Top Social Media Trends for Your 2020 Content Strategy

As you are developing your 2020 social media strategy and content calendar, I’ve found these trends to be especially helpful to keep top-of-mind for the coming year. As always, authenticity is key. However, employing the following tips and tactics may give your brand the boost its needs on its social channels.

1. Understand What Type of Content Resonates with Your Audience. All social media channels are a noisy space now. Most brands have a presence on multiple channels, and people can recognize when they are being marketed to. It’s important to create authentic content that speaks to your audience for them to take notice. Use 2020 as an opportunity to be creative and develop a social content strategy that highlights what’s best and unique about your brand or organization to keep your social community engaged.

2. Video is Now A “Must-Have” for Social Strategy. In our 2019 social media trend article, we talked about the importance of video in social strategy. In 2020, social video usage and demand will continue to grow, making it a “must have” in the content lineup. According to recent studies outlined by Hootsuite

· 56% of Internet users watch videos on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram each month.

· 81% of 55- to 64-year-olds are watching videos online each month.

· One in three social video viewers watch videos made by brands every month.

Video content still improves your brand’s organic reach through Facebook Live, IG Stories and IGTV, however, it’s important to develop concise video content that engages your audience while remaining authentic. According to a study by Microsoft, humans now have an 8-second video attention span—that’s shorter than a goldfish!

3. Instagram is the place for brands. 45 to 54 year-olds are now using Instagram more than the teenage audience. With Facebook’s change in its algorithm a few years ago to support more friends and family interaction versus business posts, Instagram will continue to be a great home for organizations to reach consumers. Keep in mind that with Facebook as Instagram’s parent company, there’s a shift to pay-to-play coming to Instagram in the near future which makes developing IG stories and video content all the more important.

4. Social Media for Product Research. Traditional search engines are still the main vehicle for research, but social media is catching up. According to the Global Web Index, 28% of Internet users turn to social networks for product search. This could prove to have a big impact on companies. Having a strong network of brand advocates including influencer programs, user-generated content and authentic, relevant content will become even more important as people turn to social for product research and purchase decisions.

Always Think Big,

Kate Lessman

President/Founder

Think Big Media PR