Whether addictive or productive or vindictive, it can be agreed that social media is impacting us significantly, perhaps now more than ever. Today we find users operating on any one of the many social media platforms for a variety of reasons be it e-commerce, marketing, entertainment and education. Despite the impact of the novel Coronavirus pandemic across the globe, as far as social media usage is concerned, there is no social distancing here. Post the pandemic social media access by users has increased many folds. We are here talking about the latest social media trends in 2020.

Rising trends in Social Media

• Growth in Ephemeral Content

Ephemeral content is defined as the content that disappears after a specific time duration. Some of the most commonly known examples are Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook Stories and Twitter Fleets that last for only.

The idea of short videos and temporary stories are perfect as the attention span of the people is very short. Marketers and influencers take advantage of the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) method to attract viewers before the time slot expires. TikTok made the ideal use of short video buzz.

• A rise in Niche Technology Adoption

With the people lockdown at homes, businesses are targeting customers using niche technology. Some of the most trending technologies are Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). These technologies are expected to shape the future of social media apps by providing dynamic user experiences and simulation of real-world scenarios.

Although the implementation of Virtual Reality in social media platforms is currently at its infancy, Augmented Reality has seen a tremendous boost on top platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. The popularity grew as the virtual interface embedded on these social media apps provided high-quality user experience to a broad audience.

• Performance of Niche Social Apps

The past several years have seen the launch of several niche social media platforms that have soon risen in the popularity charts. The well-known platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have long directed social media traffic in both popularity and growth. Today platforms such as LinkedIn have proved to be ideal for B2B companies for promotional purposes as well as to potential job seekers. TikTok that was launched in the year 2016 soon caught the imagination of people from all. It is predicted 2020 will see the birth of many more niche social media apps.

• The Popularity of User Generated Content Especially Video

 With the advent of smart technology, more and more people are generating content quickly. The popularity of food blogs and cooking videos by home cooking enthusiasts is mostly due to the ease of uploading the content and potential for creating mega followers. By the year 2022, it is expected that 82% of all online content will be in video format. This is a heads up to begin using video content to establish oneself in the domain. TikTok was a prominent example of growth in video content in a short period. 

•  Influencer Marketing

While this method is nothing new, Influencer marketing is the primary factor behind big brands wanting to make use of popular role models to establish dominance. By associating with the influencers, the brands try to reach their millions of followers and expect a corresponding rise in their brand image and profits. Influencers are paid massive amounts to persuade and promote brands. This has proven to be less expensive than launching paid ad campaigns. The future is ripe for these influencers as businesses are willing to bet their money on them rather than known celebrities.

• Personalization

The significant use of personalization is in the delivery of targeted social media ads. Social media platforms have started providing advanced targeting and customization options for marketers. These let you show the right ads to the right people at the correct times. The customers to offer their choices to be shown the products they like, and relevant ads.

• Social Listening Strategies

Social strategies and insights have become the main focus of brands and marketers. This includes surveying the impact of a campaign on people perception, social media outlooks, generating leads via both good prospects and rival brands dissatisfied Customers, continuously collecting feedback, starting new conversations and so on.

 These strategies are the basis of the success of any social media campaign and used to forecast industry trends and customer behaviour.

Social Media usage of the world’s population is going to grow upwards with an average social media user spending approximately two and a half hours daily on various websites and apps. With the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown necessitating work from home, today the boundary between home and office has become blurred. This has enhanced the online footprint of people. The way ahead would be seeing many re-inventions of social media.