Social media trends change rapidly, and as we get further into 2020, we’re taking some time to rethink what “success” actually looks like for social media marketing. Companies are having to walk a tightrope between making sense of social data while finding new and exciting ways to engage with their audience. Here at Neon Canvas, we’ve been looking at some of the social media trends to watch for this year. These trends can help you reflect on how your own company has been approaching social media recently, and what you can do better moving forward!
Reevaluate what matters most
When deciding what works and what doesn’t on social media, there are a variety of metrics to take into consideration. There’s no single way to succeed on social media platforms! Recently, there’s been a tested removal of public Facebook and Instagram likes. This tells us that there may be a forced shift away from simple “likes” as the measuring stick for brand performance, and signals a need for us to look beyond the surface level data. We think social listening will be huge in 2020. That means paying more attention to what’s being said instead of focusing on how many people are looking at or talking about a single post. Long-term engagement means more than a short-term spike in interaction.
Marketing communities are growing
As a brand, you obviously want to reach as many customers as possible. However, recent marketing advice suggests a shift in focus. Instead of skimming the surface with as many people as you can, work on building meaningful connections with a target audience! Marketing communities or “tribes” have begun popping up on social media, mostly through the use of Facebook groups and Instagram Threads. This allows for conversations with individuals instead of speaking to wide-ranging demographics, thanks to the more intimate “friends only” feel.
Advanced advertising on social media
Consumers are becoming more and more comfortable with the concept of social shopping, so big investments in social ads can still pay off. Facebook recently rolled out personalized ad experiences that are capable of dynamically delivering products to customers by changing the format and call-to-action based on who it is being shown to.
Meanwhile, Instagram has introduced a shopping function, which highlights the growth of direct social selling. This represents another arm for ecommerce and allows brands to sell on Instagram without having to funnel followers through a bio link. This is actually one of the biggest social media trends so far in 2020! Even LinkedIn has gotten in on the act recently, by helping certain brands get their products in front of relevant customers. Don’t be shy about using ads to your advantage this year, but do spend some time refining and targeting them for maximum impact.
Stories aren’t slowing down any time soon
Stories have been one of the biggest social media trends in the last year or two, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change much in 2020. Instagram Stories are huge, but don’t miss out on Facebook Stories, either—in terms of engagement, they’re comparable to Instagram, with about 500 million daily users.
Stories are a simple way to interact with your audience, and feel more “must see” than other forms of content. When you combine Stories with Instagram’s new business features like Growth Insights and Stories About You, you can expect to see an even bigger bang for your buck.
Get comfortable with video content because it’s not going anywhere
Both long-form and short-form videos are among the most-shared content on social media. Consider this: in terms of active users, YouTube is second only to Facebook. While Instagram has its fair share of video content, more and more brands and marketers are discovering how useful YouTube can be.
And then there’s TikTok. Who could have predicted its sudden rise to popularity in 2020? It seems like everywhere you turn right now, there’s another viral video originating from TikTok! With over 1.5 billion users, this app is proving it’s more than a flash in the pan. This is further confirmation that brands can’t afford to sleep on video content anymore. With multiple options between ads and organic video, all you need is a smartphone to take advantage of this massive trend.
Integrate your audience with your content strategy
User-generated content is looking to be another top media trend in 2020. This further highlights the need for brands to establish a deeper connection with their audience via customer-centric content. Doing this will not only build brand relationships, but also encourage a constant stream of content from your followers.
Hashtags are a great example of this! They can be used to showcase satisfied clients, spotlight services or products, or connect a marketing community like those we mentioned above. Encouraging user-generated content and photos is a brilliant way to engage your audience and increase your reach.
Consider which social media platforms deserve the most attention
From time to time, there’s talk about certain social media platforms dying off, but it’s rarely accurate information. For example, LinkedIn has seen huge growth for business-to-business marketers. SnapChat had an increase in daily active users in 2019, even with TikTok’s surge of popularity. Pinterest continues to drive serious revenue for consumer brands versus other social networks.
So what does this mean for your brand? With so many opportunities to seed your content, it’s crucial to understand how you’re spending your valuable time on social media, and whether or not your efforts are paying off. This is where it’s important to understand the real meaning behind social media metrics! Don’t waste time with vanity metrics on the biggest platforms if it’s not translating into solid leads and client loyalty.
Keep changing trends working for your brand with Neon Canvas
Even though trends change frequently, nothing we’re discussing today requires you to do anything drastic, like start your social media presence over from scratch. It’s our goal to help you reflect on what’s working for you right now, what isn’t, and what avenues you can explore to make 2020 your most successful year yet. If you would like more information on how to use this information to your advantage, get in touch with our expert team today. We’ve got the skills and expertise to take your brand from bland to bold!