Hello! Omar here! Brand Strategist at Serotina Media and Pop Culture aficionado! For this week’s blog we’re going to recap some of the biggest social media moments from 2019 and why it’s important for you to know them. More than just algorithm changes and new filters on our favourite platforms, we’re singling out trends and game-changing moments that shaped the social media landscape of 2019 and that will keep on changing the way things are done in 2020 and beyond!
1. Social Shopping made easier
Nowadays, fewer steps are needed between seeing something you like on your feed and getting to the checkout page. 2019 saw the rollout of many new shopping features and users are loving it!
Here are some of the tools that were introduced this year:
- Instagram checkout started beta-testing in March, tested its shoppable creator posts in April and added some shop shortcuts in May.
- Facebook: FB pay launched this past November
- Whatsapp introduced catalogues for small businesses. Catalogs are a mobile storefront for businesses to showcase their products and services so people can easily discover something they might like to buy.
- Pinterest: In September, Shop the look pins rolled out and businesses can now add a shop tab to their profiles.
2. It’s all about Privacy
Sometime before Facebook’s annual Developers Conference this past April, FB announced something called “a Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking” which can be easily seen as Facebook’s new positioning on its privacy policies. This new shift in positioning comes from the fact that formats like Facebook messages and Instagram Stories are inherently much more “intimate” and private. In order for people to express themselves, they need to feel safe. Last October, Facebook launched “threads from Instagram” which is a messaging app for private camera conversations with close friends. Theoretically, this allows more privacy between close friends and family… but with Influencers and Celebrities getting their content constantly hacked and/or leaked, we shall see.
3. Instagram hides Like counts, and Facebook might be next
Last May, Instagram began testing the disappearance of like counts in Canada. Shortly after, they expanded the trial to six additional countries. Then in November, Instagram began testing the removal of heart tallies worldwide. Now, Facebook wants to start hiding them too. The rationale behind the removal of likes? The reduction of cyber bullying, anxiety, and the championing of mental health.
4. Influencers are being seriously audited
The popularity of influencer marketing as an authentic way to advertise products is well documented, but so is their ability to fake audiences, engagement, and even scam people online. Although influencers are not going anywhere in 2020, brands are now looking at influencer marketing with a magnifying glass. The rise of fake influencers and the removal of Like-counts as an engagement KPI demonstrates the need for creators to be more real, approachable with the ability to back up their rates with serious data. This is why we are seeing a rise of nano-influencers, who represent brands at a more real, organic level and with a more powerful reach.
5. Who is the King of Content?
In 2019, short videos were amongst the highest shared content on social media. It seems that in 2020 video will remain the king of content, though short-form seems to be slowly moving towards longer formats, especially on platforms like YouTube and InstagramTV. Since, Youtube is only second to Facebook in terms of active users, – and only second to Google in terms of web search engines – more and more brands are migrating to it. Video ads significantly increase ad recall, generate brand recognition, and ultimately drive sales.
6. 2019 in GIFS
As always, social media is ever changing. In case you were hiding under a rock for the past 365 days, here’s a quick countdown of some of the most famous gif’s of 2019 according to Giphy.com: https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/17/business/most-popular-gifs-of-2019-trnd/index.html
And if all else fails, try ASMR:
Best 20 #ASMR Commercials | Salma Hayek, John Goodman, Zoë Kravitz, James Corden And More…
Remember, even if you’re not following any of these trends, it is always useful to adjust your social strategy with respect to upcoming trends. Hopefully these findings can help you reflect on what’s working, what isn’t, and build new roads in your social strategy that you can explore to make 2020 your best year.
Until next time!
– OGN
@Serotinamedia
#KEEPSOCIAL
