2020 Social Media Trends for Retailers

Keeping up with constant changes in social media can be challenging.  I get it! As retail business owners, social media is an important tool in our marketing toolbelt so it’s important to keep up with the trends.  I’m here to help you learn what we can expect to see in 2020 social media trends.

Ten 2020 social media trends for retailers:

#1: Social Commerce

Consumers are buying directly from social media platforms more than ever.  For instance, if you have an Instagram account, do you know customers can click on your image, see a product listing and make a purchase from your online shop?  If you want to learn the criteria for setting this up click here for Facebook’s article on “How to Set Up Instagram Shopping”.

#2: Instagram is removing “LIKES”

Instagram is making an effort to reduce anxiety and social comparisons so they are testing this out in certain markets.  It’s not set in stone and I’m not sure this will get fully implemented in 2020 but if you have a large following and love seeing that number of LIKES on each of your posts – this might change in 2020.  To be determined.

#3: Instagram Stories

Stories are more popular than ever and every retailer should be using Stories in 2020.  Consumers are looking at stories more than regular posts AND they tend to make a purchase more often as the result of seeing an Instagram Story.  This is also the BEST place for advertising – you’ll get the most bang for your buck here.

#4: TikTok

The latest social media platform, hit 500 million monthly users in 2019.  If your target market is between 16 and 24 years old this is where you want to be!  TikTok is a video sharing network, so if video is your strength, consider opening an account and this leads me to the next trend.

#5: Video, video, video

Videos continue to dominate all social media platforms.  To put it simply, you’ll get MORE eyes on your posts and social media accounts if you use video.

#6: Influencer Marketing

You might hear this term and think influencer marketing wouldn’t work for your retail business because you associate this with the Kardashians or famous stars.  But I’m talking bout “niche influencers”. Smaller influencers, such as those who are likely to be part of your communities, tend to have better relationships with their followers, which means they benefit from a higher level of trust and this means more purchases.

#7: More regulatory control

Facebook and Instagram are being more protective of the user experience. Most small business ads are denied because of the verbiage they use in their advertisements.  One way to avoid this is to review Facebook’s ads policy a few times throughout the year. Click here to read Facebook’s Advertising Policies.

#8: Location-based targeting

Also known as geo-targeting is marketing to a set of specific users based on location.  This is particularly effective for brick and mortar businesses since we want to market to potential customers in our area.  You can do this when you create a Facebook Ad but if you aren’t advertising on social media quite yet, you can also do this on Instagram Posts.  When you create a post, simply select “Add Location” and you can choose a city, a state or your exact address.

#9: Pinterest is becoming more e-commerce friendly

If you have an e-commerce store to compliment your brick & mortar and you’ve never thought of using Pinterest, think again.  Pinterest is often considered a social media tool but it’s actually a massive search engine – a visual search engine. So if you have great product images, Pinterest could be an ideal tool for marketing your business.

#10: Social media as customer service

More and more consumers are finding they can get answers to their questions or issues resolved much faster simply by reaching out to you via messenger on Facebook or through DM’s (Direct Messages) on Instagram.  Customer service now extends beyond your physical store. Don’t ignore those messages in your inboxes – this is a great way to serve your customers well by answering questions, giving them links to purchase products, resolving issues, and more.

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Staying ahead of the curve means staying on top of trends. But in order to lessen the overwhelm, I should add that not all 10 trends may apply to your business.  Choose 3-4 that might help market your business in 2020 and do the best you can with them throughout the year. 

Which trends will help market your business?  Do you know of another trend for 2020? I’d like to know!  Comment below or DM me on Instagram at @savvyshopkeeper.

Kathy

Since founding The Salvaged Boutique with her sister in 2013, Kathy watched her passion grow from a fun blog and hobby with her sister on the side of her full-time job, to a thriving brick and mortar home decor store. After running the store for years, she saw the need for an online community where small business owners could find resources. So she took it upon herself to create Savvy Shopkeeper, a blog and online business dedicated to educating, motivating and building a community of shop owners. From a full-time job to full-time entrepreneur, Kathy helps hundreds of store owners and makers navigate store ownership while running a store herself.

https://savvyshopkeeper.com/