A new decade is upon us and there are some social media trends you need to look out for in 2020. When you become aware of the new trends you can start to integrate them into your social media plan so you don’t get left behind this year. 

Temporary Content is Rising in Popularity

As you have probably noticed lately, there is a big push for stories, both on Facebook and Instagram. Temporary content is really on the rise and will be huge in 2020. Due to shorter attention spans, these easily consumable, shorter versions of content are really gaining momentum. It’s a great way to engage your audience because the engagement rates are so much higher with this type of content. If you haven’t started utilizing stories on Facebook and/or Instagram, now is the time to really consider adding them to your social media plan for 2020.

Niche Platforms

In 2020, people will be spending more time on niche platforms. By niche, I mean Tik Tok, LinkedIn, and the like. These platforms have a more specific, smaller audience. This doesn’t mean Facebook is going anywhere. It absolutely is not. Still, you don’t want to put all of your eggs in one basket. You want to have at least one niche platform that reaches out to your target audience. 

Instagram is Removing Likes

In case you haven’t heard already, Instagram is removing likes. They’ve already done it in a few other countries and are now testing it in the United States. It’s going to happen. Soon you won’t be able to see how many likes a post has on anyone else’s account. You’ll still be able to see your own, so you can still know what content is working for you. However, you won’t be able to see anyone else’s. This is Instagram’s way of creating a safe environment for young people so they don’t get so wrapped up in the likes that it affects their behavior or self-image. I promise this is a good thing. It will really make content marketing much stronger to have the likes go away.

Video Will Dominate

You only think video was a big player in 2019. In 2020, it’s just going to grow. Every single platform is integrating video and making it much more primary. Facebook and YouTube have even apparently come to some sort of meeting of the minds. Facebook is now promoting YouTube more, which is shocking, but that’s what the stats say.

Micro Influencer Marketing

In 2020, influencer marketing will continue to grow and you really need to pay attention to the micro influencers. Those influencers that have 10,000 to 20,000 followers are where the marketing sweet spot will be. They have a lot of followers but it’s still doable. You can advertise with them for a lot less money than with someone who has a million followers. If you want to be considered an influencer than getting to the 10K mark should be your first goal as a micro influencer.

More Regulatory Control and Legal Scrutiny

It’s understandable why this is happening even if it is a little bit painful for housing and employment. As more people get online and more ads are run, Facebook has to be careful and protect themselves. Because of this, they are going to start cracking down on rule-breakers and adding more regulatory control. Hopefully, this will also include the area of contests and promotions. As someone who follows the rules, to see others not follow the rules with no penalty or only sporadically enforced penalties can be frustrating. Expect to see more policing of these activities and more penalties being enforced this year. 

Increase in Social Media for Customer Service Use

We are already seeing some of this now but it will continue to grow. The trend is growing of people posting on content with a message that has nothing to do with the content they’re commenting on. They just have something to say and want to share it. Comments like “I tried this product and I loved it” or “I tried this product and I hated it” or even “The last time I went to this place I had a bad experience” are all about customer service online. Think about it. The last time you had a problem with a company and you had something to say, how long did it take for them to get back to you? People want an immediate response and social media is an effective way to achieve that. They’re a lot more likely to put negative comments wherever they happen to be so you have to monitor your content carefully. 

Personalization, Especially with Ads

What does personalization mean to you? If you are running an ad and you have two audiences, for instance, first time home buyers and vacation home buyers, you can’t run the same ad. You really need to get specific. Even on your first time home buyers, you have to break it down. You’re going to want to run separate ads targeted towards your young 20s versus your 40-year-olds. Meet your ideal client where they are. If your first time home buyer is someone older who has lived in an apartment their whole life and they’re ready to move into a home, that ad would look very different than the one for a couple who is just getting married. This is especially true if your industry has a split. For instance, you appeal to a younger audience but mom and dad are paying the bills. That makes a huge difference. 

Social Listening

This year expect more social listening to take place. You can get on social media now and listen to find out what you need to know. One of the best listening platforms is Twitter. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. 

User-Generated Content

People like you and they are happy to share your information but they love it when you share their information. If you’re at a closing and your client takes a picture in front of their house with a sold sign, it goes a long way for you to share their content. Your client base, fan base, loyal customers- they love that. Don’t be afraid to embrace your user-generated content. It can be something simple like the couple you sold a house to a year ago just had a baby. You can share that information with a caption like “Look at the new addition! I love this couple. They were great to deal with.” Most users love it when you share their content. It wouldn’t be public if they weren’t ok with the world seeing it. Share their successes.

Social Media Communities

If you are not part of a group on Facebook now, I think you’re really going to start seeing that more in 2020. Facebook really wants it to happen so, of course, they’re going to push it. Look for groups to become a big deal this year, with Facebook giving you the tools to make it happen.

Knowledge is Power

Those are the big trends to expect in social media for 2020. Don’t wait to watch these predictions happen, start integrating these into your social media strategy now to stay ahead of the game.