2020, what to expect in the Social Media landscape

I got involved in the game of 2020 predictions and trends in Social Media and Influence. I do not claim to have any premonitory superpower, but I have carried out a detailed analysis of the various points that will follow. The analysis was based on numerous readings and deep understanding of topics that I like and which are part of my professional life.

Here are my 7 Social Media Trends for the new year:

• The Video confirmation

It isn’t a new fact anymore: video content is the most engaging forms of all marketing content and it should show even more its supremacy in 2020. To better understand the predominance of video content, here is a key statistic: 55% of internet users watch videos on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat each month … Huge!!!

If you think about it, video content is already everywhere in different forms: short videos on Instagram with the Stories success, on Snapchat and TikTok but also long-form content on Youtube as well as the streaming format with Twitch, IGTV, Facebook Live, etc. 

2020 will watch the rise of group video chat particularly on Facebook (they actually already launched their ? Houseparty app ?) and Instagram through live-stream multi participant conversations. Social Media is focusing on community creation and animation more than never and those group video chats are a good way to ? build ? virtual relationships and communities. Sad but true (Yes I confess that I prefer real human interaction).

• The emphasis on community creation and animation

Don’t worry, I am not saying that Community Management is going to be a new trend of 2020, it has been there for years. What I am pointing out is the big difference between having a community on social media (in this case it is just a matter of followers numbers that are sometimes bought) and interacting with a committed community on social media, whether it is for influencers or brands. 

People follow brands they usually like, forming social media groups to talk about shared passion and interests, share their customer experience or discover the brand products and services. The secret is in the way brands engage with their audience driving more conversations on meaningful and impactful content. Customers should feel connected to the brand they follow as they do with influencers they love. This brand humanization will be a key trend in 2020!

• Social Media as the best Customer Service

Social media is not only about sharing photos, videos and life’s moments anymore. Since brands should work on creating committed and happy communities on social media, one of the best ways to do it is to answer to customers and followers requests directly on social media accounts. Brands can engage in offering a high quality service to their followers and clients through direct answers to people reaching out to them on social media. 

Using social media for customer service can definitely elevate a brand business to the next level since it allows the brand to show how much it cares about its customers in direct and immediate interaction, a first necessary step to create a loyal and committed customer base. Show to your fans that you love them and care about them, your business will thank you.

• UGC is king

Even better and more powerful than influencer marketing, the Winner of the ? authenticity and engagement battle ? is the User-Generated Content. It is not a new trend but a trend that will be stronger in 2020 and rely on the community effect. Marketers must work on their social media accounts and content strategy to allow brand identification from their communities. Photos, videos, stories and comments on products or services from you and I and other users are more credible and effective than brand own content or even macro influencers posts. The winning strategy is the one that naturally create several Brand ? Mini-Ambassadors ? defending and promoting the brand they sincerely love and follow. The UGC offers a sense of confidence and authenticity to consumers who engage easily with brands with even more conversion in the buying process. 

• Tik Tok is on Fire

The app has been downloaded 1.5 billion times and had more than 750 millions active users in November 2019. Favorite teenagers app, Tik Tok got famous with its 1-minute video format and addictive musical challenges suggested to its users. The creative power featured by the application and its integrated editing software let the users and particularly the influencers offer a wonderful mobile live experience to their followers. 

 In January 2019, Tik Tok started offering advertisement on their platform on which an increasing number of brands are launching their ad and influencers campaigns with amazing engagement rates. 2020 might just be Tik Tok’s year!

• Micro Influence of course

The influencer marketing will still be a hot topic in 2020 but will shift even more towards Micro Influence (which I personally limit to 50k followers on Instagram). Micro influencers have a more intimate relationship with their “small” community, usually much more committed than macro and mega influencers’ communities. One major advantage of micro influence is the creation and promotion of real communities around a niche theme or topic which brands love to rely on in their digital campaigns. Micro influencers also have the advantage of being much more accessible and at lower costs than social media stars, which obviously is of great appeal to all brands.

• VR & AR adoption

We’ve been talking about it for years, but it didn’t get into our daily lives yet: VR & AR will be more adopted and form a huge opportunity for marketers all over the world in terms of brand awareness and special experience offered to their customers. Don’t get me wrong, VR & AR will not be the norm in 2020 but we will see different brands experimentation particularly in the fashion sector (in-store and online) with the option of virtual clothes try-outs for example. 

In terms of social media platforms and application, AR features will definitely boost users engagement thanks to the novelty offered by this technology (you can check for example the ? Lenses tool ? powered by Snapchat) that also offers a huge advertising revenue opportunity for Facebook, Insta, Snap, Pinterest and the others. 

In terms of material products, we can predict a wonderful battle between Facebook with their VR glasses Oculus and Apple which is currently working on its AR glasses. Wait and see my friends!