Experts including Mark Zuckerberg say 2020 is the year social media becomes less social and more private. What are these social media trends and channels for 2020, and how will they affect business?

 A Hootsuite study highlighted these five trends:

1. Social media networks are doubling down on one-to-one channels. This means marketers are personalizing and customizing their efforts by truly getting to know their customers. An excellent example of this is a “Suggestions for you” message on an online website. Amazon does this exceedingly well with the “Customers Also Bought” pop-up suggestion.

2. Employers must use social media to amplify employee trust & pass it along to consumers.

3. New trends show that TikTok growth may be declining, so marketers should approach new apps with caution.

4. Marketers feel threatened by a decrease in organic reach (which is the number of eyes that have seen a post without using paid social). As a result, they must juggle short-term sales and long-term brand building.  

5. There is a gap between tools existing to meet the demand of social and the skills of marketers. In other words, the tools are there but people may not possess the knowledge on how to use them.

Social Media Trends with Fast Company:

Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes predicts there will be more private messaging and one-to-one platforms this year. He also notes how companies are speaking out on social media channels.  This is an important change because people are now more interested in companies that support their values; therefore, silence is no longer a viable option.  Holmes also notes the recent trend that “encourage(s) users to engage with videos and photos on their own merits, rather than simply following the herd.” To conclude he brings to attention how ads may reach a breaking point. Users are overloaded by apps and 86 million users now use ad-blocking software, which is used on $20 billion worth of ads in the U.S. annually.

Social Media Channels:

It is important to have a presence on all or most channels to diversify your repertoire and reach various groups. However, what works for one channel may not work for another. Here are some of our suggestions, with help from Search Engine Journal.

• Facebook- tried and true. No matter what industry you are in, you should have a FB account.
• Twitter- it is a nonstop conversation! This article from Search Engine Journal encourages your business to get to tweeting if you are in marketing, entertainment, sports, or politics.
• LinkedIn- useful if you are looking for professionals to hire, partner with, etc.
• Instagram- especially beneficial for product-based businesses, influencers, and coaches. The shoppable posts feature added in 2018 has increased product-based business most notably. FYI- 63% of users are between the ages of 18 to 34, so take this into consideration when forming your audience.
• Snapchat- definitely a go if you have a much younger target audience. Best for behind-the scenes, user-generated content.
• Pinterest- if your audience is predominantly female and/or if you utilize lots of visual interest.
• Reddit- has forums dedicated to a vast array of topics. Here it is all about finding the niches where your potential customer is active.

What now?

The Porch encourages you to first solidify your presence on channels and then decide what works best for your business. If you are flourishing on a particular channel, you may want to consider doubling down on your socials for that channel.

This provides more value to the consumer and helps you expand your reach. As business becomes more customer-focused, it is vital to stay up to date on the latest social media trends and channels for 2020. As marketers, we will never cease to stay ahead of the curve, putting all efforts towards meeting our customers when and where they need us.

“One of the greatest rock songs ever written is ‘Stairway to Heaven’ [by Led Zeppelin]. ‘Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there’s still time to change the road you’re on.’ So, whatever’s wrong, whatever’s not working out, whatever you’re not happy with – in yourself or a situation – take the initiative and fix it.” – Shaun Breidbart, comedian and executive director, The Ivy League of Comedy

As you choreograph your brand’s 2019 marketing plans, press pause if the same old song and dance is on repeat – particularly in the following four areas. A remix (and the addition of instrumental help) may be your brand’s ticket to achieving rock star status.

1. “Let it Go.” Turn Over Control of Social Media.

Time is money. Social media marketing isn’t just about increasing sales. It is storytelling. It is about consistent connection with your target audience. For social media to truly boost your brand, dedicated time to engage with your audience regularly – in real time – is crucial. You can’t press pause for vacations, trade shows or weekends.

Mistakes are costly. Social media management is customer service. In the absence of a solid social media strategy – and someone experienced to execute it – mistakes are likely. Poor customer service leads consumers to give brands the freeze-out.

The person/company managing your brand’s social media is its agent, tour manager and promoter all rolled into one. Outsourcing those managerial duties gains you an experienced professional who knows the ins and outs of social media.  This frees you up to focus on other areas of your performance.

2. “What are You Waiting For?” Take the marketing plan off the back burner.

Leaders must understand the importance of brand marketing. As we’ve said before, we love partnering with business leaders on single release initiatives. But to avoid being a one-hit wonder, a brand needs a solid marketing plan to complement their strategic plan.

If the creation or implementation of a marketing plan is left “Standing Outside the Fire” you will have no plan. If you have no plan, you will have no direction. Without direction you won’t have consistency – leaving your brand running “Against the Wind” to build consumer trust.

3. “Breakaway.” Transform garage band marketing to unique, memorable content.

