Oh, what a experience 2020 has been! From a worldwide pandemic to…you realize what? Scratch that. I’m so not happening that highway ever once more. EVER!
Social media in 2020
Marketers and enterprise homeowners had been all battling the affect on their enterprise of the 2020’s occasion starting from the Australian bushfires, to the BLM motion, to local weather change, to political elections, to COVID-19 and past.
To put up or to not put up? That was one of many greatest questions which have run by each social media supervisor’s thoughts throughout these disruptive world occasions.
As talked about in our 2021 Digital Marketing Trends eBook, social media advertising required a substantial amount of tact and sensitivity to take care of the happenings of 2020. The means to ‘read the room’ was the overarching crucial that helped social media managers to get by these unprecedented instances and navigate social media.
Throughout 2020. we noticed quite a few revolutionary modifications from social media platforms and companies alike. From world politics taking heart stage to every thing being cake on social, this text covers an unlimited line of social media moments and a month by month look into probably the most engaged social media model posts of 2020.
Read on for a recap of what occurred on social media in 2020.
Ephemeral content
Digital-first experiences reached new bounds in 2020. Raw, unfiltered, fleeting content overtook picture-perfect newsfeed posts as the popular format to interact with. Iterations of Story-like options like LinkedIn Stories, Twitter Fleets, and Pinterest Story Pins made their debut in ephemeral content.
Social e-commerce
Social e-commerce flourished in the arms of at-home buying and a surge in social media utilization throughout lockdowns. Major social media platforms facilitated social commerce with extra seamless, in-app shopping for experiences like Facebook and Instagram Shop, Snapchat’s shoppable advertisements and AR options for digital try-on, and TikTook’s in-app purchases, to call a number of.
The TikTook wave
2020 wasn’t a great year for TikTok either. From dealing with a ban in India and Pakistan to a doable ban in the United States, TikTook’s future in the social realm was only one massive query mark.
Quick to seize the chance and snag a chunk of TikTook’s mammoth measurement success in short-form video, nearly each platform got here up with their very own take on TikTook. Instagram Reels, Snapchat’s Spotlight, and YouTube Shorts are the three TikTook clones that emerged in latest instances.
Despite TikTook’s compromising state of affairs, the platform emerged as one of the downloaded apps of 2020. App Store and Google Play prospects around the globe downloaded TikTook nearly 115 million times in March 2020 – probably the most the app has ever achieved to this point in one month.
Social throughout civil unrest
Of the various occasions that 2020 gave us, one monumental occasion stood out from the remainder. The Black Lives Matter motion. A worldwide rally towards racial inequality and police brutality and social media was on the forefront in spreading the message about BLM.
On social media, we witnessed an enormous variety of manufacturers coming in assist of the Black group and demanding justice for the homicide of George Floyd. From partnering with organizations devoted to making sure racial equality and social justice to donating to causes that additional social justice, 2020 was the 12 months world politics and model activism took heart stage on social.
While manufacturers did their half to assist the development of racial justice and equality, social media platforms did theirs by taking a tougher have a look at how their merchandise impacted Black communities. Almost each social media community shared sources on supporting at‑threat Black-owned companies, matters that cowl the historical past of racial injustice, the right way to be an genuine ally, the right way to diversify your content and rent Black creators, and far more.
Everything was cake
In the summer season of 2020, every thing was cake. When a video posted by a Turkish baker that includes on a regular basis objects as muffins went viral, individuals of planet Earth began questioning themselves in the event that they had been even human or in truth cake.
These Are All Cakes pic.twitter.com/ejArkJHaid
— Tasty (@tasty) July 8, 2020
And in true web vogue, everyone, together with manufacturers, took to Twitter to create memes about every thing being a cake.
this apple is cake
(📺: Crazy Delicious) pic.twitter.com/b0xnsosPQk — Netflix (@netflix) July 13, 2020
Please don’t stab your PS4 to test if it’s a cake https://t.co/bk88GXgWgV
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) July 10, 2020
Now, onto the month-by-month look into probably the most partaking model social media moments in 2020.
January
Little did we all know (again in January) what 2020 had in retailer for us. Social media in January was all about welcoming the brand new 12 months, operating prolonged new 12 months’s supply, sharing product-related updates, throwing shade at opponents on Twitter (I’m you Wendy’s), and asserting the arrival of latest merchandise.
Posts and tweets of manufacturers paying homage to late American basketball participant, Kobe Bryant had been additionally among the most engaged-with posts in January.
1. Wendy’s
Is it a rubbish truck? https://t.co/Fmpwe1nWTL
— Wendy’s (@Wendys) January 23, 2020
2. PlayStation
3. Nike
February
Don’t fear, the 20-second handwashing public providers bulletins hadn’t rolled out simply but and types had been nonetheless going on with their common social media exercise.
Bush’s Beans chili business that includes ‘Kevin Malon’ from The Office, Sony’s take on a really perfect relationship standing for Valentine’s Day, and Google’s heartwarming Superbowl business had been among the prime contenders on social that month.
4. Bush’s Beans
5. Google
A love story concerning the moments that matter most, advised with a bit assist from Google. #SuperBowlLIV pic.twitter.com/JXbcKpGSH5
— Google (@Google) February 3, 2020
6. Sony
Relationship standing: ⚪️ single ⚪️ taken ⚪️ it’s difficult 🔘 ARMY#BTS @bts_bighit @BTS_twt #ValentinesDay
— Sony (@Sony) February 14, 2020
March
March, aka the month of early COVID-19-related PSAs and canceled occasions. This is just about when issues began to take a drastic flip for the more severe on social. Brands needed to hit pause on their common postings and evaluate their pre-COVID content plan to remain related and never go viral for the incorrect causes.
