10 trends that are key to your social media strategy in 2020

We all know how important your social media strategy is for your business nowadays. It's a crucial element for any company looking to create a meaningful and engaging marketing campaign.

With this in mind, we've compiled a list of 10 key trends that matter for your social media strategy in 2020.

1. Live video is on the rise

Since 2020 began the popularity of live video has been increasing with consumers, content creators and brands all using it to interact. The feature offers a unique opportunity for brands enabling them to better engage with their audience in real-time especially now where virtual viewing is the only option for many people. 

42% of social marketers have already started building a strategy incorporating Facebook Live. Have you?

2. TikTok is the fastest growing platform right now

TikTok is the social media platform of the moment and it hasn't come quietly.

When a new social media platform appears, marketers often find themselves analysing its popularity and target audience to see whether it's the right channel for their messaging, and asking the ultimate question: What will our ROI be if we use this platform?

But as marketers have been investigating and observing, social mentions of TikTok have increased by 62.5% from 1.6 million in January 2019 to 2.6 million just 6 months later in June 2019.

The platform boasts high levels of engagement as people search for a sense of community and more personable content. Worth keeping on the radar as it catches up with the big players.

3. LinkedIn is still the best platform for B2B

With so many social platforms out there, old and new, it can be hard to know where to start. And whilst it's best to have a presence across a range of channels, if you only use one network, make it LinkedIn.

For B2B, LinkedIn is standing strong at the top of the table with 91% of B2B marketers using the platform to share content. When it comes to building relationships and gaining important contacts LinkedIn is the most valuable platform for your business.

4. Facebook is still the most used social media platform

While many people assume Facebook is dying out, marketers still see it as a crucial channel to have as part of their marketing strategy. And they aren't wrong. In fact, with 2.45 billion monthly active users, it's still the most used social media platform, so don't dismiss it just yet.

5. 90% of Instagrams 1 billion users follow a business

We recently saw Instagram hit 1 billion monthly active users making it one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. But don't be fooled into thinking this is just a network where people go to share pictures with family and friends.

With 90% of all users following at least one business it's clear that users want to hear from and interact with their favourite brands on the platform, so make sure they can find you!

6. Don't forget about video

Did you know that there are 8 billion video views per day on Facebook alone? When you add that figure to all the other platforms from Instagram and TikTok to LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube there's only one result - a whole lot of video views.

And it's still growing! Facebook's daily video views have increased by 34% since 2018.

So whilst it might seem like video is common practice now, don't forget about it!

7. User-Generated Content: your customer is your best salesperson

User-generated content creates 6.9 x more engagement than brand-generated content does.

But why? Brands spend more money, time and effort on their content than customers ever will? But that doesn't matter when it comes to trust. People trust their friends, family and peers more than they trust brands. A like-minded individual posting a picture of your product in action is like a gold star for your brand.

So how can you make the most of user-generated content?

First, make yourself sharable! People don't just buy a product, they buy an experience and a community. Starbucks are experts at this; from millions of misspelt names, reusable cups and colourful drinks they've made it virtually impossible to go to a Starbucks without taking a quick snap of your purchase.

Secondly, use the content! A happy customer sharing their experience on social media is the biggest compliment you can get as a brand. So make sure you reply, like, engage, re-share and include it in your content planning and strategy.

8. AR & VR is the technology you need to know about

As customers across all industries start to demand more than just product or service, the world of experiential marketing is becoming increasingly important. And as with all shifts in consumer trends, new technology follows.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality is weaving its way into digital transformation and is becoming a new way for brands like Nike and Coca-Cola to engage and communicate with their audiences on social media. Whilst you might not be in a position to implement this right now, it's definitely one to watch!

9. Gen Z doesn't trust you

84% of millennials have said they don't trust traditional advertising methods. This is an incredibly important statistic due to their significant spending power and with Gen Z following closely behind.

We all know that buyer power is now stronger than seller power with more choice on the market and endless access to information. If you want to drive engagement and find new ways to reach your customers in 2020, you'll need to understand and adapt to what these generations want.

10. 70% of social media users think brands should use their voice on social media platforms

2020 is the year of speaking up. It's no longer good enough to just stay neutral, customers want brands to be actively standing up for and supporting what they believe in with 70% of consumers thinking it's important for brands to comment on social and political issues.