It’s nearly the end of the year, and what a year it has been for social media! From the rise of TikTok to the removal of likes on Instagram we’ve had a year that would’ve been hard to predict. So, any guesses for what 2020 will bring?

Here are the latest trends to look out for in the coming year and how to use them to get your brand ahead of your competition!

1. Influencer Marketing in 2020

Influencer marketing is already popular, but with research showing that 59% of marketers plan on increasing their influencer budget in 2020, this is a growing advertising space. However, it’s important to note that consumers are growing increasingly wary of ads on their feed! This means influencers, and brands need to think more creatively in the New Year!

Your brand needs to start thinking about influencer reviews and testimonials to show that you both can be trusted. Influencer Marketing this year will also see a rise in the use of micro-influencers. These influencers who have a lower number of followers (usually up to 10,000) may not have the biggest reach, however, they have the most loyal audience. Use these to target niche audiences for your products as their followers trust what they’re saying!

2. Shopping On Socials

We predict that 2020 will be the year for eCommerce platforms, allowing them to better advertise and let their consumer directly shop on the social media platform! From taggable and shoppable products on Instagram to buying your next wardrobe on Pinterest, we predict that less and less shopping will be done online, more on social media!

This is a great opportunity for startups and small businesses to play in the big business world as their customers quickly become their followers!

3. 2020 Stories

This year has seen a definitive rise in Facebook and Instagram Stories (especially Instagram). So, we predict more and more updates and features on these Story platforms. Stories used to be exclusively on Snapchat, but they have quickly become mainstream. Even YouTube now has its own Stories platform.
Stories can provide your audience with more authentic insight, and we predict that 2020 will see marketers use them to capitalise on the Fear Of Missing Out! Look out for flash sales and deals that only loyal fans will find on Instagram Stories.

4. Mainstream AR

Augmented Reality (or AR) has gradually evolved this year. So much so that we predict big things for 2020.

Ikea has already used AR to show buyers how products in-store will look in their homes via AR apps!

We think that 2020 has the potential to be a big year for AR technology. For example, estate agents can take virtual tours of homes, changing the colours of walls etc to suit their client.

We expect this to be a big shift in the New Year and are excited to see how it’s used.

5. Chatbots in 2020

Chatbots used to mean that your customer received a prewritten and general automated answer to a FAQ. However, 2020 will see Chatbots taken to the next level. Chatbots are beginning to have “understanding”, especially in reference to what users are asking of them.

So, in 2020 we expect that you will no longer have to prefill answers, rather the chatbot will search Google to form the perfect answer to a customer query.

Overall, there are a few key trends to look out for in 2020. Expect tools to pop-up and shifts in small businesses taking on corporate organisations via great digital placement.

What do you see 2020 looking like? Let us know on social media!