Social Media 2020 Predictions - Little Big

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23.01.20

Social Media 2020 Predictions

Want to know what you could be doing to ace your socials this year? Our social media experts have looked into their crystal ball to bring you our top predictions for 2020.

 

AR and VR will gain momentum

Ahead of Advertising Week, Facebook announced AR ad formats, which will allow users to interact with brands on a more personal level. For example, a make-up brand could use AR to help users try on lip colours to find their perfect fit. Facebook is also beta testing Horizon, their social virtual reality world, where people can connect, play games, and explore. This is the next stage of social communication and could very well impact the way we use social media.

 

Influencer partnerships becoming pay to play

With Instagram removing likes and influencer engagement rates declining, we predict paid branded content ads will see an uplift. Branded content ads allow advertisers to promote an influencers page, leveraging their authority. It also helps with transparency, as advertisers can control the promotion and analyse results in real-time.

 

Growing popularity of IGTV

Since launching IGTV previews in the regular Instagram feed, along with videos being shared to Instagram profiles, IGTV saw a 300% rise in video views. The vertical video feature that IGTV possesses allows for a more comfortable viewing experience on smartphones (a feature that Youtube has not yet adapted). We believe that IGTV will continue to rise and release new features in 2020, like playlist capabilities and expanded search results. This will ultimately lead to an increase in video content being created on the platform, with episodic content continuing to be a big trend.

 

TikTok will continue to rise

TikTok is expected to grow rapidly in 2020 and have many more creators get involved in generating content. We predict the app will become less of an ‘unknown’ as it begins to monetise and develop an ad platform to rival more traditional social competitors. As the platform continues to develop, we expect to see many more marketers and brands on-board in 2020, but this will also result in a dip in user engagement.

 

Podcasts will be leveraged to generate conversions

Podcasts have become commonplace in many people’s everyday life. In fact, it seems like there are podcasts about almost every topic, and there’s a good reason why; Podcasts are a smart way to increase conversions! Given the audio nature of podcasts, listeners tend to hang on to every word, making them an excellent audience for advertisers who are trying to get their brands known.  Our prediction for 2020 is that podcasts will grow into a platform that traditional marketers can see as a viable and predictable way to reach engaged audiences. According to the Podcasting Audit Study by Bridge Ratings, advertisers are expected to spend $500 million on podcast ads in 2020. There will also be more live shows, tours and podcast festivals looking to pop up, resulting in new monetisation options and ultimately increasing conversion results. With the industry generating an estimated $479.1 million in revenue in 2018, it is expected to produce more than $1 billion by 2021 according to a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC. So, our advice? Strap in, start listening and find your audience!

 

We hope that you enjoyed reading about some of the social media 2020 predictions that we believe you should leverage to stay ahead of your competitors. Not sure how to implement these strategies yourself? Get in touch!