Today, I’m going to show you the latest social media marketing trends that will matter most to every marketer and business in 2020 and beyond.
I’m sure you will get the best results from your marketing efforts if you focus on these social trends in 2020.
Let’s start.
Social media has become a massive source of entertainment for the people of this modern-day and age.
The rise of digital marketing has seen social media grow even more.
Social media marketing has massively evolved, and so have social media marketing trends.
Not only has social media helped to stay connected to the near and dear ones, but it also has made it possible to know more people all around the world.
Social media has been a huge source for spreading the news, and this feature has motivated marketers to advertise their products/services on the platform.
When it comes to social media, marketers need to understand and stay ahead of the curve more than ever.
Doing so ensures that you have at your disposal the right tools, and up-to-date strategy and the skills needed to make the most of social media.
It’s crucial to understand that most social media platforms will see significant changes that you’ll need to keep in mind if you want your marketing campaign to remain competitive and target the maximum number of people it might reach.
The reach of social media massively grew in the last decade, and there’s no doubt that for the foreseeable future, social media will play an increasing role in our lives.
We have looked at some of the themes we think will be important when it comes to social media marketing in 2020.
Here are the trends you need to know ahead of the new year:
Top 10 Social Media Marketing Trends
1. Power of Video Content
Video content is one of the most entertaining and interactive forms of content, and will soon become a clear winner in social media over all other content types.
Be it short-form videos like those famous on TikTok or Stories or long-form YouTube content.
TikTok is very famous among millennials. A new trend has seen in TikTok that peoples buy TikTok fans.
The usage of video content by the marketers has made it clear that the future lies in video content.
Video is one of the world’s most significant social media phenomena.
In reality, according to Social Media Week, video content will make up 82% of all internet traffic in 2020.
It clearly shows how powerful it is for the social media space to continue using video content to remain relevant.
Social media platforms are searching for ways to further focus on improving video content, and as part of their overall strategy for focusing on specific markets, marketers will be progressively zero in on videos.
The emphasis will be on creative, engaging storytelling, which will capture user attention in seconds.
Brands should notice that how users use and engage with video stories.
If you are not making videos at the moment, it is time you include it in your content strategy.
Videos will rule social media in the near future, and anyone who doesn’t know it will have a hard time.
2. Removal of Likes from Instagram
Instagram is one of the largest social networks and it can structure the social media landscape with any major changes implemented here.
One such significant change is the possibility to remove Instagram’s likes feature for posts that will prove to be one of the major social media marketing trends.
It’s no surprise that businesses and even everyday users often rely on likes, social media comments, and followers as a measure of success and brand recognition.
Instagram recently tested this proposal in a beta test, and this change may soon be applied globally.
The reason it has presented is that it likes to evaluate the social value of a person and to demand such validation is counterproductive to the mental health of people.
The concept was praised as a way to “depress” Instagram and could also help fight against fake likes and followers — these inflated figures can make brands and influencers appear to have a wider reach than they do.
There’s a lot of people who reject the reason outright and think Instagram wants to make that change to earn more.
Brands are paying the influencers large amounts of money to promote their products.
Influencer marketing has become so prominent that companies shift away from traditional forms of marketing, such as advertisement.
When Instagram eliminates likes then marketers won’t be able to calculate their promotions explicitly as effectively as they do now.
A situation in which Instagram effectively eliminates likes and encourages more advertisers to switch to their ad function could be revolutionary for social media marketing, not only impacting influencers but also inspiring other social networks to make these movements.
3. The Emergence of Other Platforms
The main channels used by B2C brands continue to be Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, with LinkedIn still important to B2B businesses.
While consumption growth in most main markets has slowed, India has shown no such pattern.
This is a direct result of Jio’s introduction of quick access to mobile internet and affordable smartphones.
TikTok is currently the leading social media disruptor, particularly with new generation users.
Video focus means video-driven platforms like TikTok, Lasso, and byte will continue to grow in popularity.
The social video app is well-positioned to frame this trend, as it offers a conducive environment for influencers, even micro-influencer ones.
In the year 2020, an increase in apps like these will increase because they have proved their worth and have been successful.
For example, Tik Tok has gained huge engagement because it is engaging, unique and has exciting content that is not heavily focused on hard selling.
Marketers and business owners whose target audience is teens and youth will definitely consider TikTok as a successful medium for marketing.
As well as TikTok, Pinterest could be a good investment site for those looking to promote e-commerce sales via social media.
Pinterest has noticed that it fits well into the e-commerce environment and has an audience interested in the possibility of buying products on the platform that they see.
E-commerce site becomes more difficult to attract customers, advertisers are likely to move to Pinterest.
No obtrusive ads, easy-to-use search engine, and no fake influencers.
Using these alternate channels helps you to connect with an audience that may not be on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, as well as give you new ways to share your material.
This could help bring better performance and mold the future marketing strategy for social media.
4. Technological Adoption (AR and VR)
The adoption of technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in social media will see a boost and is a massive change in social media marketing trends.
When these networks expand, customers will expect better and more immersive experiences, and this can happen with these technologies.
Augmented Reality can be used in many ways, transforming experiences across various sectors, whether it be entertainment, live events, museums, real estate, education or automotive.
