8 Predictions for Social Media Marketing
Advertising on Facebook and other social media platforms is going to get more expensive in 2020 and beyond.
And if you want your social media advertising to stand out, be sure it tells a compelling, authentic story about your law practice.
Those are two predictions from the website Social Media Examiner, which asked marketing experts to gaze into their crystal balls and forecast the online outlook for 2020.
Lawyers Mutual is the only legal professional liability insurance company that has been protecting North Carolina lawyers continuously since 1977. Our motto, “Here Today, Here Tomorrow,” is more than a tagline. It’s our commitment to the lawyers in this state.
8 Predictions for 2020, Courtesy of Social Media Examiner
Prediction #1: Facebook advertising will get much more expensive. “It will cost you more to reach your target audiences. The implication of this change is that companies with a low average order value or that don’t change how they evaluate their Facebook advertising returns will be priced out of the platform.” (Charlie Lawrance, Gecko Squared)
Prediction #2: Organic video content will yield strong returns. “Smart marketers are making investments in high-value video content that’s super-useful to future customers. We’ll see increased use of IGTV and YouTube content in social marketing. And yes, that YouTube content will be promoted using Facebook! As time spent with content becomes a very valuable metric for marketers, video represents the ultimate scroll-stopping experience that can and will increase ‘know, like, and trust.’” (Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner)
Prediction #3: It’s all about the story. “The Facebook and Instagram Stories format will continue to grow in popularity throughout 2020. So much so that regular feed content will noticeably slow down. And it’s quite feasible that both Facebook and Instagram may start rolling out more robust tests of its blended feed and Stories format. Consider how incredibly easy it is for users to consume content in the Stories format. Tap, swipe, tap, swipe. The user is in complete control. They can view as much or as little of any individual account’s stories as they wish.” (Mari Smith, the so-called Queen of Facebook)
Prediction #4: Personal relationships will become more even more important. “Brands that haven’t focused on relationship marketing techniques will either spend more on their pay-to-play model or dive into building and hosting community conversations that create brand advocates and support a belonging vs. buying mindset. To build deeper connections with their audience, brands will put more heart and personality into their brand story by aligning with feel-good causes and taking a strong stance on what they believe. In 2020, a company’s story must be felt by its audience.” (Jessika Phillips, NOW Marketing Group)
Prediction #5: Pick your platforms carefully. “Platform-specific strategies will be key to the success of your marketing campaigns. Your YouTube audience isn’t the same as your Twitter audience, and neither are the same as your Instagram audience. Don’t try to spread the same marketing messaging everywhere. Stop being a dabbler and cease using the platforms you barely use. Take the time to master the algorithm on one platform at a time, and make sure you can put a considerable amount of energy into every platform you manage.” (Amanda Bond, The Ad Strategist)
Prediction #6: Niched marketing is key to success. “Pick one thing you want to be known for and stick to it! Don’t do what every other brand is doing. Do what’s right for your brand to reach your goals.” (Peg Fitzpatrick, co-author of The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users)
Prediction #7: LinkedIn will continue to grow. “We’ve seen a resurgence of LinkedIn throughout 2019, and that will only continue to build momentum in 2020. The ad platform on LinkedIn has a long-held reputation of being prohibitively expensive for most small businesses and difficult to achieve a positive result on, but I think that will also change in 2020. We’re already starting to see ads on LinkedIn become more effective as they improve the platform for advertisers. I believe that will continue in 2020.” (Andrew Hubbard, Hubbard Digital)
Prediction #8: Authentic content will carry the day. “Consumers are desperate for authenticity. As consumers’ hunger for real answers grows, they’re looking for signs of congruency, for proof that their favorite people are actually walking the walk on and off the platforms on which they engage. 2020 is the year of humanized marketing, and the business that provides all-access, behind-the-scenes, contextual marketing wins.” (Rachel Pederson, The Viral Touch)
Lawyers Mutual is the only legal professional liability insurance company that has been protecting North Carolina lawyers continuously since 1977. Our motto, “Here Today, Here Tomorrow,” is more than a tagline. It’s our commitment to the lawyers in this state.
