The last decade has seen social media solidify into thriving, multifaceted communities where more than 3.2 billion people worldwide are active daily.
As we close this decade down, there’s no doubt that social media will play a growing role in our lives for the foreseeable future. So, how should businesses, brands and even the average user anticipate the future for social platforms?
Here’s a breakdown of some of the biggest trends we’ll see evolving on social media in 2020 and years to come.
Video story content is king.
Video continues to be one of the most important trends in the social media world. In fact, video will make up 82 percent of all internet traffic in 2020, according to Social Media Today. As social media platforms look for ways to further prioritize video content, marketers will increasingly zero in on videos as part of their overall strategies to target specific markets.
Keep a close eye on how this format reshapes marketing strategies. There will be an emphasis on creative, engaging storytelling that captures user attention in seconds. Brands will need to have a keen eye for how video stories engage users (especially on platforms where the like button goes away).
Personalized video marketing will become a thing.
Audience segmentation goes hand in hand with an increasing level of personalized social media marketing. It makes sense that combining segmentation with our love of video will result in personalized video marketing — think video content that is customizable and hyper-relevant to specific segments of your market.
Social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, are already pushing brands to produce video content through Story Ads, in part because these ad campaigns often see higher click-through rates than traditional News Feed ads. Twitter is also jumping into the fray with six-second video ads. Personalized content will take this trend to the next level.
Social media is the place to nurture trust.
Brands would do well to remember that social media isn’t just a platform for marketing and advertising; it’s truly the best place to nurture trust and build a relationship with their audience. Social media offers the ultimate opportunity for communicating brand value and engaging with potential customers on their level.
Doing this requires brands to find ways to have a free flow of dialogue and let their hair down. Showing your brand’s human side and increasing transparency will build confidence with audiences. Focus on fun, simple engagement, be responsive to customer communication, and find meaningful ways to show social responsibility and a deeper level of social interaction. Doing this will help you stay ahead of the curve on everything else on social media.