What Just Happened? Social Media in 2020 (Part 1 of 2)

What Just Happened? Social Media in 2020 (Part 1 of 2)

What a year it’s been. Many marketers threw out their 2021 plans and changed course by the end of the first quarter, and the rollercoaster has continued every since. Let’s take a look back at the data in 2020 and what it can tell us about trends in 2021. A survey of over 1,000 consumers conducted by Sprout Social takes a look inside social media habits and motivations during this most unusual of years.

If They Follow, They Will Buy

Consumers who follow companies on social media, unsurprisingly, are more likely to buy from those brands. 89 percent of consumers say they buy from brands they follow; 84 percent choose that brand over a competitor; and 75 percent of consumers say they’ll increase future spending with brands they follow on social.  

Move Over Facebook?

As members of Generation Z become a bigger part of the economy, marketing to them on social may change in the coming years. Gen Z respondents said they prefer to use YouTube (87%) and Instagram (85%) over any other social media platforms.

Facebook isn’t going away entirely, though. For older generations, Facebook is still king of the social media mountain. In fact, consumers plan to use Facebook 68 percent more in the coming year.

Big Events? Consumers are on Social

It’s a tremendous advantage to know when people are most likely to be on social media. While the platforms have different insights, Sprout Social found that people are more likely to be online during personal milestones, sporting events and natural disasters. Other notable events spurring social media activity include holidays, political events, pop culture moments and award shows.

Is Video Worth it?

For years, video has been lauded for its effectiveness. That may no longer be the case. Nearly 70 percent of consumers said they engage with content that includes images. That’s not to say video is dead. 50 percent of consumers said they also want to engage with video. Surprisingly, only 22 percent of consumers want to engage with live video.

Finally, we take a look at the trends that the 2020 content consumers want to see more of in the future. Stories took the top spot at 43 percent. User-generated content and AMA sessions came in at 30 and 24 percent, respectively. Most surprisingly, influencer marketing only came in at 19 percent.

If you’re not getting the most out of your social media channels, reach out to Matt Main – mmain@axiomcom.com – to see how you can optimize your social feeds.

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