It’s no secret that social media platforms are constantly evolving. It’s 2020. What do you expect? For brands looking to make the biggest impact online, it’s important to keep a constant pulse on platform updates, shifting algorithms and emerging trends to truly resonate with audiences and make a memorable splash. Read up on the latest and greatest in all-things social to get ahead of the competition this year.

Facebook’s 2020 Algorithm

In 2020, Facebook is focusing on making its platform more transparent for users, giving them greater direct control over what they see. This shift in algorithm may decrease reach for many companies as users opt to see less branded content. In response, Hootsuite, a social media management tool, recently published 9 tips to help businesses perform against these new challenges. Brands looking to get a jump on beating the algorithm can start with these techniques:

• Start conversations that get people talking: Boost performance on Facebook by encouraging participation, posting giveaways and sharing polls. Posts with higher engagement perform better within the algorithm, leading to greater reach and brand recognition overall.
• Post when your audience is online: Branded content often performs best around noon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Aim to update your company page between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to fit within that highly active time slot. Or, try Facebook’s in-app scheduling tool to discover suggested posting times based on your community’s activity. Utilizing Facebook’s intel can help brands effectively reach their target audiences online.
• Support organic wins with paid ads: While organic content deepens a brand’s relationships with its followers, providing additional support through Facebook ads or boosted posts increases overall reach. Strategically identify content to bolster with paid support to communicate messaging to a higher number of followers.  

What’s #Trending on Social?

To address new shifts in the social space, Forbes published an excellent roundup of 12 social media trends that brands should leverage in 2020. Get started by considering these three major trends to improve performance right off the bat.

• Visual content: Eye-catching graphics effectively sell key brand messages. Implementing new, ongoing streams that incorporate visual elements will serve as thumb-stopping content that grabs your community’s attention.

• Video content: Overall, “real” and less “market-y” videos are more likely to perform well across all platforms. Think about the information that resonates best with your target audience, then consider creative ways to turn that information into relatable video content that sticks.
• Facebook Stories: More and more, marketers are connecting their Facebook Stories to external links that drive users to new landing pages where they can learn about a brand, shop for products and more. Take the opportunity to introduce promotions into your Stories strategy to increase profits by encouraging consumers to discover content or shop in-app.  

Now it’s your turn to make the moves and shift your strategies to drive growth, engagement and brand recognition across social platforms.