and strategy in depth.

Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

Social enterprise is any business having a social objective and undertaking activities in the public interest. Writing a research paper on social enterprises and entrepreneurship will lead you to explore opportunities that can bring an innovative change in society and hold business potential. One thing to remember if you want to explore social enterprise and entrepreneurship as one of several business management research titles is that the organizational goal is primarily social impact rather than revenue generation. This research will make you more open to an inclusive idea of growth by bringing you closer to social causes, marginalized communities, and people thriving in them.

Business Research: Types and Methodologies

Business research, like any other research, involves the collection of data and information about your chosen topic, analysis of the information and data gathered, and exploring new possibilities in the field. 

Broadly speaking, research may be of two types – Quantitative or Qualitative. Quantitative research, also called empirical research, involves the collection of data from sample groups to answer a question. Qualitative research has more to do with the impact of certain phenomena. Such research is usually an extension of previously researched topics. 

The table below highlights the difference between quantitative research topics in business management and qualitative research about business management. 

How to Find Business Research Topics?

This is just our list of hot and trending business research topics. To help you discover more research project topics on business management, here are some quick-follow tips:

Identify Your Interests

Start by making a list of the various aspects of business management that interest you. Rate them on a scale of 1-10, with one being the least liked and 10 being your most favorite. You can also narrow down your topic to a specific niche while seeking sample research topics in business management.

Read Academic Journals

You might want to conduct preliminary research on a few of the topics you shortlisted to see if something interesting jumps out at you. One way to do this is by reading academic journals related to your selected area of business management. Findings by earlier researchers may trigger innovative thought.

Attend Events

Attending business events like seminars, conferences, and webinars on topics of interest can help you narrow down your list of research topics related to business management. It is also an excellent way to gather knowledge about your area of interest as well as to grow your network.

Consult your supervisor or Mentor

Your thesis supervisor is a valuable resource when searching for the best research topics in business management. They can guide you about relevant research areas and help you identify potential research questions apart from guiding you on research presentation.

Use Online Resources

Many research journals online allow students access to research papers either free of cost or in exchange for a small fee. Explore this resource and sign up for a few that are relevant to your area of interest.

The world of business management is constantly evolving and finding the right business management research topic might seem like a Herculean task. But, with a little thought, planning, and some research, it is not that hard. So, the 10 topics we've explored in this blog represent some of the most significant areas of development in the field of business management today, from the rise of women as business leaders and to the importance of innovation and network markets. As we move into 2024 and beyond, it's clear that these topics will only continue to grow in importance, shaping the way we do business and interact with the world around us. By staying informed and engaged with the latest research and trends, you can position yourself as a thought leader and innovator in the world of business management. 

Also, our pointers on how to discover a business management research topic will help you identify a list of research topics in business management for your thesis. You can then narrow it down to your area of talent or interest. If you still want to know more, you can enroll in our  KnowledgeHut Business Management training , where you’ll learn more about the different aspects of business. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Business management is wide in scope, and there is a spectrum of research topics to choose from. The most prominent areas of business include finance, operations, procurement, marketing, and HR. Within each of these, you’ll find several macro and micro niches to explore.

An example of a business research study could be investigating the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behavior or examining the effectiveness of a new leadership development program in a company.

The 4 types of business research include:

  • Exploratory
  • Descriptive

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Mansoor Mohammed

Mansoor Mohammed is a dynamic and energetic Enterprise Agile Coach, P3M & PMO Consultant, Trainer, Mentor, and Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in Strategy Execution and Business Agility. With a background in Avionics, Financial Services, Banking, Telecommunications, Retail, and Digital, Mansoor has led global infrastructure and software development teams, launched innovative products, and enabled Organizational Change Management. As a results-driven leader, he excels in collaborating, adapting, and driving partnerships with stakeholders at all levels. With expertise in Change Management, Transformation, Lean, Agile, and Organizational Design, Mansoor is passionate about aligning strategic goals and delivering creative solutions for successful business outcomes. Connect with him to explore change, Agile Governance, implementation delivery, and the future of work.

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The Most Effective Types of Content on Social Media in 2024 [New Data]

Cyan Zhong

Published: April 03, 2024

It’s 2024, and the highest-ROI marketing channel is still good ol’ social media. 

best research title about social media

Our State of Marketing & Trends Report shows that 43% of marketers use it as a marketing channel. I wonder why that number isn’t even higher.

These days, sharing content on social media is a no-brainer for brands. Whether you’re looking for a strategy refresh or trying out the channel for the first time, this post is your guide to the different types of social media content, what works best, and how it can empower your business.

HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. HubSpot will share the information you provide to us with the following partners, who will use your information for similar purposes: Mention. You can unsubscribe from communications from HubSpot at any time. For more information, check out HubSpot's Privacy Policy . To unsubscribe from Mention's communications, see Mention's Privacy Policy .

best research title about social media

The State of Social Media in 2024

Explore the top trends in social media for brands to know and optimize your social strategy.

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Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Different Types of Social Media Content

1. video (short-form, specifically).

Social media marketers are still placing their bet on short-form videos in 2024, some even upping the ante: 

  • 67% plan to increase their investment in short-form videos
  • 31% will maintain their current investment 
  • 33% plan to invest more in short-form videos than any other content form

It’s not surprising, considering short videos yield the highest ROI for social media marketing, according to HubSpot’s 2024 Social Media Trends Report .  

Some common examples of short-form videos are TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, and YouTube shorts. This TikTok below is from Candeeze, a small husband-and-wife brand that sells freeze-dried candy online. It racked up 1.8 million views by showing the behind-the-scenes of their business operation. 

@candeezeco Our family runs a Freeze Dried Candy business! #smallbusiness #freezedriedcandy #cccreator #capcutpowersbiz ♬ Stories 2 - Danilo Stankovic

Don’t forget live video — they gained steam during the pandemic allowing remote participation in events. Twitch and other popular live-streaming platforms let people interact with their favorite creators in real time. This format has the second highest ROI of all social media content types, according to 57% of marketers.

Long-form videos are also popular, despite having lower ROI than short-form. They’re more costly to produce; consumers expect high production quality from them while lacking the attention span to finish them. 

But if long videos are your jam, don’t worry — for each long-form video you produce, you can repurpose it into multiple shorts, maximizing the value of your resources. 

2. Audio Chat and Live Rooms

Remember when Clubhouse was all everyone could talk about? That frenzy has passed, but audio chats and live rooms are here to stay. Many platforms have native audio features, like Twitter Spaces, LinkedIn Live, and Facebook Live Audio. 

Audio chat rooms let brands directly communicate with audiences and develop closer relationships than seeing a billboard or watching a YouTube video. And, during a time when customers value connections with brands more than ever, audio chat rooms are a valuable tool.

After seeing satisfactory ROI, 91% of social media marketers plan to continue or increase their investment in audio chat and live rooms. 

Audio chat rooms are also trendy among Gen Z , the biggest social media demographic. A Spotify study found that 80% of Gen Z enjoy audio content because it allows them to express their individuality and explore different sides of their personalities. 

3. Content That Represents Brand Values

Almost half of marketers say that content reflecting brand values is part of their existing social media strategy. 

This type of content is anything that highlights what your company stands for, such as commitments to sustainable production practices, fair treatment of employees, social justice, and more. 

Consumers care more than ever about what the brands they buy from stand for and the values they have. They want to know the causes that businesses support and the commitments made to bettering the world.

If you need an example of doing brand value content right , look no further than Patagonia. 

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Patagonia (@patagonia)

It’s not just about loyalty: Marketers also say that it has the 5th biggest ROI of any trend . 48% of marketers are already posting this type of social media content.

4. User-generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is content your audience creates that features your business/brand that is not paid for by your business. For example, someone shares a non-sponsored TikTok about how much they like your product or posts a picture wearing your clothing and tags your business.

This type of content is great to share on social media because it helps your audiences see that people use and like your products, vouching for you in a real-life way. Why toot your own horn if you can get someone else to do it, right? 

UGC pays off, as customers trust reviews from friends and family more than they trust branded ads, and nearly 80% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchase decisions, considerably more so than branded content and influencer content.

When you do use UGC, the platforms it performs best on are YouTube (26%), Instagram (24%), and Facebook (21%). 

5. Funny, Trendy, and Relatable Content

Social media marketers know the value of a viral post too well. They’re hard to come by, but you can increase your chance by hopping on viral memes, relating them to your business, and using trending hashtags or sounds. 

This type of buzzy content requires a high level of awareness of what’s happening online, cultural moments, and current events. 

Over 40% of marketers already share funny, trendy, and relatable content on social media, and 59% say they will double down on funny content in 2024, it being the most effective of the three. Consumers love it, too – they’re starved for quality humor from brands . 

Our very own social media team is savvy at this kind of content, like this funny and relatable tweet. 

