Social media trends come and go. But what trends happened this year?
Now we are heading towards the end of the year we took some time to look back at the best social media trends of 2020.
1. Influencer Marketing Shift
One trend we have seen emerge in 2020 is the shift in influencer marketing. Marketers are favouring nano-content creators at the moment as opposed to larger influencers who’s audiences may not be as engaged or authentic. It has proven that nano-influencers with audiences around 1-10k have a more engaged, loyal following. As the following is smaller it is almost like a family/ friend group where there is more one on one engagement, therefore their recommendations are trusted. We are seeing more and more brands lean this way. After all, we saw a shift from celebrity marketing to influencer marketing in the first place for this very reason.
2. User-Generated Content
There has been a huge lean towards user-generated content this year, and we can see why. It is a great way to muster a loyal, engaged consumer base with the added perks of free marketing. Creating a hashtag for your business is one-way customers can share their own content, feedback, and success stories and can be a great way to build social proof and brand awareness.
3. Video Content
Video content is leading the pack as being the most engaging form of content for 2020. Whether this is a video on an accounting firms’ Linkedin profile explaining why you need to see an accountant, or a makeup tutorial featuring a brands products in an Instagram reel, videos are the future of social media content. You heard it here first. In the fast-paced online world, it’s becoming increasingly important to grab the consumers’ attention in those first few seconds before they scroll past. Video content is great at grabbing consumers’ attention and keeping it. Instagram even favours reels and IGTV’s showcasing them larger than static posts in the explore page. Videos also rank higher for your SEO, so it’s a win-win.
4. Ephemeral content
Ephemeral content is content that expires after a period of time and is short and punchy. Such as Instagram or Snapchat stories which have been increasing in popularity. People are ever-changing, and therefore content needs to follow the same trends. In a saturated market, people’s attention spans are much shorter, therefore something short and punchy like an Instagram story is ideal. Stories also have that addictive property, where a consumer could flick through various stories for hours. Look at your own social media analytics, for example, you may be surprised to see story views are higher than some views of static content on your Instagram grid!
5. Social Commerce
Social commerce has grown astronomically in 2020. More and more social media platforms are introducing pro-selling features such as shoppable posts. We suggest jumping on this trend now, if you haven’t already, as it is anticipated social commerce will soon be on par with traditional e-commerce stores!
6. Augmented Reality
The popularity of augmented reality is on the rise. Instagram is already doing this well with their story filters which can add makeup, change the way you look or add fun elements to your content. Facebook and Snapchat have actually been doing this for longer with their story posts, however, Instagram is leading the pack with their selection, including user-created filters. It doesn’t have to end at filters though, think big picture. Brands already use AR on their websites to ‘try before you buy’, and we are seeing this coming through to social media platforms. Such as trying on those sunnies on your face, testing out that makeup, looking at the flooring in the space before you invest your money… without leaving the comfort of your living room! The future is here.
These are some of the social media trends we have seen come out of 2020. We are excited to see what comes next in 2021 in this ever-changing space. It’s important to keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to social media management. Maybe consider implementing some of these trends into your social media strategy going forward.
