2020 is undoubtedly going to be a fun and exciting year because social media is going to reach a point where it has to adapt and keep up with the demands of consumers instead of playing the offered card like previous years. This means that as a business owner, you will need to stay ahead of the game and modify your social media strategy when the new trends begin to kick-in. During this article, we take a look at some of the most expected social media predictions for next year and how you can integrate them into your own social media strategy. With that being said, if you get to the end of this article and are left unsure how you are going to adapt to the changes, then we recommend getting in touch with a social media marketing agency who will be able to advise you further.
The Rise Of Chatbots
If you run your own business, then one of the most useful tools you should be using is chatbots. They work to simulate a realistic conversation with consumers that visit a social media page or website with the aim of assisting them in a more convenient and accurate manner. If their development continues on the same trajectory, then we are going to see the deployment of advanced chatbots in 2020.
Micro-Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has been around for a few years now but is still considered one of the newest digital marketing avenues. And, as it continues to rise, brands are going to need to learn how to leverage it for commercial gain. But, as we go into 2020, we are going to be a big rise in micro-influencers being used. The reason for this being that almost 80% of marketers say that transparency, authenticity and trust is the key to successful influencer marketing. So, with this in mind, it's not surprising that businesses are increasingly using small influencers to maximise their return on investment.
Localised Content
Imagine you are a large retail business with 100's of shops across the country. Do you think that national social media strategies are enough to retain customers everywhere? Localising content on social media gives customers the opportunity to communicate with business on a personal and local level, which help to retain them. In fact, Instagram is getting ahead of the game by implementing location pages so that consumers can search and explore products more conveniently.
AR And 
By as early as next year, more and more AR and VR applications will be changing the social media game. In fact, when it comes to social media, it’s already clear that AR works in tandem with it. For example, Snapchat users can bring their photos to life with AR filters and lenses, and they even create their own. No one is going to rejoice AR more than businesses because it gives them an engaging way of promoting themselves in a unique and exciting way.
User-Generated Content In Search
More user-generated content from social media platforms will start appearing in Google search results. This will give businesses and users incentives to participate and invest more in social media because of the greater visibility it will bring. More people having access to the web and more visibility for social media networks will fuel the expansion of yet to be created platforms.
Social Commerce Will Continue to Grow
Social commerce will continue to grow as we head for 2020. While it has taken a little while to take off in the US and Europe, emerging markets will lead the way on social commerce. In fact, Instagram already allows businesses to build storefronts with visual content.
Mobile Will Help Emerging Marketing Innovate
Facebook have made a bold prediction that more people will have mobile devices than running drinking water by 2020. Whether this will be true or not, we don't know. But, one prediction that is highly like is that over 3 billion people will have access to mobile devices by next year. Messaging apps will become even bigger than what they already are, which gives businesses new ways to communicate with their customers and prospects.