Losing an hour means my day ends at 4 pm right? — HubSpot (@HubSpot) March 11, 2024

6. Shoppable Content

Shoppable social media content allows consumers to browse through products on your accounts, discover things they like, and even make a purchase without leaving the app.

The image below is an Instagram storefront for Ink Meets Paper, where someone can browse its products, find what interests them, and make a purchase.

facebook shops-1

Image Source

This is a valuable content type as social shopping is currently on the rise , and consumers are discovering new products and buying products on social media apps more than ever before.

In fact, social media is the most popular way for Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X to discover new products — over 1 in 5 have made an in-app purchase in the past three months. No wonder 87% of marketers plan to maintain or increase their investment in social selling enablement tools in 2024. 

The most effective platforms for selling in-app are Instagram (26%) and Facebook (26%). 

7. Educational Content

Educational content shares helpful information with audiences that helps them reach their goals and meet their needs. It can come in infographics, videos, text-based posts, images — any of the content types we discussed in this post.

HubSpot often shares educational content through YouTube videos, where viewers can learn more about concepts of interest. The video below is a recent one that educates viewers on creating a brand style guide.

8. Ephemeral/Disappearing Content

Ephemeral/disappearing content is content that only stays up for a certain amount of time, like Instagram Stories that disappear after 24 hours.  

Leveraging people’s FOMO is one of the oldest tricks in the marketing playbook. The feeling gets even more amplified in social media, which is why 47% of brands plan to increase their investment in this kind of “limited-time” content. 

Users only have a set period to engage with it, so they might be more eager to keep track of your profiles and keep returning to experience. 

Creating quizzes and polls in your Stories is a great way to leverage this type of content. People only have a certain amount of time to respond, generating excitement and immediate action and inspiring respondents to come back and see results.

Check out examples from LEGO, Harvard Business Review, and Outback Steakhouse, and see how they’re crushing it at the Instagram Stories game. 

9. Other Types of Content You’re Familiar With

Our recent survey found that 47% of marketers leverage images as a media format, which works well on all social media platforms.

Actually, 54% of marketers think that social media content that’s polished and has high production value (e.g. high resolution images/videos) is even more important than the content being authentic and relatable. But try to aim for both! 

We see text-based content on social media everyday, from Twitter(X) threads to thought leadership posts on LinkedIn. The primary goal is to share insight through words — you can pair it with an eye-catching image, but the point of the post is in the text.

Blogs are popular text-based content where people read longer posts and discover helpful information. But a common mistake is sharing blog links directly on social media. Social platform algorithms don’t favor linking out (they want you to stay!), so you better adapt an existing blog post into snackable takeaways that’s more suitable for social users’ habits. 

Infographics

Infographics are a content type with the share-ability and visual appeal of photos but are filled with helpful data and information. It’s an impactful form of social media content and educational content.

The image below is a post from HubSpot’s Instagram account that is an infographic that informs viewers about the most effective traits of a sales leader.

infographic-2

Infographics are effective, too, with 51% of marketers that regularly use them saying it yields high ROI.

Repurposing Content Is Still A Valuable Strategy

Social media marketers say they use an average of three platforms in 2024, each with its best practices and norms to follow. 

It can be challenging to create individual pieces of content for every single platform, so many marketers share similar content across platforms but repurpose it to fit the tone and requirements of each one.

The key to success, however, is repurposing content, not resharing. People don’t look fondly at brands that share the exact same thing on each platform. 47% of marketers already share similar content across platforms with tweaks to make it more relevant to the platform's demands.

It’s a new era for social media. To keep up, I recommend you check out this video about creating a social media strategy this year and beyond. 

Want More Social Media Insights?

Learn more about the State of Social media with more of this data, videos, and exclusive industry tips on our State of Social Media Hub — which will come with a free downloadable resource.

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Social Media Marketing: The Ultimate Guide

Character Count 101: Ideal Length for Instagram, Facebook, X, & LinkedIn Posts

Character Count 101: Ideal Length for Instagram, Facebook, X, & LinkedIn Posts

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best research title about social media

All the October 2024 Prepub Alerts in one place, plus a downloadable spreadsheet of all titles from every post.

All the October 2024 Prepub Alerts in one place, plus a downloadable spreadsheet of all titles from every post . 

Pop Fiction

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Armstrong, Tammy. Pearly Everlasting. Harper. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063396142. 352p. $28.99. POP FICTION

Award-winning Canadian author Armstrong makes her U.S. debut. At a logging camp in New Brunswick in 1934, a cook finds an orphaned bear cub and raises it alongside his newborn daughter, Pearly. When the bear is stolen years later, teenage Pearly sets off on a harrowing journey to rescue it. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Booth, Stephanie. Libby Lost and Found. Sourcebooks Landmark. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781728278506. 400p. $27.99. POP FICTION

In Booth’s debut, Libby Weeks is the bestselling author of a fantasy series, but her latest manuscript is overdue, with fans clamoring for it. She is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and finds unlikely help from 11-year-old superfan Peanut, who has her own secrets.

Cameron, W. Bruce. My Three Dogs. Forge. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250900203. 288p. $27.99. POP FICTION

Bestselling Cameron ( Love, Clancy ) returns with another canine caper. Three dogs are separated and put up for individual adoption after a tragic accident. After Archie and Luna are placed in new homes, Australian Shepherd Riggs is determined to reunite his pack. With a 200K-copy first printing.

Lavery, Daniel M. Women’s Hotel. HarperVia. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063343535. 272p. $28.99. POP FICTION

Lavery ( Something That May Shock and Discredit You ), former “Dear Prudence” advice columnist at Slate and cofounder of The Toast , writes his first novel, set in the 1960s at the Beidermeier, a New York City women’s hotel that houses an eclectic group of residents, each with their own challenges. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Loigman, Lynda Cohen. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250278104. 320p. $29. POP FICTION

Recently retired pharmacist Augusta Stern moves to a senior community in Florida, where she unexpectedly runs into Irving Rivkin, who broke her heart decades earlier when they were teenagers in 1920s Brooklyn and a potent potion went wrong. Loigman’s ( The Matchmaker’s Gift ) latest receives a 75K-copy first printing.

Macomber, Debbie. A Christmas Duet. Ballantine. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593725337. 272p. $24. POP FICTION

Bestselling Macomber offers a new holiday novel. Hailey Morgan dreams of writing her own songs, but instead she’s working as a school band teacher. She’s dreading another Christmas with her meddling family and their expectations, so she stays alone in a friend’s cabin, where the charming mayor’s son makes her rethink her solo act.

Montague, Anna. How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? Ecco. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063353640. 256p. $28. POP FICTION

Book editor Montague debuts with a late-in-life queer coming-of-age story. Magda is mourning the death of her best friend, Sara, when she finds Sara’s plans for them to go on a road trip for Magda’s 70th birthday. Magda decides to take the trip alone and discovers more about herself along the way. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Quinn-Kong, Erin. Hate Follow. Morrow Paperbacks. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063379732. pbk. 352p. $18.99. POP FICTION

Influencer Whitney Golden’s carefully curated life looks perfect to her one million followers, but then her teenage daughter Mia objects to being part of her mother’s social media. When Whitney doesn’t agree, Mia sues her, and Whitney must decide what’s more important—her brand or her daughter. Magazine editor Quinn-Hong’s debut receives a 100K-copy first printing.

Rieger, Susan. Like Mother, Like Mother. Dial. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780525512493. 336p. $29. POP FICTION

Rieger ( The Heirs , an NPR best book) returns with a multigenerational family saga that examines mother-daughter relationships. Lila overcomes her abusive childhood and becomes a powerful newspaper editor. Her daughter Grace, though, resents Lila’s career, even as she herself becomes a successful reporter. As ambition, family, and the past collide, Grace will have to determine her own future.

Somin, Yeon. The Healing Season of Pottery. tr. from Korean by Clare Richards. Algonquin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781643756752. pbk. 288p. $18.99. POP FICTION

Award-winning Somin makes her English-language debut. Jungmin is burned out and quits her job. Then she stumbles on a charming pottery studio whose warmth, coffee, and clay help her feel alive again. As Jungmin spends the year creating pots and connecting with others at the studio, she appreciates the changes in her life and contemplates a new love.

Steel, Danielle. Triangle. Delacorte. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593498552. 256p. $29. POP FICTION

In the latest from bestselling Steel, Amanda Delanoe lives well, running an art gallery in Paris, although she has yet to find the love of her life. Then she meets a dashing publisher, reconnects with an old boyfriend, and turns to her friend, bachelor Pascal, for advice. She also starts receiving threats that leave her terrified and wondering who could be after her.

Stephenson, Neal. Polostan. (Bomb Light, bk. 1). Morrow. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780062334497. 320p. $32. POP FICTION

Bestselling Stephenson ( Termination Shock ) launches a new trilogy set in the early 20th century. Dawn Rae Bjornberg was born in the U.S. but raised in Leningrad by her Russian father. She moves back to the States and becomes involved in gunrunning in Washington, DC, during the Great Depression, then returns to Russia, where she is groomed to become a spy. With a 200K-copy first printing.

