Social Media Trends 2020
Each year social media trends come and go, and we find more and more people using social media. Older generations now have and are highly engaged on Facebook. Fifteen-year-olds are going viral on TikTok and are being sponsored to create content for companies. At the same time we have a lot of people choosing to go on social media breaks for their mental health and to escape the endless void of content and comparison. Approaching the ever-changing world and demographic of social is a daunting task. As the Social Media Coordinator at Coeus Creative Group, I am here to chat with you about how to approach social media for your company as we enter the 2020’s amid all the trends, do’s and don’ts.
Privacy
Privacy is a huge topic now, especially after Facebook faced allegations on data privacy and security. Many companies followed suit in being straightforward about how information is collected about their users, the use of cookies, and tailored advertising. People are now seeking more private channels of social engagement such as messaging (dm’s), private groups, and private profiles. However, 52% of social engagement still happens in the public streams (We are Social and Hootsuite, Digital 2019).
It is essential to balance these two as a company. Engage your customers through public organic and curated posts, but also be willing to engage with customers personally via private channels for questions and comments. Facebook Groups and Social Media Communities are a great way to interact with people of shared interests, giving them the space to share their thoughts, experiences, and solutions.
Authenticity in Social Media Trends
There is a lot of noise on social media. Content is never-ending and sometimes it feels like a screaming match to try and get your content to be seen. The key is to continually bring your authentic self to the table each time you post. People no longer just want the polished photos of a curated Instagram feed. Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram stories have such traction because they are real-time and feel more authentic. People go to social media to experience a connection, either with people or in a narrative.
Show behind the scenes of your projects and your company. We are naturally drawn to seeing a human face, so put people in your content! In a study done by Georgia Institute of Technology and Yahoo Labs, researchers looked at 1.1 million photos on Instagram and found that pictures with human faces are 38% more likely to receive likes, and 32% more likely to attract comments than photos without a face. Give people a taste of your company culture, the humor, the people behind the machine. In doing so, you will build a community of engaged followers who are in it for the story and who you actually are and represent, not just a product.
Trust
People want to know that your company, messaging, and product is trustworthy. This is especially true in light of many companies being outed for selling personal information to data and advertising companies. Want to know who are your best brand ambassadors to build trust?
Your employees.
Yes. People will look to your staff to see what your company is really like because your employees are on the inside. I am always telling our clients: start at the home base for engagement. Build a culture of company engagement where your employees are the ones liking, commenting, sharing and hyping about your posts and products. They will be the first ones people look to trust.
Engagement
You want your brand to have triple the followers and engagement stats? Then treat your followers as you would yourself. Timely follow up with comments, conversations, and shares. Let people know that you see them and are responsive. They will know they are actually interacting with people in the company who will address their concerns and excitement unlike other companies that just send them to an automatic response system. Encourage your followers to create content by tagging your brand for a chance to get featured on your page, or to submit entries to be a part of a campaign or giveaway.
Secondly, always give your followers something of value. Use the Social Media Rule of Thirds for good balance: a third of personal brand promotion, a third of curated content, a third on conversations happening on social media. If your content is only promotional, you are going to lose engagement. People will come around again and again if each time they interact with you they learn a new skill, tip, or take away from your specific industry. Each time you post, think “What is the value my followers will receive from this?”
TikTok & Social Media Trends
Just as in fashion, trends come and go, especially as the timeline of social media is faster than any other industry. My advice to you is to keep an eye on trends, participate in relevant conversations, but ignore the trends that are off-brand or flippant.
TikTok seems to be all the rage now, but 69% of users are 16–24 years old, with 60% of the users residing in China (Tiktok Investor Presentation, via AD Age). If your product is not something that could sustainably have a Tiktok account or appeal to that demographic, then I wouldn’t waste time or energy trying to force content into that platform amid all the lip dubs and dance videos. Are you a bakery or nail salon who wants to market to that demographic and you can show behind the scenes with upbeat music and video clips? Then having a TikTok or Snapchat account is a much more feasible option for you!
Need Help with Social Media Trends and Strategy?
As always, at Coeus Creative Group we are here to help you bring your brand and company to the next level. If you or your company could use help with social media strategy, planning, content curation, or having a staff or personal training in Social Media, please reach out to us!
Email us at info@coeuscreativegroup.com
Check out our website at https://www.coeuscreativegroup.com/
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