Social media is a parade of never-ending fads that are constantly changing. According to Medium in 2019, “45 percent of the world’s population use social media, with an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes spent per day on social media.” What are users doing as they are endlessly scrolling through newsfeeds on various platforms? Most people are motivated by:
- Following up to date on news and events
- Staying in touch with family and friends
- Networking and making connections through work
- Finding relatable content such as memes and videos
Here are some social media trends you should be watching in 2020.
Use Video Storytelling
Visual content is king. More often we are noticing social networks extending their capacity to allow more videos to be posted on each of their platforms. Twitter, Facebook Live, Instagram (IGTV), TikTok and SnapChat are pushing brands to produce more video advertising content. Videos with closed caption option available on their videos are more accessible to people with impairments or those who speak in a different language. This also applies to nonprofits. The more videos you use that tell a story and are relatable to your audience, the more followers and engagement you will gain.
Be the influencer
As influencer marketing continues to skyrocket in business to consumer strategies, it’s important to acknowledge how nonprofits can utilize the influencer space. Many social media influencers partner with brands they trust, organizations they want to see succeed and use their audience to spread awareness of the great nonprofits they are passionate about. When adding influencers to your 2020 social media strategy, keep these three questions in mind:
- Does he/she support my cause or mission? Will their audience be interested?
- What major industries or niches are they a part of that can help influence my nonprofit or organization?
- How do we engage with the influencer to get them to notice our nonprofit or organization?
Once you do the research and identify prospects, reach out and engage with them on social accounts. Comment on and share their recent posts to reinforce a mutual connection you have with the influencer. Have them get to know who you are as an organization by sharing valuable information from your website through links, videos and contact information.
Grow audience by building community
Community building is essential when it comes to your organization or company’s page, especially on Facebook and LinkedIn. It’s important to keep in mind why a user liked your page. Is it the content, events, or mission-based messages? Engaging with your community is essential to showing up more on newsfeeds. Answer comments and questions, be present, and don’t over automate responses. Always strive to learn more about your community and what they’re most interested in, what moves them, what drives them, and what inspires them. Create content just for them and more will follow from there.
At the end of the day, it’s all about getting social. Everyone is seeking ways to feel connected to people and groups they are a part of and trust. Building relationships with fans and followers helps them feel they are important to be a part of a niche community.