Forthcoming Series Title

Andrews, V.C. Dreaming of Autumn Skies. (The Sutherland Series, bk. 3). Gallery. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668015827. pbk. 288p. $17.99. POP FICTION

Literary Fiction

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Fu, Mike. Masquerade. Tin House. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781959030843. pbk. 352p. $17.95. LITERARY FICTION

Fu debuts with a queer coming-of-age story set in 1930s Shanghai and contemporary New York. Meadow Liu is house-sitting for a friend when he finds a translated novel about a masked ball in Shanghai, written by someone with Meadow’s own name in Chinese. From there, all kinds of questions of identity, reality, and possibility unfold.

Greathead, Kate. The Book of George. Holt. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250351029. 272p. $28.99. LITERARY FICTION

Greathead ( Laura & Emma ) invents the idea of “George,” the kind of man who has lots of potential but no follow-through, won’t commit, and can be moody. This George is dating Jenny and is both cynical and self-aware. Greathead charts his course with humor and astute observation.

Herrera, Yuri. Season of the Swamp. tr. from Spanish by Lisa Dillman. Graywolf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781644453070. 160p. $26. LITERARY FICTION

Herrera, who was a finalist for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize, sets his newest, a work of speculative historical fiction, in 19th-century New Orleans where Benito Juárez, who will become the first Indigenous head of state in the postcolonial Americas, steps off a ship into the swamp of the city.

Hollinghurst, Alan. Our Evenings. Random. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593243060. 560p. $30. LITERARY FICTION

Hollinghurst, the Somerset Maugham Award–, James Tait Black Memorial Prize–, and Booker Prize–winning author, follows Dave and Giles across 50 years, as they meet in boarding school and come of age. Dave succeeds as an actor, and Giles grows into a dangerous force in politics. This is Hollinghurst’s first novel since The Sparsholt Affair .

Kracht, Christian. Eurotrash. tr. from German by Daniel Bowles. Liveright. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781324094562. 192p. $25.99. LITERARY FICTION

The winner of the Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize returns to his autofictional narrator “Christian,” from his bestselling 1995 debut, Faserland . Christian is in Zurich to care for his mother and is thinking of his family’s history. He and his mother decide to go on a road trip to Switzerland to give away the family fortune.

Lerner, Betsy. Shred Sisters. Grove. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780802163707. 304p. $28. LITERARY FICTION

Lerner, author of The Forest for the Trees and coauthor with Temple Grandin of a series of New York Times bestsellers, writes the story of two sisters, the shining Ollie and the younger Amy, over the course of 20 years. Amy hopes to become a researcher, while Ollie develops bipolar disorder and slips in and out of contact with her sister.

Lobato, Bruna Dantas. Blue Light Hours. Black Cat. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780802163776. pbk. 192p. $17. LITERARY FICTION

National Book Award–winning translator Lobato debuts with a novel listed on Electric Literature ’s “75 Books by Women of Color To Read in 2024.” At a liberal arts college in Vermont, an international student from Brazil calls her mother on Skype, and they talk and experience change, bathed in the blue light from their computers. Expanded from a story that first ran in the New Yorker .

Messina, Laura Imai. The Heartbeat Library. Overlook. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781419772498. 400p. $27. LITERARY FICTION

Messina, internationally bestselling author of The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World , sets her sophomore novel on an island in Japan that holds a library of the heartbeats of visitors, living and dead, from around the world. Miles away, 40-year-old Shuichi and eight-year-old Kenta meet, bond, and journey to the library.

Minot, Susan. Don’t Be a Stranger. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593802441. 320p. $28. LITERARY FICTION

Henry Prize and Pushcart Prize winner Minot returns to novels after 2014’s Thirty Girls . The story follows Ivy Cooper, 52 years old and launching a love affair with Ansel Fleming, a thirtysomething musician recently released from prison. One part of Ivy’s mind is on her long list of responsibilities, while the other is consumed by her desire for Ansel.

Miura, Shion. Run with the Wind. tr. from Japanese by Yui Kajita. HarperVia. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063330894. 448p. $30. LITERARY FICTION

A bestseller in Japan, Naoki Prize winner Miura’s newest (after Kamusari Tales Told at Night ) traces a group of students living in a run-down dorm, all part of a 10-man running team preparing to race in the Hakone Ekiden, a famous college-level marathon relay.

Ove Knausgaard, Karl. The Third Realm. tr. from Norwegian by Martin Aitken. Penguin Pr. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593655214. 512p. $30. LITERARY FICTION

Bestselling author and International Dublin Literary Award winner Knausgaard ( My Struggle ) offers a murder, shapeshifting visitors, metal bands, and a bank of dreams in this third novel, which continues from The Morning Star and The Wolves of Eternity .

Palahniuk, Chuck. Shock Induction. S&S. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668021446. 240p. $26.99. LITERARY FICTION

Palahniuk ( Not Forever, but for Now ) imagines a high school where kids have been surveilled since birth by billionaires who plan to harvest their intellectual labor, to be sold off at a high-stakes auction. Students start disappearing, lost to apparent suicide, raising the question of what say they have in their own futures.

Sy, Cherry Lou. Love Can’t Feed You. Dutton. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593474549. 336p. $28. LITERARY FICTION

Born in the Philippines of Chinese and Filipino heritage, Sy is the co-artistic director of the International Minor Feelings Trading Company. She debuts with a coming-of-age novel about a woman who immigrates from the Philippines to the U.S. and navigates between family expectations and personal desire.

Trabucco Zerán, Alia. Clean. tr. from Spanish by Sophie Hughes. Riverhead. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593850510. 272p. $29. LITERARY FICTION

International Booker Prize finalist Trabucco Zerán ( The Remainder ) offers a novel about Estela, who kept house for señor and señora when their daughter was born and for seven years afterward. Now the rebellious daughter is dead, and Estela, who is being interrogated, tells the full story.

Wideman, John Edgar. Slaveroad. Scribner. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668057216. 192p. $26.99. LITERARY FICTION

Winner of the PEN/Faulkner and PEN/Malamud awards (among many others), a finalist for the National Book Award, and a MacArthur Fellow, Wideman ( The Homewood Trilogy ) writes a novel of stories that confront American history through the metaphor of a “slaveroad,” a combination of history, psychology, literature, and more.

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Banville, John. The Drowned. Hanover Square. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781335000590. 304p. $28.99. MYSTERY

Award-winning and bestselling Banville, who has also written as Benjamin Black, offers a new mystery set in rural Ireland in the 1950s. When a woman goes missing, DI Strafford and pathologist Quirke, who last appeared together in Snow , are called in to investigate. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Blacke, Olivia. A New Lease on Death. Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250336675. 336p. $28. MYSTERY

Blacke (“Record Shop Mysteries”) launches a new series. Twenty-year-old Ruby Young moves to a new apartment in Boston and finds that she has a ghost for a roommate—Cordelia Graves, who died in the apartment a few months earlier. When a neighbor is killed, the two team up to solve the murder. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Eight Very Bad Nights: A Hanukkah Story Collection. ed. by Tod Goldberg. Soho Crime. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781641296137. 304p. $27.95. MYSTERY

Bestselling novelist Goldberg ( Gangsters Don’t Die ) curates this crime-fiction anthology for the holiday season, with 12 stories from bestselling and award-winning authors including Ivy Pochoda, Lee Goldberg, and Gabino Iglesias; the stories range from hard-boiled Hanukkah noir to humorous adventures and poignant stories.

Emerson, Ramona. Exposure. (Rita Todacheene, bk. 2). Soho Crime. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781641294768. NAp. $27.95. MYSTERY

Emerson’s sequel to LJ Best Book Shutter finds Navajo forensic photographer Rita Todacheene facing a serial killer and the ghosts of his victims. The killer is targeting Indigenous people whose murders can be disguised as death by exposure to the cold, while Rita is dealing with hostile colleagues, her frail grandmother, and ghosts looking for justice.

Griffiths, Elly. The Man in Black: And Other Stories. Mariner. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063289338. 256p. $28. MYSTERY

Bestselling Griffiths ( The Last Word ) offers a collection of her short stories, many of which contain favorite series characters such as Ruth Galloway, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto. From Ruth’s encounter with a mysterious man in a bookstore, to Harbinder’s first day on the job as a detective sergeant, Griffiths imagines some of her characters’ adventures outside of the novels.

Kashiwai, Hisashi. The Restaurant of Lost Recipes. (Kamogawa Food Detectives, bk. 2). Putnam. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593717790. 208p. $26. MYSTERY

Chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi are back in the second book in the “Kamogawa Food Detectives” series, a bestseller in Japan. Nagare and Koishi are “food detectives” who, through their investigations, manage to recreate meals from their customers’ favorite memories; people leave their diner in Kyoto forever changed.

