6 Social Media Trends for 2020

What social media trends should you be looking out for in 2020? Where should you focus your social strategy, and more importantly, where should you allocate your precious marketing budget?

Having worked in social media for the best part of the last decade, I've seen social media trends come and go (Vine, anyone?), those that have emerged out of seemingly nowhere and become major players (remember when Instagram was just for filtering photos?), and then there's the "trends" that were never trends in the first place, but just good old fashioned marketing, presented in a new way (hello, content marketing).

So as we start this new year, here's the 10 social media trends you need to take note of and get on board with for 2020.

TikTok is the video sharing app that has teens lip syncing to Heathers, renegade dancing and perfecting the footwork to ooh-na-na-na from their bedrooms. Not sure what any of these mean? Download TikTok right now and start scrolling and it won't be long before you come across one of these hugely popular dance challenges. And trust me, it's addictive. Whilst 13-24 year olds make up 41% of all users on the social video app, it's also attracting Millennials and, wait for it...even Boomers are getting in on the act. You'll find content creators from all walks of life - Doctors, Dentists, Nutritionists, Moms - all sharing their stories, tips and larger than life personalities in fun and unique ways. After all of the perfectly curated feeds we're used to seeing on Instagram, TikTok's high energy, funny videos provide light-hearted relief. So it's no wonder that brands are utilizing TikTok as a way to attract Gen Z and also to find a fresh new way to engage with their audience. In 2019 TikTok made over $176 million - over five times what they made in 2018, downloads increased 13% and it was the second most downloaded app from the App Store. If you haven't already, it's time to start thinking about how your brand will show up on TikTok.

There isn't a social media trends list in the past 5 years that hasn't included video. And rightly so. In a space that's so full of noise and competing content, your brand needs to be able to capture a viewer's attention instantly and get your message across quickly and effectively. This means being able to distill your most compelling message into bitesize snippets, make the format fit for the channel and make it accessible for all viewers. With stats that indicate that 78% of people watch videos online every week, and 55% of those watch videos every day, brands need to be investing in their video strategy to stay relevant and reach their customers. Not sure where to start? Identify your target customers and figure out which channels they are engaging on. Edit the content for each channel; for example, if you have a YouTube vlog style video, show a 15 second teaser on Instagram stories and direct people to swipe up to watch the full version on YouTube. Your main audience on Facebook? Create a 30 second video designed to pull your viewer in immediately and take them on a journey. Keep it simple, have one key product focus and don't forget to include your branding upfront.

The Influencer space has become so saturated that sometimes it can be hard to tell who is genuine and who is the right fit for your brand. There's also the question of which types of influencers you should be working with - Macro, Micro, Nano... it seems like there's a new type every week. One thing is for sure, as consumers (that's all of us, even marketers!) it's so easy to tell a genuine partnership vs one that looks like a quick buck for the influencer. Rule #1 - always have sight and understanding of your chosen partner's statistics, engagement rates, and previous brand partnerships - with results where possible. The most successful influencers will want share this information with you, or they should. Sales uplift and units sold as a result of a campaign is a major indication of success and should be information that is available if the influencer has worked directly with a brand. Also, a partnership should be just that, a collaboration between the creator and the brand. Approach the project as you would a consultant - make sure they understand their objectives, their brief and any guidelines they need to stick by. And most importantly, listen to their ideas! They are creative professionals. Give them the tools to succeed and they will exceed your expectations.

If you've heard the phrase "pay to play" in regards to social media marketing before, and haven't yet put it into action, now is the time. To find out if you need to implement social media advertising, simply take a look at your Facebook stats. Compare the number of page likes you have to the number of people you're actually reaching when you publish a post. It's minimal, right? There is no point investing hours of time and money into your content strategy if no-one if going to see your awesome video. What's more, social platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to target your customer lists and lookalike audiences as well as people who match specific interests, behaviors and age groups. As brands continue to invest in social advertising, the concept of social shopping is also becoming more accepted by users. For example, Facebook launched personalized ad experiences at the end of last year, which delivers products dynamically to customers. To provide a more relevant experience the format and call-to-action changes based on who the ad is being served to. When you're creating your social media strategy for 2020 make sure to include even more direct marketing and social shopping experiences.

How do you measure the impact of social media marketing? With Facebook and Instagram's removal of likes, brands will need to be looking past the classic engagement metrics and instead, measuring the actions taken from their social efforts. Outside of the direct metrics we're familiar with - clicks to a website, conversions, email sign ups - it will be important to implement social listening. What conversations are people having about the brand, as well as those conversations they are not having about the brand. For example, a hair product brand should be looking at conversations about hair masks and styling routines to find the opportunities and topics they can help with. This is a great strategy for identifying content opportunities for topics that already have a high volume of interest.

User generated content isn't a new concept, but it's certainly evolved to become a key pillar of a successful social media marketing strategy. Everyone has the ability to be an influencer, even if they don't have a platform of their own. Customers who don't happen to have 1M+ followers can be just as compelling for your audience. The fact that they don't have a huge audience can even make them appear more genuine, relatable and potentially trustworthy. There also still appears to be a significant gap between the types of people featured in brand advertising campaigns vs. the customers who buy the products. Inspire your audience with stories and imagery that they can see themselves in by featuring customers in your content and ads. Of course, you'll need to make sure you have permission to use your customer's content, but this can be a great way to deepen relationships with individual customers as well as your wider audience.

These 6 social media trends are just a few of the ways you can refresh your social media strategy for 2020, there are many more that can work for you, depending on your goals and objectives. Get in touch if you'd like to chat about how we can help develop your social strategy this year.

What other social media trends are you noticing? Leave a comment below!