It goes without saying that 2020 was both transformative and challenging for many reasons. The year pushed hearts, minds and emotions to places they’ve never been before. The tribulations of 2020 drove us to seek out community, accountability, adaptability and some semblance of light in all the darkness. Where did people turn? Social media. In 2020, social media provided a voice and connection during a time when things felt more disconnected than ever.
2020 changed our social media habits in some significant ways. We learned to:
- Pivot quickly and adjust plans during a pandemic. We learned to adapt and keep our ears to the ground at all times in 2020. How do you plan around a pandemic when there are so many unanswered questions? You’ve got to listen, adjust and observe what others are doing.
- Focus on community (it’s more than a buzzword). We saw communities come together in new ways. Social media provided the avenues we needed to connect, build and protect our communities, virtual and physical alike.
- Be more authentic and transparent. Authenticity and transparency held high value when confronted with systemic racial injustice, a politicized global pandemic and an economic crisis. Silence was not something we wanted, especially from the brands and companies we identified with and supported.
The lessons we learned in 2020 provided insights to shape a better year ahead. The following high-level tips are not one-size-fits-all but should ring true for most companies.
Focus on the Quality of Posts vs. the Quantity!
In some instances, quantity over quality works well, but when it comes to social media content, the bottom line is your audience doesn’t want to be content bombed. Invest your time generating meaningful content that connects with your audience in a genuine way. Treat your connections online similarly to those you maintain in real life: be relevant, relatable and specific. Your audience is already bombarded with content from competitors and will only engage with a select few.
- More posts don’t always equal more engagement. Test your posts, analyze and test again!
- Don’t exhaust your audience on content. Your audience wants to feel a true connection. It’s ok to take breaks and repromote certain things at a later time.
- Focus on what your audience cares about now to hit your goals (hashtags are an excellent way to look at trends).
- Check on the competition to see what they’re doing to engage customers. Look at competitors’ audience growth/decrease and hone in on the content that brought about those increases or decreases.
Don’t Sleep on TikTok
TikTok…if you haven’t heard of it, we’re not sure where you’ve been for the last year! TikTok gained an exponential amount of users over the past year. TikTok is a fun-size version of YouTube featuring imaginative, short videos. The platform promotes creative freedom and gives creators access to an extensive music library, effects and filters. TikTok has 850+ million active users and is available in 155 countries. The app is overwhelmingly popular among teens and young adults, with 62% of U.S. users between the ages of 10 and 29.1 Recent figures show a consistent rise in adults using TikTok over the past few years, likely due to increased exposure through programming like The Tonight Show and use by larger companies like Chipotle, Nike and Universal Pictures.
- The average TikTok user spends 52 minutes on the app per day, which means your audience is waiting to be entertained!
- You can use TikTok as a listening tool to pay attention to what’s happening (trends, timing, etc.).
- You need a content plan and you need to post pretty frequently, but TikToks are easily sharable if you aren’t able to create them on your own. You can also build off other people’s TikToks and create collaboration videos or reaction videos.
Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Stand
With everything that happened in 2020, we wanted transparency and trust from our peers and brands alike. A recent study shows 68% of U.S. consumers expect brands to be clear about their values, with Millennials and Generation Z having the highest expectations of all age groups.2 “Gone are the days when consumers only bought what you were selling. Now they’re buying what you believe in.” 3
How can brands take a stand on social media?
- Team up with relevant non-profits.
- Create social posts and ads about your stance.
- Respond when customers ask about certain issues.
- Collaborate with influential experts.
- Publish statements from the owner/CEO.
- The owner/CEO should be on social. 56% of consumers say it’s important a CEO takes a stand on relevant issues.4
- Partner with people and organizations to create cause-related content.
Share Your Data
After learning how important it is to pivot and adjust quickly, we think it’s crucial to keep your team up to date on any relevant trends and data within the company. Sharing data with your team encourages connection and collaboration and has the potential to bring about new angles, ideas and ways of staying relevant. Your team will be better equipped to help you pivot when they can see the bigger picture.
- Share data and trends with different areas of your team that might find it beneficial.
- Allow your team to build off of each other’s work rather than repeating things that already exist.
- Your team might have insight into areas you’re not as familiar with.
Customer Service Wins
Don’t forget about serving your customers. You want customers to connect with your business that goes beyond transactional and is a two-way street. They expect the same level of care and connection. Your customers identify with you; build on those identifiers to continue to build a loyal relationship. Embrace those customer service wins and share them with your team.
- Social media is the first place people will go to for questions.
- A great customer experience on social media will help build brand loyalty.
- It’s important to be responsive and personable in your replies.
With 2020 in the past, it’s time to look to the future with new insights and implementation of these learnings: customers crave a genuine connection, they want to be entertained and they want to hear what companies’ thoughts are on important issues.
These social media tips from 2020 will shed light on customer social behaviors and highlight opportunities for increased social engagement. Pivoting quickly and adjusting plans during a global pandemic isn’t easy, but it’s allowed for new skills that will shape future growth.