Social media has become a way of life for most people, particularly millennials and Generation Zers. It’s a powerful platform full of opportunity for businesses that know how to leverage it.
When it comes to staying in front of your audience where they are, it’s clear that social media is an extremely important tool. Over 3 billion people use social media, often to discover products and engage with brands. Staying competitive means staying on top of what’s trending. What are some of the most important 2020 social media marketing trends?
Meaningful Connections Matter
Social media users are often wary of posting in a public arena. The trend in 2020 is to make meaningful connections rather than interacting in a superficial way. Brands need to create an exclusive environment in which it’s safe for people to share posts and stories away from public view. One example is on Instagram, where the “List” feature allows users to interact with a select group of friends. Building relationships is becoming much more important than simply promoting products or services.
Increasing Video Marketing
Video continues to be an important trend in the world of social media marketing. Your 2020 marketing strategy will need to include engaging videos that capture the attention of your prospects in a matter of seconds. Snapchat is enjoying success with its Discover shows. IGTV, Instagram’s video-sharing tool, creates a great opportunity for you to share information about your brand through video content.
Diversify with Newer Social Media Platforms
Social media marketing used to primarily focus on Facebook, but the trend is to reduce focusing on this one platform and diversify. Younger social media users favor newer platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. Advertising on smaller networks such as Reddit, Quora and Twitter may give you advantages such as lower competition and possibly lower cost.
Trends on Instagram
Instagram is growing in importance as a marketing strategy, but marketers need to be aware of changes to the platform. Instagram is always evolving with the intention of giving users the best experience possible. It’s no longer ideal to add 30 hashtags to every post.
In 2020, Instagram is testing removing likes. The Instagram algorithm prioritizes posts based on communication, frequency, and engagement. Creating reliable Instagram Stories helps you to start a conversation with your audience. The new algorithm uses metrics such as the number of replies and the amount of time spent on other people’s profiles. You’ll need to comment and send reactions to people in your target audience.
Planning Your 2020 Social Media Strategy
As you make changes to your social media strategy in response to new trends in both organic and paid strategies, continually test to see what works best. Is your current social media marketing strategy as effective as possible? Are you having difficulty determining where your focus should be?
Recognizing when you need guidance in this area is a smart marketing strategy. Don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Softline Solutions to make sure you’re making the most of this important aspect of your marketing. We can help to eliminate frustration and confusion so that you can meet your online potential.
