Social media continues to evolve. From the nearly-defunct MySpace to Tumblr to Steemit, one thing hasn’t changed: Users are connecting and sharing content. As classic platforms like Facebook evolve and new social engines pop up, marketers need to keep up with the changes. As audiences migrate from one platform to another or change the way they’re using tools, companies need to be prepared. That’s why we’ve put together our 2020 social media predictions, to help you prepare for all the change likely coming your way.
Prediction 1: Influencer Marketing Is Here To Stay
After 2019, everyone should know what an “influencer” is. And in 2020, influencers are going to be much more important for brands.
Expect to see more deals between retail giants and celebrities. On a smaller scale, you might see some of your friends trading space on their Instagram profile for a discount on shoes.
One thing is certain: all brands should start leveraging influencers.
Prediction 2: Expect Your Ads To Be Under A Microscope in 2020
While Facebook has caught a lot of flack from their disinformation policy (or lack thereof), other platforms like Spotify, are disallowing political ads altogether.
However, just because you’re not in politics doesn’t mean you’re exempt from disinformation ad policies. With an entire country concerned about “fake news”, it seems that digital ads are under more scrutiny than ever before. And even though Facebook hasn’t committed to banning disinformation (yet), they’re likely watching things more closely than ever.
As November draws closer, expect your social media ads to go into review a little longer than you’re used to.
Prediction 3: Video Platform Turf War
TikTok is king. Long live the king?
If we’re to believe the rumors, TikTok may be up for sale soon. And as popular as the video platform is, it doesn’t have a stake in the ground yet. Platforms like Lasso (quietly created by Facebook in 2018) are competing directly with TikTok. And they’re not the only ones.
Video is huge. And before the end of 2020, TikTok might even have more competition we’re not aware of yet.
Prediction 4: Facebook Migration
Are you still on Facebook as much as you were in 2010? Probably not.
While there’s no doubt Facebook is still the social media giant, younger audiences are spending more time on Instagram and Snapchat.
No one’s deleting their Facebook, but they’re not logging in as much, either. As a marketer, you need to be where the people are. Paying for ad space on other platforms might be a good idea in 2020.
Prediction 5: More Curated Content
Don’t expect the big social media platforms to be OK with showing you just the top trending content or news stories. When it comes to your news tab or trending Twitter topics, content will be more curated than ever before. AI and machine learning is everywhere, and social media is no different.
The quality of the content will need to be up to par, and that content should be meant for you. One-size-fits-all should not be in the social media lexicon anymore.
Making 2020 social media predictions isn’t hard when you understand the business. If you need help with your social media strategy in 2020, we can help. We’re the experts.
