9 Things We Learnt About Social Media In 2020

2,500 social media posts in 2020.

That’s how many the Social Fireworks team have written the past 12 months.

Each one unique. Each one personal. Each one creatively written.

We’ve learnt a thing or two about social media this year (not that we didn’t already!) We’ve each taken the time to write 3 key learnings for you to read.

Enjoy...

Josie

Stories are Brilliant

On my personal social media, I like to watch friends’ and influencer’s Instagram and Facebook stories. I enjoy hearing them speak, seeing behind the scenes, and getting a glimpse of what the person is up to. For businesses, they’re a great way to improve brand visibility, reach a wider audience, and get instant feedback for new products or services.

Memes Aren’t Going Anywhere

After this corker of a year, social media platforms have been flooded with memes. The ‘How It Started vs How It’s Going’ trend, the Zoom jokes, and the relatable 2020 gags. Endlessly entertaining, I can’t see them going anywhere fast.

Giveaways Work

This year I’ve discovered that a giveaway really works wonders with boosting engagement and getting people excited. If the prize is right, you’ll see your social media following grow, and you’ll generate leads. It’s also a wonderful way to show your followers some appreciation, and keep them glued to your accounts for future competitions!

Nat

Social Media Can Bring us Together Even When We're Physically Apart

This year social media helped me stay connected with friends near and far. We used DMs to check in with each other, sent trending memes to make the other laugh, and for a (brief) while took part in elaborate Tik Tok dance battles to fill the empty hours during lockdown 1. If you've ever doubted how genuine online communication is, let me assure you that human connections can and do transcend any physical barrier you place in front of it.

Instagram Reels Are Addictive

This year Instagram introduced its Reels feature which was implemented to rival Tik Tok. The premise is simple; an algorithm that quickly learns what content you like and supplies an endless ream of entertaining videos. The videos are short, sweet, creative and will leave you wanting more. Let this be a warning to you - beware of the rabbit hole!

Social Media in Moderation

It might seem like a strange thing for someone who works in social media to say, but I believe that social media in moderation is key for personal use. Social media has been designed to make sure you stay on the platform for as long as possible. Therefore, consuming content and losing track of time is easy. In the words of Dumbledore, "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Kizzie

One Social Media Channel Isn’t Forever

How disheartening to spend months creating content for Instagram, spend hours speaking with people via Instagram, getting excited seeing your following grow for it to all suddenly stop. For Likes, Comments and Shares to become non-existent. You’ll get frustrated, want to pull out your hair and question what you are doing wrong, repeatedly. This happens with social media; with algorithm changes and people’s attention spans constantly looking for entertainment. You’ll find Instagram will be popular for 3 months, then it will be YouTube for a month, and TikTok for 6 months. Accept that people wants, needs and algorithms change. Be flexible

Are You Stuck in a Bubble?

There are over 66 million people in the UK. If we assume the majority of those have just one social media account and you have 500 followers, that’s 0.0007% following you. If you’re becoming focused on your followers, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. There are many opportunities on social media to attract followers, change your content messages and type.

Emotions Are Like a Wave and so Are People’s Attention Spans

Marketing - and social media marketing - is based on psychology. The reader’s psychological state will determine how your written content is received. Maybe they will absorb it, enjoy it, like it, share it, maybe they won’t. Keep on pursuing and continuing with how much content you put out on social media. 2020 has seen many individuals with their mental health challenged, moods wavering and state-of-minds challenged. You are not doing anything wrong, it is human behaviour and natural.

In 2020, our team wrote over 2,500 social media statuses for Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for our clients in industries from IT, retail, finance, insurance and food. Admittedly, this blog is written having been there and done that.

If we can help you in 2021, but you’re not sure where to start, book a complimentary consultation call with us, it’ll just take 15 mins of your time over the phone. Book now: https://www.socialfireworks.co.uk/book-a-call