New year, new trends. The social media landscape is constantly changing and 2020 will be no exception. Check out PAVLOV’s five social media predictions to keep on your radar in the new year:
1. Say goodbye to likes!
It’s no secret that Instagram will soon be taking away likes in an effort to improve mental health on the platform. While this is a positive movement for individual users, it poses a scary fate for brands, influencers and advertisers that rely on likes as a measurement for success. At PAVLOV, we see it as an opportunity to adapt and evolve the way we connect with our social media audiences. We predict that comments and shares will become much more relevant than likes and follows, and brands will be challenged to create content that is less promotional, and instead, focus on entertaining, educating, or inspiring their followers in a creative, non-invasive way.
2. Ephemeral content continues to reign.
Ever since ‘Stories’ hit the scene, ephemeral content continues to dominate the social space. These short, 10-second photos and videos were first introduced on Snapchat in 2013 and were later adopted by Instagram in 2016 and Facebook less than a year later. Known for disappearing after 24 hours, Stories continue to alleviate the pressure of posting in-feed and give advertisers and influencers an opportunity to pull back the curtain and share a more in-the-moment, authentic look at the faces and operations behind their brand. Additionally, Stories offer endless ways to engage with your audiences through interactive polls, exclusive promotions, live videos, “influencer takeovers,” and much more. We definitely foresee the use of Stories continuing to grow in 2020.
3. Make it authentic.
There’s been a slow-but-steady shift happening on social media when it comes to the type of content users prefer to engage with. The days of heavily-edited photos and perfectly-posed compositions are coming to an end. That’s right – #nofilter is making a comeback! In a world full of Photoshop and FaceTune, social media has started to lose its authenticity. As a user, it’s much more refreshing to see a spontaneous iPhone photo showcasing an actual customer, rather than a professional photograph of a model with flawless makeup and perfect lighting pretending to enjoy your product. In 2020, lose the filters and start sharing real, raw,and relatable content that your audience can connect with.
4. It’s all about community-building.
Organic reach continues to become harder and harder to obtain due to social media algorithms that prioritize paid advertisements and sponsored content. Nowadays, brands are lucky to reach even 5% of their followers without the use of a paid budget, and this percentage is only going to continue to decrease in the new year. If you want to connect with your audience on social media in 2020, it’s going to take more than sharing engaging content and maintaining a consistent posting schedule. Community-building, such as creating private groups on Facebook or LinkedIn, will become more of a priority as the newsfeed continues to stay cluttered with advertisement-after-advertisement. Forging these exclusive communities will give your followers an opportunity to connect with each other through your brand on relevant topics, which in-turn builds trust and brand-loyalty in a positive, non-promotional way.
5. Influencers aren’t going anywhere.
2019 brought us the rise of the ‘micro-influencer,’ and we don’t foresee a large deviation from that trend in 2020. According to Socialbakers, over 75% of all influencers in North America are micro-influencers (influencers with less than 10,000 followers). When it comes to authenticity on social media, this statistic aligns perfectly with the return of the #nofilter movement. Your audience is more likely to trust a local blogger with a small-but-loyal following over a celebrity or macro-influencer that was paid to promote a product based off of their follower-count rather than their credibility. When it comes to seeking out influencers in the new year, look for those that are passionate about a specific niche (whether it’s food, fashion, athletics, travel, etc.), that can help you build trust and form authentic connections with your audience.
Don’t have time to keep up with all of the latest trends? Ring our bell! Check out our social media services, or email us at [email protected].