Kelly, Julia. Betrayal at Blackthorn Park. (Evelyne Redfern, bk. 2). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250865519. 320p. $28. MYSTERY

Evelyne Redfern, last seen amateur-sleuthing while working as a secretary in Churchill’s cabinet war rooms in A Traitor in Whitehall , has just graduated from a spycraft training program. Her first assignment is a simple security test at Blackthorn Park, but it becomes more complicated when the chief engineer is found dead. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Kelly, Vanessa. Murder in Highbury. (An Emma Knightley Mystery, bk. 1). Kensington. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781496745972. 304p. $27. MYSTERY

Bestselling historical romance author Kelly ( The Highlander’s Kilted Bride ) turns to mystery with a new Jane Austen–inspired series featuring Emma Knightley. When Emma discovers the corpse of the vicar’s wife at the local church in Highbury, she begins to discreetly investigate to protect the innocent person who is under suspicion and find the real killer.

Ryan, Tom. The Treasure Hunters Club. S&S. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668055205. pbk. 320p. $17.99. MYSTERY

YA author Ryan (a Lambda Award winner for I Hope You’re Listening ) makes his adult debut. The seaside town of Maple Bay is known for its legendary lost pirate treasure. But there’s more than treasure buried there, and the paths of three characters intertwine as they meet and uncover the town’s shocking truths.

Forthcoming Series Titles

Adams, Ellery. The Little Lost Library. (A Secret, Book, & Scone Society, bk. 7). Kensington Cozies. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781496743794. 320p. $27. MYSTERY

Andrews, Donna. Rockin’ Around the Chickadee. (Meg Langslow Mysteries, bk. 36). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250894359. 304p. $27. MYSTERY

Beaton, M. C. & R. W. Green. Killing Time. (Agatha Raisin Mysteries, bk. 35). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250898708. 256p. $27. MYSTERY

Brown, Rita Mae. Time Will Tell. (Jane Arnold, bk. 16). Bantam. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593873823. 272p. $30. MYSTERY

Cambridge, Colleen. Murder Takes the Stage. (A Phyllida Bright Mystery, bk. 4). Kensington. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781496742599. 304p. $27. MYSTERY

Carlisle, Kate. The Knife Before Christmas. (A Fixer-Upper Mystery, bk. 11). Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593637647. 304p. $28. MYSTERY

Child, Lee & Andrew Child. In Too Deep. (Jack Reacher, bk. 29). Delacorte. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593725801. 304p. $30. MYSTERY

Fletcher, Jessica & Terrie Farley Moran. Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas. (Murder She Wrote, bk. 59). Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593640722. 288p. $28. MYSTERY

Haines, Carolyn. Blue Christmas Bones. (A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery, bk. 28). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250885968. 368p. $28. MYSTERY

Klavan, Andrew. A Woman Underground. (Cameron Winter, bk. 4). The Mysterious Pr. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781613165539. 312p. $26.95. MYSTERY

McDermid, Val. 1999. (An Allie Burns Novel, bk. 3). Atlantic Monthly. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780802163721. 416p. $27. MYSTERY

McKinlay, Jenn. A Merry Little Murder Plot. (A Library Lover’s Mystery, bk. 15). Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593639368. 304p. $28. MYSTERY

Mizushima, Margaret. Gathering Mist. (A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, bk. 9). Crooked Lane. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781639108947. 0p. $29.99. MYSTERY

Munier, Paula. The Night Woods. (A Mercy Carr Mystery, bk. 6). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250887917. 320p. $29. MYSTERY

O’Connor, Carlene. You Have Gone Too Far. (A County Kerry Novel, bk. 3). Kensington. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781496737588. 320p. $27. MYSTERY

Penny, Louise. The Grey Wolf. (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, bk. 19). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250328137. 432p. $30. MYSTERY

Rankin, Ian. Midnight and Blue. (Inspector Rebus, bk. 25). Mulholland. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316473859. 336p. $29. MYSTERY

Rosenfelt, David. The More the Terrier. (An Andy Carpenter Novel, bk. 30). Minotaur. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250324542. 304p. $27. MYSTERY

Rosen, Lev AC. Rough Pages. (Evander Mills, bk. 3). Forge. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250322449. 272p. $27.99. MYSTERY

Smith, Alexander McCall. The Great Hippopotamus Hotel. (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, bk. 25). Pantheon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593701768. 256p. $28. MYSTERY

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Dave, Laura. The Night We Lost Him. Scribner: Marysue Rucci. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668002933. 320p. $28.99. THRILLER

Dave, bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick The Last Thing He Told Me , returns with a story about a daughter and son who join forces to investigate the death of their father, the patriarch of a hotel empire, who died under mysterious circumstances.

Harkaway, Nick. Karla’s Choice: A John le Carré Novel. Viking. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593833490. 320p. $30. THRILLER

Harkaway ( Angelmaker ) takes up the reigns from his father, John le Carré, setting his newest in the decade between the action of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy . George Smiley thought he was done with the Circus, but Control pulls him back. Soon he’s in East Berlin, chasing a devious spy.

Hawkins, Paula. The Blue Hour. Mariner. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063396524. 352p. $30. THRILLER

Bestselling Hawkins’s ( A Slow Fire Burning ) newest is set on a distant Scottish island that’s only accessible 12 hours a day. Twenty years ago, the famously philandering husband of an infamous artist disappeared there. In the present, three people are linked together through a web of lies.

Korelitz, Jean Hanff. The Sequel. Celadon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250875471. 304p. $29. THRILLER

Bestselling Korelitz, with two novels heading to TV and two already adapted, issues a psychological thriller featuring an author whose fame from her new bestseller leads to anonymous accusations that threaten to expose the truth about her life. With a 150K-copy first printing.

McCloskey, David. The Seventh Floor. Norton. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781324086680. 400p. $29.99. THRILLER

Former CIA analyst McCloskey ( Moscow X ) applies his insider knowledge to his latest spy thriller. There is a mole inside Langley, and a Russian spymaster will do anything to keep that agent safe. Set against the mole and the Russian are two CIA officers who are making a list of suspects and tracking them down.

McFadden, Freida. The Boyfriend. Poisoned Pen. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781728296227. 368p. $17.99. THRILLER

McFadden, bestselling author of The Coworker and The Locked Door , sets her newest psychological thriller in NYC, where Sydney Shaw has terrible luck on the dating scene until she meets Tom, who is all she ever dreamed of—until a ghastly murder highlights a killer who dates his victims first.

Mezrich, Ben. The Mistress and the Key. Grand Central. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538754672. 304p. $30. SUSPENSE

Mezrich follows up his adventure suspense novel The Midnight Ride with this sequel exploring the alchemical powers of Benjamin Franklin and Paul Revere. Card shark Hailey Gordon and ex-con Nick Patterson are on the hunt for Franklin and Revere’s secrets, but so is “the Heiress,” who will stop at nothing to beat them.

Murray, James S. & Darren Wearmouth. You Better Watch Out. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250286260. 288p. $29. THRILLER

The authors of Awakened return with a serial-killer novel set just days before Christmas. Jessica Kane went for a run and woke up stranded in an abandoned town. With her are five strangers, each transported there by a murderer who picks them off one by one.

Patterson, James & Brian Sitts. Murder Island. (A Doc Savage Thriller, bk. 2). Grand Central. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538721896. pbk. 416p. $19.99. THRILLER

This second Doc Savage novel, starring a reboot of the Stan Lee–created character, gets a 250K-copy first printing. This time, professor–turned–crime-fighter Savage is separated from his girlfriend, Kira Sunlight, as they are caught up in a global conspiracy.

Rekulak, Jason. The Last One at the Wedding. Flatiron. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250895783. 368p. $28.99. THRILLER

Rekulak (bestselling author of Hidden Pictures , a Goodreads Horror Book of the Year, and The Impossible Fortress , an Edgar finalist) offers a domestic thriller about a widowed father and his daughter over the course of one wedding weekend. With a 500K-copy first printing.

Robbins, Lawrence. The President’s Lawyer. Atria. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668047194. 320p. $28.99. THRILLER

Robbins, a high-profile lawyer, debuts with a legal thriller about Rob Jacobson, a DC litigator whose best friend has been accused of murdering his mistress. Full of overwhelming twists, turns, secrets, and lies, this is a high-profile case, since Rob’s client is the former president of the United States.

Trussoni, Danielle. The Puzzle Box. Random. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593595329. 336p. $30. THRILLER

The bestselling author of The Puzzle Master returns with a story centered on the deadly Dragon Box, a 19th-century puzzle that has never been solved. The puzzle is filled with deadly traps and holds an imperial secret. Mike Brink is once again on the job.

Battles, Brett. Stuart Woods’ Golden Hour. (A Teddy Fay Novel, bk. 7). Putnam. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593331606. 336p. $30. THRILLER

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Baird, Ginny. Christmas Eve Love Story. Sourcebooks. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781728276946. pbk. 416p. $16.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Bestselling Baird ( The Holiday Mix-Up ) offers a low-heat Christmas romance that the publisher is calling “ Groundhog Day meets Miracle on 34th Street .” Annie Jones, a window designer, must repeat Christmas Eve until she discovers love and family. Helping her are Santa and Braden Tate, who has long admired all things Annie.

