As we know, social media is in constant evolution with new trends and platforms ready to take centre stage at every new quarter. This means that, in order to continue to grow your online presence and reach your target audience as a brand, you must adapt to those popular digital activities. The first few months of 2020 had us shook on so many different levels, but for our team of experts, it was the perfect time to analyze and test out some of these new up and coming trends. So, if you’re not impressed with your Q1 digital performance and are looking to make Q2 a ground-breaking success, keep on reading!
Trend #1: Stories
Fact: People love snooping around! They don’t want just a pretty picture to look at. They want some behind the scenes, big reveals, life stories, basically anything that will help them connect to your brand on a more personal level. That’s why stories, whether on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube or Snapchat, keep gaining popularity amongst users of all social media platforms. Their short duration and fleeting format make them addictive in a way that it makes it seamless for anyone to tap through stories for hours. Don’t forget to incorporate elements such as product tags and swipe up features to convert your views into actual money.
Trend #2: TikTok
No, we are not referring to Ke$ha’s song, but the new hot platform of the moment! TikTok is an app meant for its users to create, share and discover short videos. Over the past year, it’s popularity has skyrocketed around the world and throughout generations (especially Gen Z), and the app shows no indication of slowing down. With the right combination of creativity and luck, anyone can be a star on Tik Tok, including Charli D’Amelio, who starred in a Super Bowl ad this year all thanks to her videos going viral on the platform (the dream)!
Trend #3: Social Commerce
Although marketers have always been able to create brand awareness through various social media channels, it’s getting much easier for them to actually sell their products on platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Being able to get outfits/home decor inspiration and to buy them all through 1 platform makes the shopping process seamless and so much more pleasant for users! We can clearly see the growing use of product tags in stories, as well as shoppable posts, which are clear signs that social networks are steadily evolving towards becoming retail platforms.
Trend #4: Video Content
If Tik Tok’s popularity is an indication of anything, it’s that videos will be dominating the internet moving forward. Producing video content will be necessary for any brand to stay relevant online, and social platforms are fully aware of that. With channels such as IGTV and Facebook Stories, it’s easier than ever for marketers to upload video content, and your brand should start now before it becomes obsolete.
Trend #5: The rise of Nano-Influencers
By now we know that influencer marketing is essential for organic brand growth. But is it necessary to target users who have hundreds of thousands of followers? Social media trends say no. Meet nano-influencers, users whose amount of followers range between 1000 and 5000, but whose content is as engaging as (and sometimes more so than) big-name influencers. Because of the rise of “fake influencers”, consumers and marketers alike tend to flock to these people due to their relatable and personable lifestyle.
Trend #6: Leveraging UGC
Not only is UGC (which stands for user-generated content) free, but it creates engagement and excitement from followers, who will gladly want to be featured on a brand’s page. Additionally, it is considered much more authentic than marketing campaigns. Utilizing UGC isn’t new, but it’s definitely not slowing down, and with the rise of nano-influencers who post quality content about their lifestyle, there’s no excuse for brands not to include it in their Instagram and Facebook feeds.
Trend #7: Reevaluating engagement metrics
Since last year, when Instagram and Facebook rolled out tests to hide ‘likes’, we’ve been forced to look at other metrics to measure data. Social listening is becoming increasingly popular and might be crucial, as marketers are leaning into what’s being said online, rather than the performance of a specific post. Overall engagement definitely speaks louder than the number of likes.
Trend #8: The rise of Pinterest
Although the search platform has been popular with DIYers for years, it’s finally gaining traction with marketers, who are realizing that it might be the easiest way to target their audience and convert them into buyers. It’s smart for companies such as Well (a Canadian juicing brand) to promote shopping ads with keywords like ‘juicing at home’ or ‘healthy living’, in order to gain a maximum of clicks and visibility. Ultimately, Pinterest still has room for growth, as it’s currently where Instagram was 2-3 years ago, so we highly recommend you jump on that trend.
And voilà! We gave you the tools but now it’s up to you to build your social media strategy and create some digital magic! We know adopting new strategies can be tricky, borderline scary, but all you have to do is try until you’ve mastered them! Which of course by then the social media landscape will have changed and it will be time to adopt new trends but hey, that’s what makes it so fun!