Maybe social media worked wonders for you in 2019, and you were able to use it to skyrocket your email list, leads, and sales.
Or maybe your social media accounts were pretty much complete duds that barely managed to bring in likes and comments—never mind those valuable social shares.
Either way, you won’t be able to keep using the same social media strategy that you’ve been using. That’s because social media changes at lightning speed. Every few months, there are new features, new algorithms, and even new platforms altogether.
So even if what you’ve been doing on social media has worked in the past, it’s only a matter of time before you need to switch up your strategy.
How do you give your social media strategy a refresh in 2020 so that it gives you the results you’ve been looking for—the loyal email subscribers, the engaged tribe, and the epic sales?
Scroll down to discover 8 big 2020 social media trends according to the experts.
Need some help writing social media posts that attract and engage your audience?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
1. Microblogging
Social media used to be all about sharing short, snappy posts. And on some platforms, like Instagram, captions used to take a backseat to images.
But social media experts say that that’s all set to change in 2020 when microblogging on social media starts to become increasingly popular.
This 2020 social media trend involves sharing longer captions that resemble mini blog posts or stories on social media. Don’t think people want to read longer posts? Think again. On Instagram, for example, posts with longer captions get more engagement. That may be why influencer @thebirdspapaya has been able to grow her account from 80k followers to 740k followers over the last year using microblogging.
Microblogging is so attractive to users and platforms that Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter have all been adding functionality that make it possible to share longer posts. And Instagram scheduling platform Later even predicts that in 2020, captions will be more important than images on Instagram. Who would have thought?
Related: How to write good Instagram captions that convert + 80 call-to-action templates
2. Ephemeral content
Ephemeral content—content that’s available for only a short period of time—isn’t anything new. We all know that Snapchat’s been doing it for years. But this 2020 social media trend is becoming increasingly popular now that Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube let users publish stories too.
Stories perform well on social media because they’re engaging to the point where people can spend hours a day scrolling through their stories. Stories also tend to feel more authentic because they’re more likely to be created on the spot.
And although producing content that disappears within hours may seem like a waste of time for a business, it can actually be a huge opportunity. They’re a great way to promote exclusive flash sales and other limited time offers that loyal followers will learn to look for and act on to avoid FOMO.
Related: How to write social media CTAs that boost traffic, leads, and sales + 80 CTA templates
3. Videos
Video content has been around for a while now. But instead of fizzling out, it’s only continuing to gain steam. In fact, Cisco predicts that by 2022, 82% of all online content will be video content. So if you’re camera shy like me and haven’t produced video content yet, 2020 is the perfect time to begin!
The great thing about video content is that you have options. You can start off or stick with short forms of video content, like Instagram Stories or Facebook Stories. Or you can try long-form video content, like YouTube and IGTV.
Long-form video content may take more time to create. But it also tends to have the advantage of being available to your audience for as long as you want it to be. That’s why it’s possible to use platforms like YouTube and IGTV to create an in-depth series of videos on a topic your audience is interested in.
And because long-form content is often packed with incredible value (when it’s done right), it can really help you attract and engage your audience.
4. User-generated content
Like ephemeral content and videos, user-generated content isn’t anything new. But this 2020 social media trend is important to pay attention to because it’s only becoming more valuable for brands.
User-generated content is content about your brand that’s created by your audience. So for example, if you sell a skincare product and one of your customers creates and shares an Instagram post about the product, that’s user-generated content.
Why is user-generated content so hot right now? Because it essentially turns your audience or customers into brand ambassadors. Data shows that 55% of people trust user-generated content more than any other kind of marketing. So it’s an incredibly powerful form of social proof. It’s basically the online equivalent of a word-of-mouth recommendation!
You can start incorporating user-generated content into your social strategy by encouraging people to use your product or service and share a post or story about it along with a branded hashtag.
Related: 19 ways to get more social shares for your blog posts + free blog post template & example
Need some help writing social media posts that attract and engage your audience?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
5. Personalized 1:1 communication
Social media has traditionally been about broadcasting content to large groups of people—whether they’re public or private audiences.
But people have been craving more authentic and personalized interactions. And that’s why experts have predicted that this 2020 social media trend will burst onto the scene this year. Instead of focusing only on sharing content to large groups of people, experts expect brands to focus on channels where they can engage with users 1:1.
For example, some brands are starting to create personalized video responses to customer questions and share them 1:1 over Messenger or in DMs. This 2020 social media trend lets businesses connect with members of their audience more directly and tailor their interactions to individual people.
6. New platforms
Many established social media platforms—like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest—are still going strong. But there are some new players on the scene that may be worth paying attention to depending on your business and audience.
One of these new kids on the block is TikTok. Although TikTok has been around since 2016, it surged in popularity over the past year and is now one of the fastest-growing social media platforms.
TikTok and other alternative social media platforms won’t work for every audience. But they may be worth exploring if your audience is using them. After all, if you can leverage a new platform before your competitors discover it, it can be a huge advantage for your business.
Related: How Pinterest increased my email subscribers by 1018% + free Pinterest profile cheat sheet
7. Shopping
In the past, if you wanted to buy a product that was being promoted on social media, you’d have to click on a link that would take you to a brand’s sales page or website. But with major platforms now rolling out new shopping features, you can now buy products right on social media.
For example, Instagram’s new checkout feature lets you purchase products without having to leave the app. This creates an incredible opportunity for businesses because by decreasing the steps that people need to take to buy your product, you can make them more likely to actually complete their order.
So if your sell physical or digital products, keep an eye out for ecommerce features on your favourite social media platforms. This 2020 social media trend can change how you sell this year.
8. Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a specific type of user-generated content marketing. In this case, though, the users aren’t just any other customer or audience member. They’re people with larger and highly engaged followings on a social platform.
With people becoming increasingly wary of ads and other traditional forms of digital marketing, influencer marketing has only become more and more popular. This makes sense because people gravitate toward reviews of products and services from people they trust. But these people don’t have to be friends or family. They can be people your audience follows and looks up to on social media.
Keep in mind that influencers don’t have to be A-list celebrities to have a massive impact on your brand. In fact, because microinfluencers tend to have more engaged followers (and be more accessible to brands), many businesses are choosing to partner with them instead of more established influencers. They can also give you access to audiences in your exact niche so that you can promote your business to the people who would be most interested in it.
Explore these 2020 social media trends
Benjamin Franklin once said that there are 2 certainties in life: death and taxes. But I’d like to add a third: changes to social media.
Social media has opened up so many doors for small businesses to promote their brands using smaller budgets. And it can be a great way to build a community, grow your email list, gain leads, and boost your sales.
But if you want results from social media, you’ve got to keep up with the times. And that means staying on top of trends in social media.
Of course, you don’t need to explore every 2020 social media trend that I’ve shared above. After all, some of them may not even be right for your brand. But they’re worth checking out to see how you can use them to maintain your momentum this year or finally get the results you’ve been looking for.
Need some help writing social media posts that attract and engage your audience?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