Blake, Ashley Herring. Make the Season Bright. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593550595. pbk. 400p. $19. LGBTQIA+ ROMANCE

Bestselling author and LJ Best Book author Blake ( Delilah Green Doesn’t Care ) offers a sapphic Christmas story featuring two exes. Five years ago, Brighton abandoned her fiancée Charlotte at the altar. Both musicians have since gone their own ways, until separate invitations to the same cozy Colorado house bring them together again.

Elliot, Amanda. Love You a Latke. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593815830. pbk. 368p. $19. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Elliot ( Best Served Hot ), who also writes books for teens and children under the name Amanda Panitch, sets this Hanukkah romance in Vermont and Manhattan, where Abby and Seth agree to fake-date so his parents will stop bugging him and she can get help planning her town’s Hanukkah festival. Over bakery treats and snowfalls, they find more than they expect.

Gilliland, Raquel Vasquez. Lightning in Her Hands. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593548592. pbk. 320p. $19. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Pura Belpré Award winner Gilliland hit the bestseller list with her debut adult novel, Witch of Wild Things . She returns with a fake-marriage story featuring Teal Flores, who can control the weather and needs to find her long-lost mother, and Carter Velasquez, who needs to get married by age 30 to gain his inheritance.

Greenlaw, Rachel. The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells. Avon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063378254. pbk. 320p. $18.99. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Greenlaw ( One Christmas Morning ), who also writes YA romantasy, adds a dash of magic to this contemporary, set in a small mountain town. It is there that Carrie Morgan returns to the magical legacy of her family. Love and mystery and a man named Matthieu await her. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Janovsky, Timothy. The Merriest Misters. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250338938. pbk. 320p. $18. LGBTQIA+ ROMANCE

Janovsky ( You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince ) offers a queer yuletide romance. Patrick and Quinn have been married less than a year, and all is not well. When Patrick accidentally hits Santa, the couple must save Christmas—and take on the roles of Santa and Merriest Mister for much longer than one night.

Juniper, Josie. Double Apex. (Frontrunners, Bk. 1). Forever. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538768976. pbk. 368p. $17.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Juniper moves to a big publisher and gets a 75K-copy first printing for this sports romance series opener, set in the world of Formula 1 racing. Phaedra Morgan is a top engineer on the circuit; Cosmin Ardelean is the new driver on the team. The two develop a secret relationship that becomes as hot as any race.

Roberts, Sheila. The Merry Matchmaker. MIRA. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780778369608. pbk. 368p. $18.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Bestselling Roberts is building a brand with holiday novels such as The Twelve Months of Christmas . Her newest Christmas-set story is inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma and features 50-year-old widow Frankie, who has a whole list of people she knows what is best for. Then there is Mitch, perhaps the most-in-need of Frankie.

Stein, Charlotte. How To Help a Hungry Werewolf. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250352330. pbk. 368p. $18. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

LibraryReads pick Stein ( When Grumpy Met Sunshine ) pens a werewolf/witch romance. Cassandra returns home to her small town in order to sort through her grandmother’s affairs, only to run into Seth, her best friend–turned–nemesis. It turns out that Seth is a werewolf. What follows is a mating bond, magic, and more werewolves.

Thayne, RaeAnne. The December Market. Canary Street. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781335929358. pbk. 304p. $18.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Neither Amanda Taylor nor Rafe Arredondo particularly wants to be in each other’s company, but when her grandmother and his grandfather start to date and their lives become intertwined, they find love and forgiveness during the holiday season. This second-chances story gets bestselling Thayne ( A Beach House Beginning ) a 150K-copy first printing.

War, Pyae Moe Thet. I Did Something Bad. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250330512. pbk. 336p. $18. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

War’s fiction debut (after the essay collection You’ve Changed ) is a high-stakes adventure rom-com about Tyler Tun, a Hollywood star who returns home to Myanmar to film a movie and Khin Hlaing, a freelance journalist assigned by Vogue to get the scoop on Tyler. After Khin is attacked, there’s a lot more at stake than an interview. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Wiesner, Melissa. Wish I Were Here. Forever. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538741948. pbk. 352p. $17.99. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Wiesner ( The Second Chance Year ) offers a slightly speculative rom-com. College professor Catherine lives an ordered life, until that life seems to vanish—even the Social Security Administration says she is not real. She turns to her doorman, the charming Luca, for help, and the two launch an investigation that might remake her life.

Wilkens, Colby. If I Stopped Haunting You. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250292902. pbk. 320p. $18. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Wilkens debuts with a 75K-copy first printing for an enemies-to-lovers romp set in a haunted Scottish castle. Penelope and Neil are authors with a shared history. They find themselves at the same writer’s retreat that’s filled with pursuing ghosts and discover a lot more than enmity.

Long, Julie Anne. The Beast Takes a Bride. (The Palace of Rogues, Bk. 8). Avon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063281172. pbk. 384p. $9.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Martin, Celestine. Deja Brew. (Elemental Love, Bk. 3). Forever. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538754450. pbk. 352p. $17.99. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Ryan, Reese. The Soulmate Project. (Holly Grove Island, Bk. 3). Forever. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538734506. pbk. 320p. $9.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

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Armstrong, Kelley. I’ll Be Waiting. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250284211. 336p. $29. HORROR

Bestselling Armstrong ( Hemlock Island ) returns with a supernatural horror story. After Nicola loses her husband in a car accident, she holds a séance at a beach house that her husband’s family once owned. As the ritual starts, mysterious things begin to happen, and then Nicola finds a body. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Battle-Felton, Yvonne. Curdle Creek. Holt. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250362018. 304p. $27.99. HORROR

Following her Women’s Prize–longlisted debut, Remembered , Battle-Felton’s latest is a literary horror tale set in Curdle Creek, an all-Black town that is governed by sinister rules and traditions. When a test of allegiance unexpectedly transports protagonist Osira back in time and then to another realm, she is faced with the crimes committed by Curdle Creek. With an 80K-copy first printing.

Chizmar, Richard. Memorials. Gallery. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668009192. 448p. $28.99. HORROR

Bestselling and award-winning Chizmar ( Becoming the Boogeyman ; coauthor with Stephen King of the “Gwendy’s Button Box” trilogy) writes a road-trip novel set in 1983, full of supernatural terror. Three college students are filming a documentary about roadside memorials, but as they travel deeper into Appalachia, their experiences make them wonder if the deaths on the road were truly accidents.

Chronister, Kay. The Bog Wife. Counterpoint. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781640096622. 336p. $28. HORROR

Chronister ( Desert Creatures ), whose short fiction has been nominated for Shirley Jackson and World Fantasy Awards, pens an Appalachian gothic of eco-horror. The Haddesley family tends a cranberry bog, which in turn sustains them as long as they uphold their ritual exchange. When the bog doesn’t honor the bargain, however, the siblings face an uncertain future and long-buried secrets.

Clements, Mikaella & Onjuli Datta. Feast While You Can. Grand Central. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781538742259. 304p. $30. HORROR

Angelina is trying to be content in her small hometown. Then she runs into Jagvi, whose arrival might have awakened an ancient evil that comes to possess Angelina—and only Jagvi’s touch can repel it. A literary social horror with a queer love story, from the married coauthors of The View Was Exhausting , a Goop and Good Housekeeping book club pick.

Cooke, C. J. The Book of Witching. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593816967. pbk. 368p. $19. HORROR

Cooke, whose novel The Lighthouse Witches was nominated for an Edgar Award and is being adapted for TV, offers another witchy tale. Clem’s 19-year-old daughter Erin is in the hospital and not herself after a hiking trip went wrong in the Orkney Islands, where she may have an encountered an ancient curse from a woman put to death for witchcraft centuries ago.

Leede, CJ. American Rapture. Tor Nightfire. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250857927. 384p. $27.99. HORROR

Leede follows up her Stoker Award–nominated debut, Maeve Fly , with this apocalyptic horror story. A virus is spreading across the Midwest, carried by strong winds, and turning the infected feral with lust. As the world around her falls apart, Sophie risks everything to travel across Wisconsin in search of her family. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Onoh, Nuzo. Where the Dead Brides Gather. Titan. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781835410561. pbk. 384p. $17.99. HORROR

Recipient of the Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, Onoh ( A Dance for the Dead ) writes a Nigeria-set ghost story. After a supernatural possession, a battle with a ghost bride, and a botched exorcism, young Bata finds herself in the realm of dead brides, where she receives powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides in the human realm.

Piper, Hailey. All the Hearts You Eat. Titan. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781803367644. pbk. 448p. $17.99. HORROR

The latest from Piper (author of the LJ Best Book A Light Most Hateful ) offers a twist on vampire mythology. In the small town of Cape Morning, Ivory discovers the body of Cabrina Brite. As she searches for answers, Ivory begins to see the ghost of Cabrina, and soon Ivory and her friends encounter more supernatural mysteries.

