Industry

The Scoop on Social Media | 2020 Update

Social media is changing. Are you keeping up?

Back in 2016 we shared a blog on the importance of social media for business. While many companies have accepted that social media is here to stay, we’re pleased to see a shift in their thinking … they now understand the importance of how social media marketing can help achieve their business goals. In our original blog, we touched on (and this is still very much relevant now) how social media:

  •   Increases brand awareness
  •   Increases search engine ranking
  •   Confirms a business is active and thriving
  •   Improves the customer experience
  •   Increases sales

But the times they are a changin’! As technology improves at rapid speed, new trends are continuously emerging and the need to communicate with each other remains important.

So, let’s talk about a few new social media trends that we’re seeing emerge.

Investing in the right places 

Yes, we are still seeing companies investing in social media ads, and for good reason! They work. As social media experts, we are continuously monitoring our channels, and we know that data from organic social posts should be informing the paid post strategy for our clients. Instead of spending a little bit on everything, we recommend spending more on the content most likely to drive the results you want.

Also important to note, Facebook and Instagram ads are becoming more and more advanced by the day, and it’s really quite easy for brands to encourage direct business from their customers. Facebook has personalized the ad experience so well that for any creative person, you can have a field day designing ads with changing formats (carousel or collection), fun gifs, video and more! The opportunities to stand out are endless.

We have also been working within LinkedIn’s ad platform, and given the current state of how business has changed over the last few months (re: COVID pandemic), LinkedIn ads have certainly started to evolve to help business-to-business companies reach their target audience.

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories have been one of the biggest social media trends to emerge over recent years, and 2020 is holding strong! While more Instagram users (both personal and professional) use their feeds to display only the best of the best (aka “Insta-worthy” photos), their Stories on the other hand show the rawness, the emotion, and the everyday “real life” that has gone missing from the feeds. Stories have become such an amazing way to build trust and they show your audience there are real people behind the brand.

So, what about Facebook Stories? While not as talked about as Instagram Stories, they are still on par in terms of engagement with approximately 500 million daily users. Interactive videos, and polls are such great ways to engage with the audience, making your content feel more “must see.”

Video 

Are we surprised? Nah. Video continues to be the most shared content on social media! YouTube is second only to Facebook in terms of active users, so it’s no wonder video content is thriving.

Instagram is jumping on the video bandwagon too! IGTV has recently introduced landscape videos, instead of only portrait style, it will be interesting to see how users will start to play with this feature. Of course, we should also mention TikTok! Its popularity with the younger audience, and influencers is emerging, and with 1.5 billion users (and growing), we might be seeing more brands investing company time TikToking!

Final thoughts, video isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so grab a smartphone and have some fun with it!

Think about where (we post) and why (we post)   

It’s time to re-evaluate and reflect. Not all companies need to be present on every platform. As social marketers, we should always be making recommendations to rethink where clients are spending their time and zero-in on the platforms where their audience is.

It’s crucial to understand how you’re spending your valuable time on social media and whether or not your efforts are paying off. This is why it’s important to understand the metrics: gone are the days of chasing vanity metrics like how many likes you get on one post. Think about where you can shine and focus your energy (and content) on the platforms that matter the most to you and your audience!

In the end, it’s really about trust

More than anything, social media platforms are the best place to nurture trust and build relationships – that’s what it’s all about! Social offers the ultimate opportunity for communicating brand value and engaging with your audience.

As always, please give us a follow on any of our social platforms, and don’t hesitate to reach out with your questions!