We’re fast approaching the EOFY and you know what that means right? Taxes *queue loud booing sound* but also? It marks a fresh new start for your business and an opportunity to go into the next financial year bigger and better than ever before *queue loud applause sound*. 

So, if social media wasn’t a big part of your business strategy in FY19, then it’s time to *seriously* lean in cos’ we’re about to let you in on a few of our favourite social media trends for 2020 and beyond.

Be authentically YOU

Gone are the days of the infamous Instagram puzzle feed [you know the ‘grams where every square fits together like a perfectly curated collage? Yep, we’re officially waving goodbye to the puzzle] it’s now all about focusing on authenticity and realness on the ‘gram. Consider each individual post as a storytelling opportunity to endear your audience to the people behind the biz. Not every post has to be retouched or shot professionally, sometimes the best-performing content is the unretouched images or adhoc videos taken on your iPhone [some of our best performing TDP posts have been a simple Boomerang #truestory]. People are seeking more authenticity on social media than ever before, so it’s time to rip off the bandaid, get in front of the camera and share more behind the scenes content to humanise your business. Your 9-5 routine might seem mundane to you, but to your followers? It means genuine insight into your business and the people behind it. 

In 2020? REAL content = REAL reach. 

Storytelling FTW

Remember the days when a simple emoji would suffice as the greatest caption of all time on the ‘gram? Well, in 2020, more really is more when it comes to writing your captions. No, seriously, that ‘read more’ button counts as an engagement in the algorithm so every time you entice your followers to keep reading? BOOM… engagement. 

If copywriting is not your forte, the good news is, you don’t have to be Shakespeare to write a really good Instagram caption. Obviously there’s spelling and grammar *sighs* but the REAL copy magic happens when you’re able to build a sense of personality and tone of voice unique to your brand, rather than just exclusively focusing on selling stuff. 

When you can start writing captions that REALLY speak to your audience, you will create brand affinity and loyalty which means more people will be likely to drop their hard earned cash money on your products or services. Total win win. 

It’s time to TikTok

Do you know that Tik Tok was the second most downloaded app in the past year? Yep, this new kid on the social block has some serious staying power and whilst a lot of brands have been slow to jump on the TikTok bandwagon, the user-base is quickly diversifying into brands, influencers, parents and even grandparents [in other words, it’s no longer a platform just for the cool kids *happy dance*]. TikTok has also recently introduced advertising within the platform, so if you’re keen to reach new audiences in a much less competitive landscape then Facebook, then this could be a big win for building brand awareness for your business.  

If you still have no idea how Tik Tok works, don’t worry you’re not alone! Tik Tok refers to itself as a “destination for short form videos” and in many ways it’s like a bite size version of YouTube. The app is best-known for its TikTok challenges, so if you’re hoping to go viral on the platform you have to jump head first into the #trending hashtags to be visible in the algorithm.

Ready to take the TikTok world by storm? Check out some of the latest trending videos here

Instagram challenges

So, during quarantine we were all really ‘bored in the house and in the house bored’ and the internet *seriously* provided in the way of entertainment.

Social media usage skyrocketed globally during Covid 19 [did anyone else  cringe at their daily screen time?!] and really proved its true purpose of bringing communities together online. 

But, it was the viral Instagram challenges [largely mimicked by the success of TikTok] that provided us with endless entertainment and ways to interact with our friends, family and favourite brands while spending more time indoors. 

From dance challenges, to prank challenges and most recently, the #sharethemicnow Instagram challenge where white celebrities, politicians and writers gave their Instagram platforms to recognised african-american women to raise further awareness around the #blacklivesmatter movement, viral challenges can be both fun and interactive, but also extremely powerful and educational as well. 

So if you’re looking to go viral on the ‘gram, Instagram challenges are a sure-fire way to get your business in the social media limelight. Use the associated trending hashtag to increase your reach and visibility on Instagram OR create your own challenge and encourage your followers to take part!

Story time

Instagram stories are just getting bigger and bigger [NBD, but there’s currently 500 million active users on Stories every day] and we’ve seen a real shift in people logging into the platform and just scrolling sideways through Stories before ever making it to the feed. Want to know a fun fact? Instagram Stories got SO popular, Facebook was even testing a feature to redesign the whole Instagram platform to mimic the horizontal scrolling of stories. It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s very likely in the future we will be scrolling horizontally, rather than vertically in the feed *gasps*. 

If you’re yet to be posting frequently on Instagram Stories, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to reach your audience where they’re hanging out most frequently. Plus, with interactive stickers such as polls, Instagram live and new engagement-boosting features launching every day, this is the perfect platform to reach new users and build more meaningful connections with your existing audience. 

Instagram Stories is the perfect place for off-the-cuff content that you don’t need to spend hours retouching or overthinking. A simple face to camera video or 9-5 ‘day in the life of’ feature will help humanise your brand and endear your audience to the people behind it.

Plus, unless you highlight your Stories content to your page, your posts will only be live on the platform for 24 hours. There’s never been a better time to kick your video shyness to the curb and introduce yourself to your new favourite storytelling platform.