Pullen, Nicholas. The Black Hunger. Redhook. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316573054. pbk. 400p. $19.99. HORROR

Pullen debuts with this queer gothic horror, a historical epistolary novel. Lord John Sackville and his secret lover have been outed in India and are sent away on a secret mission to Tibet and Mongolia to stop a cult of Buddhist heretics from completing an ancient ritual that will end all life.

Ryan, Lindy. Cold Snap. Titan. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781835410080. 144p. $18.99. HORROR

Award-winning Ryan follows up her debut, Bless Your Heart , with a chilling novella. After Christine’s husband falls to his death while hanging Christmas lights, she and her son retreat to a cabin in the Pennsylvania Wilds. There Christine starts hearing strange noises in the forest and spots a horned figure watching—and calling her name in her dead husband’s voice.

Sandeen, Del. This Cursed House. Berkley. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593639528. 384p. $29. HORROR

Sandeen’s debut offers a Southern gothic horror story. In 1962, Jemma Barker moves to New Orleans for a job as a live-in tutor. When she arrives, however, she learns that she was actually hired because her employers think her abilities can break their family curse—and there are even more secrets to uncover.

Shine, A. M. Stay in the Light. Head of Zeus. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781804547939. 320p. $28.99. HORROR

After her terrifying experience in The Watchers (adapted for a film produced by M. Night Shyamalan), Mina has escaped to a cottage on the Irish coast, but she’s not safe for long. In this sequel, no one believes her stories of malevolent beings, and the Watchers’ power is growing.

Solomon, Rivers. Model Home. MCD. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780374607135. 304p. $28. HORROR

Lambda and Stonewall Award–winning Solomon ( Sorrowland ) writes a haunted-house social horror novel. In an exclusive neighborhood where they were the only Black family, the Maxwells experienced strange and inexplicable things inside their house, but their mother refused to move out. Years later, when their parents die unnatural deaths, the Maxwell siblings return home to figure out what happened.

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Dixon, Ruby. Bull Moon Rising. (Royal Artifactual Guild, Bk. 1). Ace. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593817025. 432p. $30. ROMANTASY

TikTok sensation Dixon ( Ice Planet Barbarians ) offers the steamy story of Aspeth Honori who marries a minotaur in order to join the Royal Artifactual Guild and hunt for magical artifacts. There are lots of issues: he is surly; she is hiding her noble identity. There are also tests, a fortune hunter, and, against the plan, love.

Doocy, Maiga. Sorcery and Small Magics. (The Wildersongs Trilogy, Bk. 1). Orbit. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316576758. pbk. 416p. $19.99. ROMANTASY

Doocy debuts with a queer cozy fantasy that follows the less than fully skilled but charming sorcerer Leovander, who somehow binds himself to the commands of his rival, the deeply talented and curmudgeonly Sebastian. They need to find a counterspell and so venture into the Unquiet Wood, filled with monsters and outlaws.

Marske, Freya. Swordcrossed. Bramble. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250341624. 384p. $28.99. ROMANTASY

Marske ( A Marvellous Light ) offers a queer fantasy romance that LitHub named a most anticipated book of the year . Matti needs a skilled swordsman to help him learn to fight; Luca Piere is on the run from past crimes. Set against an arranged marriage, nothing is as it seems, and the two grow close as they navigate secrets, sabotage, and love. With a 150K-copy first printing.

Peñaranda, Chloe C. The Stars Are Dying. (Nytefall Trilogy, Bk. 1). Bramble. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250370440. 432p. $29.99. ROMANTASY

Peñaranda’s opening in the “Nytefall” trilogy, loosely inspired by Greek mythology, is being republished by Bramble. Astraea is haunted by the mystery of her past, held by a tyrant king, and bound to Nyte, a deadly and seductive vampire. As she struggles to learn her history, she must also navigate the bloody world and choices in front of her.

Raasch, Sara. The Nightmare Before Kissmas. Bramble. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250333193. pbk. 368p. $19.99. ROMANTASY

The bestselling YA author Raasch makes her adult debut with a rom-com in which the prince of Christmas falls for the prince of Halloween. Neither is interested in marrying the Easter princess, but the two vie for her hand while finding that they can’t keep their hands off each other. Expect sprayed ruby edges and a 125K-copy first printing.

Thorne, Rebecca. A Pirate’s Life for Tea. (Tomes & Tea, Bk. 2). Bramble. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250333179. pbk. 384p. $19.99. ROMANTASY

Book two in the “Tomes & Tea” series finds soldier Reyna and mage Kianthe on the hunt for the dragon eggs that will save their village. But first, they have to capture the river pirate Serina. In this sapphic cozy, love rules, even at sea.

Wilson, Sariah. A Tribute of Fire. (The Eye of the Goddess, Bk. 1). Montlake. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781662525148. 0p. $16.99. ROMANTASY

The centuries-old curse of a goddess condemns the maidens of Locris to a life-and-death race. This year it is Lia’s turn to be pitted against the city, which has been turned into a maze of deadly choices. Watching is Jason, a man she desires but is loath to trust. Wilson is the bestselling author of Hypnotized by Love .

Science Fiction & Fantasy

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Blake, Olivie. Januaries. Tor. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250330680. 400p. $28.99. FANTASY

Featuring a guardian spirit to a magical bridge, a banished fairy, a multiverse assassin, and more, the latest by bestselling Blake ( The Atlas Complex ) is a collection of magical new and previously published stories and novellas, grouped by season. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Bond, Charlotte. The Bloodless Princes. (The Fireborne Blade, Bk. 2). Tor.com. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250290779. 160p. $20.99. FANTASY

Bond returns with another tale of love and dragons in the sequel to The Fireborne Blade . High Mage Saralene has been cursed and must visit the afterlife to beg for help from the Bloodless Princes, but it won’t be easy to leave the underworld alive, for her or her companion, knight Maddileh. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Clarke, August. Metal from Heaven. Erewhon. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781645660989. 528p. $28. FANTASY

Nominated for a Locus Award and Dragon Award for the YA novel Scapegracers , Clarke makes their adult debut with a queer epic fantasy. Industrialist Yann Chauncey runs a foundry that produces a valuable but toxic metal. When the sick and destitute workers strike, all are killed except Marney, who years later finds the perfect chance for revenge.

Dimova, Genoveva. Monstrous Nights. (The Witch’s Compendium of Monsters, Bk. 2). Tor. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250877352. pbk. 352p. $18.99. FANTASY

Dimova continues witch Kosara’s story in the second book of the Slavic folklore–inspired fantasy duology that began with Foul Days . Kosara has reclaimed her magic and now possesses 12 witch’s shadows, which aren’t always cooperative, but more sinister events are occurring as the barrier between worlds thins. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Garcia, R.S.A. The Nightward. Harper Voyager. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063345751. pbk. 448p. $19.99. FANTASY

Sturgeon, Nebula, Locus, and Ignyte Award finalist Garcia ( Lex Talionis ) launches a sci-fi/fantasy duology inspired by Caribbean mythology. The goddess Gaiea has blessed queens to rule in her stead. Young Princess Viella is heir to the throne but still learning to wield her magic when her mother, the queen, is assassinated, forcing Viella and her bodyguard to flee.

Kim, Sung-il. Blood of the Old Kings. Tor. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250895332. 368p. $27.99. FANTASY

South Korean author Kim makes his English-language debut with the first of a fantasy trilogy. The Empire, powered by the corpses of sorcerers, has conquered the world. Loran, who wields a sword made of dragon’s fang; Cain, lost and orphaned; and sorcerer Arienne each rebel against the Empire in their own ways. With a 150K-copy first printing.

Kwan, Katrina. The Last Dragon of the East. Saga. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668051238. pbk. 304p. $17.99. FANTASY

Romance author and actress Kwan ( Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love ) writes her first fantasy novel, inspired by Chinese myths. Sai, who can see the red threads of fate between soulmates, acts as a matchmaker while running a teahouse and caring for his mother. When he finds dragon scales that cure his mother, the emperor sends him on a quest to find the dragon.

Lampley, Alexis. Pride and Prejudice in Space. Union Square & Co. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781454954118. 504p. $30. SCIENCE FICTION

Author and illustrator Lampley makes her adult debut with an SF retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice . Giving the classic Regency-era romance a new twist, she sets the story in a future of spaceships and interplanetary travel and includes several illustrations such as spaceship designs by Elizabeth Bennet, who yearns for freedom and a pilot’s license.

Liang, Ann. A Song To Drown Rivers. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250289469. 336p. $32. FANTASY

Bestselling YA author Liang ( I Hope This Doesn’t Find You ) writes her adult debut, an epic historical fantasy inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Offered the opportunity to infiltrate the neighboring kingdom and avenge her sister’s murder, Xishi accepts, but it’s a dangerous undertaking. With a 250K-copy first printing.

