Top 5 Social Media Trends this Year

By: Johana M. Caba

​As we welcomed a new decade, we immediately begin to think about what social media trends will impact our businesses the most this year. A new decade and a new year mean that there will be new trends to follow and new ways to reach our various target markets including the infamous Gen Z. For 2020, the top 5 social media trends that we believe will continue to grow are as follows:

1. Stories: Social media stories is a feature that almost every single platform has incorporated. Stories is a growing feature for businesses that can utilize it to drive traffic to websites and expand their reach. For example, Instagram drives more attention to stories than to regular posts by ensuring users know when new stories have been posted. Furthermore, your favorite stories can be added to your profile page which can help customers understand what your business is about. You can also track your analytics for stories and posts on Creator Studio for Facebook and Instagram which provides in-depth information to plan your strategy.
2. Instagram: This social media platform is one of the largest platforms with millions of active users from around the world. It is one of the fastest growing social networking sites and will continue to grow in 2020. According to Hootsuite statistics, there is a potential advertising reach of 849.3 million users, more specifically 52.9 million users aged 13-17. This means that advertising on Instagram can help businesses reach millions of potential customers and specifically target a large population of Gen Z. So, if your business is not on Instagram, you should consider joining the platform in 2020.
3. Social Media Shopping: Customers have been using social media to shop for their favorite brands for a few years now. They look to see what their favorite influencers and celebrities are using before following in their footsteps to purchase the same items. Social media apps like Facebook and Instagram have gone a step further to allow customers to purchase products without having to leave the apps. With Dynamic Ads, Facebook shows users ads from companies which they have demonstrated an interest in whether it be online, in the app or elsewhere. Similarly, Instagram also shows users relevant ads and allows them to shop without leaving the app by clicking on the shopping tags added to photos and ads. This will be a great tool for businesses on social media which can amplify the reach of their products.
4. Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with social media influencers and celebrities is something that has been done since the earliest years of marketing and advertising. Influencer marketing grew significantly in 2019 and is expected to continue growing in 2020. According to marketers, the return on investment from influencer marketing in 2019 was 89% comparable or better than other channels. Furthermore, 70% of teens trust influencers over celebrities which should make it easier for your brand to reach Gen Z. Additionally, 49% of consumers use influencer recommendations for their purchases. According to DMI Daily Digest, influencer marketing is a fast growing customer acquisition trend considering that 40% of customers use ad-blocking on their laptops and 15% on their phones. Most people dislike ads on their videos and social media feeds. Therefore, influencer marketing is a good strategy to use to reach your target audience in a more native way rather than bombarding them with traditional advertisements.
5. Augmented Reality (AR): In 2019, Facebook and YouTube unveiled their AR advertisements which allowed customers to try on products before purchasing them by using their smartphones. Other companies, such as IKEA, allow users to see how certain items of furniture will look like in specific rooms. Therefore, this will be a great tool to use in 2020 as a form of interactive advertising. Particularly, beauty brands, clothing and furniture companies can use this AR advertising to allow customers to try on and view products with their phones and purchase immediately in-app. ​