A new year and decade are finally here, but one thing that will not change in 2020 is the importance of social media to marketers. Here are five trends that you need to know to fulfil your marketing potential on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram et al.
Outsource social management
Social media management will take on greater precedence as the number of viable platforms for content distribution continues to grow and the time and resources required to keep on top of publishing increase in tandem.
You can reduce the workload by outsourcing your social needs to a third-party agency. Both B2B and B2C brands are now well versed in outsourcing content marketing activities, and organic social will be a natural extension of that during the next 12 months.
Likes may disappear
Vanity metrics could disappear in 2020 following Instagram’s recent decision to jettison ‘front-facing likes’ during a trial period. For content marketers, likes were never that relevant due to it being an unclear signal that doesn’t say much about consumer behaviour.
In the year ahead, you could instead create high-quality blog posts based on the comments that followers make on your social media posts. This ties neatly in with delivering materials that your audience actually want and need. You can also encourage more interaction in your standard blog posts by asking questions and talking to readers in the comments section.
Video is everything
We all know that visuals tend to perform better on social media, especially when it comes to marketing content. In the near future, however, pictures and text may not be enough. According to Smart Insights, 83% of marketers believe that video is growing in importance, and they have found that 53% of consumers engage with a brand after viewing a video on social media.
These findings are huge, and now is the perfect time to experiment what type of videos suit your business and brand, because advertising through videos on social media is only going to get more popular.
Live video has a place too
Additionally, spontaneous live videos are great for product and service announcements and can complement your planned, long-term video strategies. It’s important that these videos look professional though, so try to optimise lighting and sound before going live. These clips are also perfect for going behind the scenes, which can make your brand look more relatable.
Data approach for social strategy is key
Organic content and social delivers the best ROI, but you can use paid ads to boost editorial blogs and articles. For example, if a how-to piece is swimming in traffic on Twitter, then it might be best to signal boost it and your next two blogs with a few ads on the platform.
More than two-thirds of B2B marketers are now using social media advertising, according to a recent study by the Content Marketing Institute. Additionally, they recommend spending on quality content that is most likely to deliver the best results.
