Want to succeed on social media in 2020? Then you need to know which trends will be the biggest this year. While the technology we have access to has never been greater, the competition has never been greater. Plus, there’s no shortage of platforms you could invest your time in. So here are 5 Social Media trends that marketers, brands and businesses shouldn’t miss this year. Connection, community, experience In 2020, the big trend will actually be a return to basics. The new mentality is that the relationship you build with your customers is more important than the products and services you sell. Part of the “back to basics” approach to social media means taking a step back and thinking about two things: Who is the audience and who are the customers? What are their interests and challenges? When it comes to creating content, brands need to cut through the noise of social media, think “less is more,” and create messages that resonate with their key audiences. It all starts with connection. People are looking to make personal connections with businesses and brands that feel like they are part of their community. More than ever, businesses will need to focus on being a helpful and understanding friend in a community, rather than just a service or product provider. It's important to listen to your audience and provide value to them, rather than just using your social media to promote products/services. Part of this means spending more time creating engaging content and increasing engagement. Additionally, people want to feel like they know who they are spending money with. Therefore, brands will need to engage and provide an environment that allows their customers to do so quickly and easily. Making them feel like they are part of a group they want to be in ensures brand loyalty and high engagement on social media. This means that community will also be key. This is why brands should create their own groups on Facebook (and specialized groups on LinkedIn), rather than just having a company page that people can identify with. Also, don’t forget to focus on creating experiences. Brands should focus on their groups, direct messages, and comments because conversation is the key to community and experience.
Select authentic influencers Influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s maturing. The key is to create a crystal clear influencer strategy that thoughtfully integrates with the overall marketing strategy, establish a thorough influencer review process, and provide a brief that clearly lays out brand goals and content guidelines while allowing bahrain phone number data micro-influencers to drive the narrative in a way that feels authentic to their audience. Social media users know what a forced relationship with a brand feels like, and they’re tired of seeing these interactions, which often cause issues with sales and ROI . So brands and businesses need to look for influencers who will authentically use their product or service and share it with their audience. Diversify your speaking with TikTok, Reddit, etc.
Diversification is expected to be a leading trend in Social Media, especially on the advertising side. Diversification is also beneficial for risk mitigation by reducing reliance on Facebook and/or LinkedIn. Facebook is no longer the one-stop shop it used to be . The younger demographic favors Instagram’s sister platform, as well as TikTok and Snapchat. Any early adopters now embracing smaller networks (e.g., Twitter, Quora, Reddit, Snapchat) will benefit from a relatively low-cost environment due to the low level of competition. On the TikTok side, it’s essential to get on this platform right now. TikTok’s organic reach is unlike anything we’ve seen before.
It’s even better than the early days of Facebook. So, you need to create content that will resonate with your target audience, while being willing to test and iterate over time to see what works best. Plus, the ROI is excellent. Another platform that businesses need to put on the radar in 2020: Reddit. Many businesses have found marketing on Reddit difficult and intimidating. But consumer usage of Reddit is growing rapidly, and brands on Reddit are seen as more of an authority. There has never been a better time for brands to establish themselves on a platform that is largely responsible for creating the internet culture we enjoy today.