Trending Social Media Content of 2020

2020 has been quite the year for social media. From political and social movements to the Covid-19 pandemic, people have had more reason to get involved and voice their opinions on social media. With an emerging influx of new engaging users, we have seen a variety of new and old trending social media content stick on social channels over the course of the year and here they are.

Video is Still King

When it comes to content, one type rules above all else: Video.  With such a large volume of content being pushed in front of users on all social channels, it is essential to grab their attention while you have the chance (even if it may only be for a few seconds). We have seen videos dominate 2020 in short form, with the rise of TikTok and Instagram stories, as well as the continual presence of long-form video on channels like YouTube.

“According to a Cisco study, by 2022, 82% of all online content will be video content. This clearly shows how important it is to start utilizing video content to stay relevant in the social media domain.”

Niche Platforms will Prosper

Industry giants like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have dominated as the most popular platforms for years. 2020 has marked the launch of the niche platform era and, over the course of the year, has showcased their rise to fame. TikTok, Twitch, and even LinkedIn have increasingly younger user bases that offer the perfect opportunity for marketers to engage with the much sought after and elusive demographic.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) has the unique ability to alter and enhance what we experience by changing the way real-life can look. Some social media channels as well as games have found opportunities to start establishing a presence in the AR realm and have been leveraging it to gain a competitive edge. TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat for example, now have filters that allow the user to project images, animations, audio, and games onto the user interface via AR. 2020 is just the beginning of AR on social, and we can expect this trend to develop rapidly in the years to come.

Social Commerce will Rise

Social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest have been collaborating with brands for years to advertise products and services. Instagram’s recent update now allows influencers to use the app to tag and sell directly on the grid. With platforms continuing to streamline the shopping experience for their increasingly large number of daily active users, we will likely see eCommerce continue to grow as we approach the end of the year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, social commerce has been booming, and it is likely this trend is only going to grow stronger. As more people continue to stay at home, we can expect to see traditional retail shoppers move more to social commerce especially as we get closer to the holidays.