Having a website is great, but customers believe “What You Get Is What You See.” Are you getting the veto vote because your marketing is lacking? How do you look when going up against competition? Are potential clients trying unsuccessfully to validate you?

Bands wanting to become famous must promote themselves to make the right connections to boost their profile. Likewise, your marketing must make meaningful connections to your brand. You can bang those drums “All Night Long” but that alone won’t help you advance. You must have someone in your corner to successfully influence the interest of others.

4. “Shake It Off.” Say Goodbye to Gmail.

Excellent email communication is now a required piece of good customer service. Here are 3 reasons you should say goodbye to Gmail:

• Your email address and content represent ‘how you look’ in the online world. Having a business email address with your company’s domain name is judged as professional. Business emails sent through Gmail raise doubts about your credibility.
• An email account contains confidential business information. Using Gmail does not afford you the luxury of controlling whether employees utilize that information appropriately.
• Gmail does not allow you to integrate your brand’s logo and colors to your email messages to make them more consistent and memorable. This renders it ineffective as a marketing tool.

You are “The Leader of the Band.” No one knows your brand better than you. It is ultimately up to you to determine your vision and whether your current track is helping that vision materialize. We are here to help you rock!

I’m always looking for parallels in my life. A single thought that can be applied across all situations is something that resonates with me. These days, I am recognizing the importance of consistency.

Coaching Consistency

My youngest son is a tennis player. Although he is only 10 years old, he is serious about it and quite good. He can hit amazing serves, screaming forehand winners, and beautiful touch volleys that are something to behold. But his coach is stressing the need for consistency on the court. Those screaming forehand winners are beautiful, but can you hit them consistently? Are you putting in the work to get them there?

Last night, I had a bit of a parenting meltdown. After an extremely long day, I walked into my children’s den and found an absolute mess. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back and I lost it. But after I settled down, I realized that there have been little things that had been wearing on me all summer, but I hadn’t been consistent in my enforcement of the rules. I’d been letting things slide.

It’s not always easy to be consistent. It’s a mindful, daily commitment to doing what is best for the long term, even if it makes the short term difficult.

Marketing is largely about consistency as well

Establishing your brand voice and ensuring that you are consistently using that voice, across all channels, at every customer touch point, all day, every day, is absolutely key in marketing.

• A good brand is built over time by establishing trust. Consumers want to know your brand, trust your brand, and depend on your brand to deliver quality time and again. This involves consistency of product and experience.
• You must communicate your brand promise consistently. In your marketing materials. On your website. Across social media channels. Everything  you put out into the world should accurately reflect your brand.
• Your employees have to buy into the need for consistency. In their interaction with customers, in the service they provide on your behalf, they need to be looped into your branding so that they are also consistently reflecting the core values of your company in all that they do.
• Your marketing program requires consistent attention. Social media posting should happen at consistent intervals, on brand and on message. Consistent blogging is key. Your customers want to see you, hear you, and recognize you on a regular basis.

Are you being consistent in your marketing? Are you consistently applying your brand promise, day in and day out, at every touch point? If you’re not sure, give us a call. We are passionate about branding here on the Porch and we will set you straight!

I recently came across an article on CNN’s website titled, “Facebook launched my startup” talking about entrepreneurs who relied exclusively on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to start their small businesses. The story featured five small businesses and, as I flipped through each of them, up popped a picture of a friend and her business partner and their Dallas-based, three-and-a-half-year-old business Smocked Auctions. Their success in a short period of time is a true testament of how social media alone can have a profound effect on businesses.

After they used their initial investment to buy inventory to sell, Smocked Auctions had no extra money for marketing and advertising so they turned to Facebook and began weekly auctions to sell their goods. Almost instantly they attracted 20,000 followers and the rest is history. They now have more than 450,000 followers on Facebook, 10 full-time employees and are on track to do $5 million in sales this year. And although they have added an e-commerce site, Facebook still generates 65% to 70% of their sales.

Now, it’s hard to think of life before social media even though many sites aren’t even ten years old! But it has become pretty clear that social media is a must for all businesses. There are many benefits of social media marketing including increased exposure, competitive advantage, increased traffic, new leads, increased sales and improved search ranking. But I think the biggest benefit of social media compared to traditional marketing is the ability to communicate with customers and a target audience on a daily basis.

With so many social media platforms available it’s important to be educated about each of them and know which is best for your business as far as reaching your business goals. Here is a list of the most popular networks:

• Facebook – Still the leading social media network
• Twitter
• You Tube – More popular than cable television
• LinkedIn – The largest professional business network
• Google+ – Now the second largest social network
• Pinterest – The fastest growing social network
• Instagram
• StumbleUpon
• Digg

As powerful as social media is, it really is crucial to succeed in today’s business environment. Make sure you take a strategic approach to your social media plan and make sure it works with your other marketing initiatives.