This year, Facebook launched Spark AR for the general public, which enables users to create filters on Facebook and Instagram and share them online.
Many users will then be able to save and add these to their posts.
Google already had brought out Google Lens which is an image recognition system that uses the point and shoots feature to view search results that are relevant.
Several significant platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram now use augmented reality filters.
These platforms have implemented the Augmented Reality with a way to enhance visual content that is shared on social media.
5. Stories in Social Media
Many social media platforms have been scrambling to add the Stories feature to their offering since Snapchat’s launch.
The result has been a huge growth in the use of this format particularly for Instagram, which as of January 2019, boasts 500 million daily active users of Stories around the globe.
Stories provide another feed-based sharing experience, because they are visual and built to be produced and absorbed at the moment, rather than shared with a feed that will remain visible.
Growth in stories is not only among customers but also for marketing purposes, businesses use this social media method.
Brands posting stories on average on about seven days a month, averaging one story per four days.
Brands with a following of 100,000 or more share stories more frequently (every two days), possibly because they can benefit from a wider range of story features–like adding a link to their Instagram posts.
Advertisers also advertise more through stories, with 45 percent of Instagram ad spending being on stories, meaning advertisers are seeing better results with the more straightforward style that stories offer.
Stories aren’t going to be a practical option for every company out there, but it’s worth determining whether and how you can use them because they’re so entertaining and seeing an enhanced use that would likely lead customers to expect brands who follow to create stories.
Instagram sees more companies use Stories, and the site is also likely to launch more brand-designed apps that could make the app more available to a wider range of businesses.
6. Influencer Marketing will Escalate
Influencer marketing isn’t a new trend, but it’s one that will linger for a while.
Today, social media is dominated by influencers who get enormous sums paid for endorsing brands.
From both viewpoints, one can see the acceptance of this pattern.
One can be seen from the overwhelming rise in the number of social media influencers.
Next, companies can see the rise in marketing spending on influencer marketing.
It is much easier to invest in influencers than running paid ad campaigns, and yet it delivers good results.
Influencers can help advertisers meet a range of marketing targets and not only generate leads.
Marketers now not only partner with 1-2 influencers but work with a whole network of small, important, niche influencers.
This type of influencer gets engagement much higher and costs much less.
More and more advertisers will continue to use this approach and partner with numerous small influencers rather than one celebrity.
Major influencers don’t just cost brands, they don’t have the effect they used to because they’re seen as disingenuous any more.
In reality, as they are more likely, to be honest, 61 percent of consumers would trust the recommendations of friends and family over celebrity endorsements.
7. Customer Service
One of the most beneficial changes in social media marketing trends is its use as customer service.
It has become a distribution forum, a platform for product exploration and now even a portal for customer service.
Many companies have started to find social media networks as customer support sites.
Customer service will always be a crucial aspect of delivering good customer experience, but in the digital age, the customer service you provide online is much more accessible to everyone.
28% of customers have used social media to connect with a business over the past year, a phenomenon that is likely to increase since most consumers think it’s a convenient method of communication and feel it’s a good way to get 24-hour service.
Social media is seen as so simple, that marketers are expected to find it easy to use as a customer service tool.
It is one of the most decisive customer service platforms due to the enormous effect of not being able to handle the customer well in front of other people.
Therefore, treating these consumers well becomes all the more relevant for brands.
8. User-Generated Content will Grow
The use of user-generated content by brands is not one of the new social media marketing trends but is a practice that is still working fine and will tend to do so.
The only thing that has changed is the implementation rate, with increasing numbers of marketers using user-generated content.
User-generated content (UGC) is a state-of-the-art digital word-of-mouth scenario that helps brands and customers alike.
It is a win-win situation and a marketing strategy from which companies will benefit immensely.
The best part is, people, trust this sort of content the most — the content is real, trustworthy and free for advertisers.
9. Social Media Communities
Social media networks are social groups created by the brands to provide their consumers with a networking forum.
Generally, these are private groups in which like-minded people can join and speak about their mutual interests.
Most companies use such groups to put together and communicate with all their current and potential customers in a meaningful way.
Group members will discuss different subjects, share their experiences, and seek solutions to their challenges.
Facebook Group is one of the best examples of social media communities.
Brands can also use their social media communities to introduce new products, search for customer feedback and learn important insights from the consumers.
10. Local Targeting
One common way brands target a local audience is by geo-tagging their story and post updates.
When you add a place to your material on social media, a local audience is immediately drawn in.
Social media platforms such as Instagram offer the option of searching for posts from nearby locations or specific locations.
This will show up in these searches if you add locations to your content, helping local people find your brand and content.
Brands may also use geo-targeting to get more people to show up at their brand activities and local conferences.
And, in their social media advertising, they can use location filters to advertise only to a specific, local public.
Conclusion
These are some of the social media marketing trends that will be crucial in the coming year.
Reflect on enjoyable, easy interaction, respond to consumer feedback, and find meaningful ways to demonstrate social responsibility and a deeper level of connection with society.
Investing in new social media marketing channels could just be a way to gain an advantage over your rivals, so try to make the most of what looks like it will be a fantastic year for the social media platform.