Maguire, Gregory. Elphie: A Wicked Childhood. Morrow. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063377011. 288p. $30. FANTASY

Bestselling Maguire, author of Wicked , which was made into a Tony Award–winning Broadway musical and a forthcoming movie, contemplates the origins of Elphaba, Wicked Witch of the West. From Elphie’s life with her complicated family to her days at Shiz University, this coming-of-age story traces the history of a young girl destined to be a witch. With a 150K-copy first printing.

Mesa, Desideria. Bindle Punk Jefe. (Bindle Punk Bruja, Bk. 2). Harper Voyager. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063056121. pbk. 400p. $17.99. FANTASY

Mesa offers the sequel to LJ -starred Bindle Punk Bruja , an Indie Next and LibraryReads pick. Earth witch Rose is living a double life in Prohibition-era Kansas City. Trying to keep her personal and magical lives separate from her public life as a land developer’s wife and club owner is becoming more difficult—and dangerous—as enemies emerge. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Parry, H. G. The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door. Redhook. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316383905. pbk. 384p. $18.99. FANTASY

Parry ( LJ Best Book The Magician’s Daughter ) returns with a historical fantasy set in England at a secret magical academy, where Clover seeks a cure for her brother, who survived a faerie attack during World War I, which left the doors to faerie country sealed. Years later, the seals break, and Clover must reunite with her former school friends to fix what they broke—and save the world.

Vo, Nghi. The City in Glass. Tor.com. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250348272. 224p. $19.99. FANTASY

Hugo Award–winning Vo writes a standalone novella after her “Singing Hills Cycle” series. The powerful immortal Vitrine, a demon, loves the city of Azril. When angels destroy it, Vitrine curses one of them, binding him to haunt the city, but their hate turns to love as they rebuild. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Walschots, Natalie Zina. Villain. (Hench, Bk. 2). Morrow. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063236936. 368p. $30. FANTASY

In the sequel to LJ Best Book Hench , Anna, who works for a supervillain and is known to superheroes as the Auditor, is working on a new goal—to destroy the Draft, the organization that makes, trains, and manages the world’s superheroes. Her biggest opponent will be the Draft’s chief marketing officer, and it will be a test of ideas and data.

Burke, Sue. Usurpation. (Semiosis, Bk. 3). Tor. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250809162. 240p. $28.99. SCIENCE FICTION

Butcher, James J. Cold Iron Task. (The Unorthodox Chronicles, Bk. 3). Ace. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593440452. 400p. $29. FANTASY

Gwynne, John. The Fury of the Gods. (The Bloodsworn Trilogy, Bk. 3). Orbit. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316539951. pbk. 512p. $21.99. FANTASY

Harrison, Kim. Demon’s Bluff. (Hollows, Bk. 18). Ace. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593639986. 448p. $30. FANTASY

Biography & Memoir

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Bernstein, Richard. Only in America: Al Jolson and The Jazz Singer . Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780805243673. 272p. $28. BIOGRAPHY

Journalist, book critic, and author Bernstein ( China 1945 ) focuses on singer and actor Al Jolson and the creation of his 1927 film The Jazz Singer . The book considers how Jolson rose to success and how he shaped American culture, expanding it in many ways but also modeling its prejudices.

Conant, Jennet. Fierce Ambition: The Life and Legend of War Correspondent Maggie Higgins. Norton. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781324086406. pbk. 416p. $21.99. BIOGRAPHY

Bestselling author Conant ( Tuxedo Park ) writes a biography of New York Herald Tribune reporter Higgins, who documented the liberation of Dachau and went on to earn a Pulitzer for her war dispatches from Korea; she was the first woman reporter to win a Pulitzer for frontline reporting. Based on previously unpublished material and interviews, including Higgins’s private papers.

Edim, Glory. Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me. Ballantine. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780525619796. 256p. $28. MEMOIR

Edim, the founder of the Well-Read Black Girl book club, writes a memoir in books, stressing how authors such as Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Audre Lorde, as well as places of reading, from the public library to her dorm room, to airplane flights, have shaped and powered her life.

Greenberg, David. John Lewis: A Life. S&S. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781982142995. 704p. $35. BIOGRAPHY

Historian Greenberg (Rutgers Univ.; Nixon’s Shadow ) writes about the late civil rights leader and congressman, drawing on extensive interviews with Lewis and hundreds of others, a dozen archives, media footage, and even FBI documents. Greenberg traces Lewis’s life from childhood through his iconic contributions to U.S. politics.

Jones, Dan. Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King. Viking. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593652732. 432p. $35. BIOGRAPHY

Bestselling Jones ( Powers and Thrones ; the “Essex Dogs” trilogy), host of the This Is History podcast, offers a biography of England’s great medieval king, Henry V, who led the victory at Agincourt. That’s not all Henry did: he also saved England’s finances, justice system, and maritime dominance. Jones examines it all.

Kaplan, Bruce Eric. They Went Another Way: A Hollywood Memoir. Holt. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250370334. 272p. $28.99. MEMOIR

Kaplan ( I Was a Child ), a cartoonist for the New Yorker and a Netflix writer and producer who worked on Seinfeld and Girls , ruminates about living a creative life in a dysfunctional world. In this memoir that began as a journal in 2022, Kaplan addresses a wide array of topics, from show business to politics to family life to his heating system. With an 80K-copy first printing.

Lenz, Bethany Joy. Dinner for Vampires. S&S. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781668067307. 320p. $29.99. MEMOIR

Actress Lenz ( One Tree Hill , Suits , Charmed ) writes about her hidden life as a member of the Big House Family cult. Married to a son of the group’s leader, she had millions of dollars taken from her and minders watching her on set. It was only after giving birth that she found the courage to break away.

Milford Jr., Stanley. The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator’s Search for the Unexplained. Morrow. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063371057. 256p. $28.99. MEMOIR

Milford, who served as Chief Navajo Ranger and oversaw its special projects unit focused on reports of the paranormal and supernatural, writes about the cases of skinwalker and cryptid sightings, hauntings, and unidentified aerial phenomena. Using his law-enforcement eye and his Indigenous worldview, he offers his take on the investigations. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Mintz, Elliot. We All Shine On: John, Yoko, and Me. Dutton. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593475553. 336p. $32. MEMOIR

Having worked in radio and TV before becoming a media consultant, Mintz offers a personal account of his 50-year relationship with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, from when he first interviewed Ono in 1971 to the days after Lennon’s murder when Mintz became the official spokesperson for the Lennon estate.

Pacino, Al. Sonny Boy: A Memoir. Penguin Pr. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593655115. 400p. $35. MEMOIR

Oscar-, Tony-, and Golden Globe–winning Pacino writes a memoir about acting, and how it has been the love and light of his life. He details his youth in the South Bronx, his family life, his education in the arts, his life in avant-garde theater, and all the films that made him famous.

Patterson, James & Matt Eversmann. Medal of Honor: True Stories of America’s Most Decorated Military Heroes. Little, Brown. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316407205. 400p. $32.50. BIOGRAPHY

The authors behind the bestselling Walk in My Combat Boots turn their attention to military service members who have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, or the Bronze or Silver Star. In story-rich profiles, they recount the deeds of these service members who served in battle from WWII to Afghanistan. With a 200K-copy first printing.

Presley, Lisa Marie & Riley Keough. Untitled Memoir. Random. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593733875. 304p. $32. MEMOIR

Not much is known yet about Presley’s memoir other than it is based on her own efforts to pen her story before her death in 2023 and hours of recordings she left behind. Her daughter, actor Riley Keough ( Daisy Jones & the Six ), worked with the material to produce this book.

Sobel, Dava. The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science. Atlantic Monthly. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780802163820. 336p. $28. BIOGRAPHY

Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author Sobel ( Galileo’s Daughter ) offers a portrait of Marie Curie and explores her Nobel Prize–winning scientific research, taking readers into her laboratory, the first run by a woman. Along the way, she details other women in science who trained with Curie and made significant discoveries of their own.

Van Halen, Alex. Brothers. Harper. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063265707. 240p. $32. MEMOIR

Van Halen, along with New Yorker writer Ariel Levy, writes about his musical and family life in a tribute to his brother and fellow band mate, Edward van Halen—from their childhood in the Netherlands and their family life in California to the inner world of music and the making of the band. With a 250K-copy first printing.

Weber, Nicholas Fox. Mondrian: His Life, His Art, and the Quest of the Absolute. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780307961594. 656p. $40. BIOGRAPHY

Cultural historian Weber ( iBauhaus ; Le Corbusier ), executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, focuses on Piet Mondrian, the early 20th-century abstract artist who would become famous for his geometric work in primary colors. The biography covers Mondrian’s childhood through to his artistic philosophy developed during both world wars.

