2020 was an incredible year for social media platforms. While the global pandemic caused consumers to increase their time spent at home, minimize group activities and limit interaction with others, it increased the role social media could play in their lives. Leveraging the increase in social usage, major social platforms launched new features to enhance the user experience and advertising options to hone digital advertising capabilities for brands.
Here are the top social media articles published by DMS Insights in 2020.
Brands Deploy Experiential Activations & UGC Campaigns In Response To COVID-19
Pre-pandemic, many marketers were already starting to embrace user generated content (UGC) as a core element of their social media advertising strategies. According to recent Nielsen research, 92% of consumers “trust earned media, like UGC, more than any other form of content.” As COVID-19 shaped consumer behaviors, more brands relied on UGC to engage consumers, build brand loyalty and position their brands as “authentic.”
In 2020, brands successfully created memorable experiences for consumers without in-person interaction by leveraging contests, sweepstakes and UGC activations deployed via social media channels. Brands like Wayfair, Buffalo Wild Wings and Doritos leveraged UGC to meet consumers where they were, deepen long-term customer relationships, respond to shifting consumer needs and establish community among key audience segments.
Check out these DMS Insights articles for more on brands using UGC to maximize their social media advertising in 2020:
- Brands Replace Live Experiential Activations With Virtual Social Engagement
- Effective UGC Campaigns Hint At A New Wave Of Digital Marketing
Facebook, LinkedIn & TikTok Focus On Improving User Experience For Consumers & Advertisers
As consumers accelerated their reliance and use of social media platforms, advertisers strategized the proper balance of paid and organic efforts to reach, engage and convert new audiences. Social giants including Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn debuted new advertiser tools, audience targeting functionalities and engagement metrics to help brands maximize their use of each platform.
Facebook implemented in-app activity and brand loyalty options for brands during a time when consumers were spending more time online for everything from socialization to shopping. The new features were introduced to help brands connect with highly targeted audiences and encourage key actions all while users remained within the Facebook platform.
With 315 million app installs in Q1 2020, TikTok usage surged during the COVID-19 pandemic as more and more consumers were drawn to use their mobile devices for entertainment, interaction and distraction. Leveraging their monumental growth, TikTok offered digital marketers an innovative approach to expanding their audience reach with the launch of “TikTok for Business” in June.
By Q2 2020, LinkedIn had 706 million registered users and traffic was continuing to climb month over month as unemployment hovered around record highs in the U.S. In early June, LinkedIn announced a suite of new tools and enhancements to the LinkedIn Audience Network to better support the campaign objectives of digital marketers and advertisers.
Check out these DMS Insights articles for more on the enhancements and new advertising options launched by top social media platforms in 2020:
- Facebook Connects Brand Loyalty And In-App Activity: Just The Facts
- TikTok For Business: Just The Facts
- LinkedIn Retargeting And Audience Network Updates: Just The Facts
Facebook & Instagram Expand In-App Shopability Features
Shopping while using social media has expanded rapidly in recent years. Since 2018, enhancements in social media technology from augmented reality (AR) to artificial intelligence (AI) have empowered major social media platforms to become shoppable. In 2018, Snapchat partnered with Amazon on its visual search feature to enable Snapchat users to take a photo of a product and quickly compare items and prices on Amazon. In November 2019, YouTube Introduced YouTube Shopping Ads. This year, Facebook announced the launch of Facebook Shops and Instagram Shops.
Social behaviors that arose as a result of the coronavirus created a perfect scenario for consumers to take advantage of new shoppable ads and ecommerce options on their favorite social media sites. In 2020, Instagram’s rollout of enhanced shoppable features and ecommerce options transformed content from inspirational to transactional.
Check out these DMS Insights articles for more on the shoppable and ecommerce features launched by Facebook and Instagram in 2020:
- Instagram Expands Social Commerce To IGTV & Reels: Just The Facts
- Facebook And Instagram Open Shops: Just The Facts
Triller Enters Social Sphere As New Kid On The Block
Just when it seemed TikTok and Instagram would forever dominate short-form video content, Triller entered the social landscape as a solid competitor. Although Triller was launched in 2015 as a music video app for content creators, it did not become a true social media platform until a year later, and did not gain traction until 2017. WhileTriller was a late bloomer, user rates spiked in 2020. In July, Triller announced it’s platform had exploded with significant growth, noting a 600% YOY increase in monthly active users.
Along with a growing audience, Triller also had a feature that “allows brands to buy influence, the way they would buy media,” which could make the app as attractive to brands as it is to users.
Check out the below DMS Insights top performing social media article of 2020 to learn more about Triller:
Reach & Connect With Consumers More Effectively In 2021
As a result of COVID-19, consumers have become more comfortable with the idea of shopping for products from their profiles on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat. While social media has been a powerful tool to drive brand awareness and organic engagement, it is quickly evolving into a channel for conversions too.
Digital Media Solutions® (DMS) digital performance advertising solutions leverage our first-party data asset, proprietary advertising technology and expansive digital media reach to de-risk ad spend while helping our advertiser clients connect with more consumers and expand their customer bases.
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