Nonfiction Finale: Biography & Memoir

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Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, the author of multiple bestselling cookbooks, writes about her life in food, her marriage, her business, and the lessons she has learned and wants to impart (with a handful of recipes). The 25th anniversary edition of The Barefoot Contessa cookbook will be published simultaneously with Garten’s memoir.

Navalny, Alexei. Patriot. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593320969. 320p. $35. MEMOIR

The late Russian opposition leader Navalny began working on this memoir in 2020. It addresses the attempts on his life, includes correspondence from prison, and details his fight for Russian democracy. Knopf plans a global simultaneous release.

Social Sciences

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Bracey Sherman, Renee & Regina Mahone. Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories, and Building the Reproductive Future We Deserve. Amistad. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063228153. 384p. $29.99. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Award-winning reproductive rights activist Bracey Sherman and journalist Mahone (hosts of the podcast The A Files ) offer a multifaceted work that seeks to create a new foundation for people to make choices about their bodies, health, and reproductive rights while revealing the ways abortion regulations are designed to control the lives of people of color and perpetuate racist stereotypes.

Gladwell, Malcolm. The New Tipping Point: Why and Where Epidemics Happen (Revised). Little, Brown. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316575805. 352p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Bestselling Gladwell, a Time 100 Most Influential People inductee, returns with a new take on his 2000 book The Tipping Point , looking at how epidemics, trends, and ideas develop and spread, and the role they play in shaping daily life. With a million-copy first printing.

Grisham, John & Jim McCloskey. Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions. Doubleday. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780385550444. 352p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Bestselling Grisham joins with Centurion Ministries founder McCloskey to detail 10 accounts of wrongful conviction, diving into the details of the failures of the justice system. The book goes into the courtrooms and showcases the uphill battles for exoneration as well as examining the racism and corruption that contribute to wrongful convictions to start with.

Johnson, Theodore J. If We Are Brave: Essays from Black Americana. Amistad. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780063346451. 256p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Johnson ( When the Stars Begin To Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America ), senior advisor at New America and a contributing columnist at the Washington Post , writes about race and social justice from a personal perspective and offers an indictment of the nation riven by difference.

Lang, Nico. American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era. Abrams. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781419773822. 272p. $30.  SOCIAL SCIENCES

Lang, an award-winning journalist and creator of Queer News Daily, writes about the experiences of eight trans, genderfluid, and nonbinary teens. The book is based on the year Lang spent crossing the country to interview the teens and their families and offers a full portrait of their lives and hopes for the future.

Little, Rebecca & Colleen Long. I’m Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America. Sourcebooks. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781728292755. 496p. $28.99. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Journalists Little and Long, both of whom have experienced the loss of a pregnancy, offer a cultural-historical account of how society—from politics to science to capitalism—has focused more and more attention on the fetus. They urge a new approach of compassionate care that focuses on the risks to and the well-being of the mother.

Schuettpelz, Carrie Lowry. The Indian Card: Who Gets To Be Native in America. Flatiron. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250903167. 304p. $29.99. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Schuettpelz, vice president of the Native American Council at the University of Iowa, writes about what it means for Indigenous people to prove their identity, as they are often forced by governments to validate who they are. Schuettpelz considers the shifting meaning and history of Indigenous identity from before colonization to the latest census.

Sullivan, Jared. Valley So Low: One Lawyer’s Fight for Justice in the Wake of America’s Great Coal Catastrophe. Knopf. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780593321119. 384p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Sullivan, a journalist who has written for the New Yorker and Time , debuts with this courtroom drama that pits a small-time personal lawyer and the blue-collar workers he represents against the elite corporate lawyers of the Tennessee Valley Authority over their failure to protect life and welfare while cleaning up the 2008 Kingston, TN, coal sludge disaster.

Yu, Tiffany. The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World. Hachette Go. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780306833663. 320p. $30. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Yu, founder of Diversability and creator of a TikTok anti-ableism series, writes about disability and how to build an inclusive, accessible world. She urges conversations about disability and offers ways to frame discussion and identify the language of ableism and microaggressions. She also suggests concrete steps for allyship.

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Levy, Deborah. The Position of Spoons: And Other Intimacies. Farrar. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780374614973. 176p. $26. ESSAYS

Three-time Booker Prize nominee Levy ( August Blue ) offers a collection of observations, ranging from the beauty of lemons on a table to the conclusion of a marriage, while also ruminating on literature and art, such as the French author Colette and Leonardo’s Mona Lisa .

Rainbow, Randy. Low-Hanging Fruit: Sparkling Whines, Champagne Problems, and Pressing Issues from My Gay Agenda. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781250327147. 192p. $28. ESSAYS

Emmy- and Grammy-nominated musical comedian Rainbow, known for his virally popular political satire and musical parody videos, follows up his bestselling memoir Playing with Myself with an essay collection full of social commentary and personal stories that receives a 150K-copy first printing.

Slate, Jenny. Lifeform. Little, Brown. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9780316263931. 240p. $28. ESSAYS

Slate is an actor, a comedian, the bestselling author of Little Weirds , and the cocreator of Marcel the Shell. Her latest book documents her journey from being single to falling in love and having a baby, told in her uniquely humorous voice. With a 125K-copy first printing.

Wasserman, Steve. Tell Me Something, Tell Me Anything, Even If It’s a Lie: A Memoir in Essays. Heyday. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781597146470. 416p. $32. ESSAYS

Writer, editor, literary agent, and now publisher of Heyday Books, Wasserman writes a memoir in essays that reflects his literary life. These essays, previously published between 1979 and 2023, offer cultural critiques and history as well as recounting Wasserman’s interactions with icons such as Susan Sontag and Orson Welles.

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Clavin, Tom. Bandit Heaven: The Hole-in-the-Wall Gangs and the Final Chapter of the Wild West. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781250282408. 304p. $30. HISTORY

Bestselling Clavin ( Wild Bill ) explores the bandit hideouts in Wyoming and Utah that provided shelter to robbers, thieves, and others with a bounty on their head. These lawless locales housed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, among others. Clavin’s work ranges across the 1880s and ’90s. With a 200K-copy first printing.

DiMeo, Nate. The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past. Random. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780593446157. 320p. $33. HISTORY

DiMeo, the creator and host of The Memory Palace podcast and coauthor of Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America , which was a finalist for the Thurber Prize, offers a collection of stories from history. In addition to the stories, the work is particularly designed to showcase images as well.

French, Paul. Her Lotus Year: China, the Roaring Twenties, and the Making of Wallis Simpson. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781250287472. 320p. $30. HISTORY

Edgar and Dagger Award–winner French ( Midnight in Peking ) considers the year Wallis Simpson lived in China while married to a naval aviator. Her time there shaped her aesthetic, forged friendships, and may have allowed her to help the U.S. through undercover diplomatic work. It also served to supply fodder for those who opposed her marriage to the king of England.

Gorton, Stephanie. The Icon and the Idealist: Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America. Ecco. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780063036291. 304p. $32. HISTORY

Gorton, who has written for NewYorker.com and The Millions and worked in publishing, writes a history of two leading reproductive rights pioneers, Margaret Sanger and Mary Dennett. She traces their rivalry, political differences, and explores how their struggle and actions affected generations.

Hamilton, Nigel. Lincoln vs. Davis: The War of the Presidents. Little, Brown. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780316564632. 800p. $38. HISTORY

Bestselling Hamilton ( JFK: Reckless Youth ), who has been longlisted for the National Book Award, turns to the American Civil War. He considers Abraham Lincoln’s role as commander-in-chief facing off against Jefferson Davis, who, unlike Lincoln, entered the war with battle experience. The new biography mines the papers of Lincoln’s aides and generals as well as the collected archives of both Lincoln and Davis.

Light, Daniel. The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering. Norton. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781324066217. 496p. $32.50. HISTORY

A climber for decades, Light debuts with a history of mountaineering that is focused on pre-1921 summits. The book spans mountain ranges across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Light particularly highlights the contributions of Indigenous climbers and local guides.

Mahnke, Aaron, with Harry Marks. Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781250291202. 336p. $32. HISTORY

Mahnke, along with Marks, adapts his hit podcast into this book filled with astounding, strange, and curious stories from history. Collected from the show, these are the tales that resonate with Mahnke, who is also known for his podcast Lore . With a 150K-copy first printing.

Paranque, Estelle. Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn. Hachette. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780306835933. 400p. $32.50. HISTORY

Historian Paranque (Northeastern Univ. London and Univ. of Warwick), the author of the buzzy Blood, Fire, & Gold , offers a new biography of Anne Boleyn, focused particularly on her time within the French royal court and the world she was forced to navigate.

Shears, John & Nico Vincent. Endurance: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Legendary Ship. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781426223839. 256p. $50. HISTORY

This highly visual account, a tie-in to the forthcoming feature film and traveling exhibition, traces the mission of the Endurance22, the expedition team that found the wreck of Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance . The team leader, John Shears, and the subsea manager, Nico Vincent, cowrite the text of this large-scale book, with full-spread presentations.

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