So, listed below are the highest contenders for March that managed to ring a bell with their audiences by staying related and knowledgeable concerning the pandemic.
7. Shedd Aquarium
The journey continues! 🐧🐧 This morning, Edward and Annie explored Shedd’s rotunda. They are a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, which implies they’re collectively for nesting season. Springtime is nesting season for penguins at Shedd, and this 12 months is not any completely different! (1/3) 👇 pic.twitter.com/VdxN3oQAfe
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020
8. Abbott
BREAKING: We’re launching a check that may detect COVID-19 in as little as 5 minutes—bringing fast testing to the frontlines. https://t.co/LqnRpPpqMM pic.twitter.com/W8jyN2az8G
— Abbott (@AbbottInformation) March 27, 2020
9. H-E-B
10. West Virginia University
11. Trader Joe’s
April & May
April and May had been all about lifting one another on social. By then everybody, together with manufacturers, knew that we had been in for an extended haul. Staying indoors, thanking entrance like employees, and doing their half to preventing this world pandemic was the overarching theme and focus of manufacturers on social throughout this era.
12. Walt Disney World
13. Louis Vuitton
14. USPS
We don’t know who wants to listen to this, however writing letters can enhance your day. ✨
— U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) April 23, 2020
15. Steak-umm
pleasant reminder in instances of uncertainty and misinformation: anecdotes will not be knowledge. (good) knowledge is rigorously measured and picked up data primarily based on a variety of subject-dependent elements, together with, however not restricted to, managed variables, meta-analysis, and randomization
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 7, 2020
16. Dove
As a thanks, Dove is donating to @DirectRelief to take care of front-line healthcare employees in the US. See what else we’re doing and be a part of us at https://t.co/FaQiWMYFbQ #CourageIsBeautiful #CareFromDove pic.twitter.com/RrCFv5j9Ba
— Dove (@Dove) April 8, 2020
17. Uber
If you may, keep house. We can cease this. #MoveWhatMatters
— Uber (@Uber) March 31, 2020
18. Nike
Let’s all be a part of the change.#UntilWeAllWin pic.twitter.com/guhAG48Wbp
— Nike (@Nike) May 29, 2020
19. Dublin Airport
Apparently, the pilot is testing his eyesight simply to verify he’ll be okay for a transatlantic flight in a day or two. Sorry, that’s clearly not the case. It’s accumulating data for a mapping software program firm. https://t.co/pPJ3sz9G6l
— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) May 27, 2020
20. Sephora
June
The homicide of George Floyd by cops led to tens of millions of Americans taking to the streets with what would later turn into often called the Black Lives Matter Movement. During June, the Black Lives Matter Movement was in full swing on social. A whole lot of manufacturers got here in assist of defending the Black group and ending systematic racism on social.
21. Ben & Jerry’s
22. Nike
23. PlayStation
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 1, 2020
24. Lego
— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) June 3, 2020
25. Starbucks
July
We all know what occurred after President Donald Trump’s controversial assertion on the #BlackLivesMatter motion blew up on social media. While Twitter selected to place a warning on the President’s tweet, Facebook selected to not reply.
Facebook’s inaction in this case made a gaggle of civil rights teams and types hit pause on all paid promoting on Facebook. A marketing campaign in the identify of #StopHateForProfit was launched to name on main advertisers to pause their Facebook advert spend in July.
26. ADL
As Facebook continues its failure to meaningfully tackle the unfold of hate on its platforms we be a part of @NAACP, @slpng_giants, @freepress, @CommonSense and @ColorOfChange in calling for a one-month advert pause for July. Facebook should #StopHateforProfit: https://t.co/DjiGaZFgCk pic.twitter.com/orrKFcGw5R
— ADL (@ADL) June 17, 2020
27. Ben & Jerry’s
We will pause all paid promoting on Facebook and Instagram in the US in assist of the #StopHateForProfit marketing campaign. Facebook, Inc. should take the clear and unequivocal actions to cease its platform from getting used to unfold and amplify racism and hate. >>>https://t.co/7OpxtcbDGg pic.twitter.com/I989Uk9V3h
— Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) June 23, 2020
28. Levi’s
Facebook should take actions to cease misinformation and hate speech on its platforms. It is an unacceptable affront to our values. We and @Dockers are becoming a member of the #StopHateForProfit marketing campaign and pausing all advertisements on @Facebook and @Instagram. https://t.co/yLZ066Zthu
— Levi’s® (@LEVIS) June 27, 2020
August & September
Tis’ the season of early election talks, the arrival of pumpkin spice latte, and Halloween giveaways.
29. ColorPop
30. USPS
We weren’t going to put up a joke about mail, however typically you simply gotta ship it.
— U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) August 10, 2020
31. Starbucks
October
October rolled in and so did the divisive US Presidential Election speak.
It’s no secret that social media has turn into a strong political software in presidential campaigns and elections in the previous many years. Some of us (myself included) get our every day dose of political information from social media and different digital sources quite than tuning in to the native information channels.
While candidates had been doing their half to amplify their message and unfold election data, manufacturers had been doing theirs’ by sharing necessary election updates and urging residents to register to vote.
32. Levi’s
33. ThirdLove
34. Beauty Bakers
November & December
Ah, that is just about the place we’re at proper now! During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, manufacturers turned their social feeds right into a digital storefront to ship not simply superb offers but additionally an exquisite buying expertise for individuals.
35. Cult magnificence
36. Color Pop
And with holidays simply across the nook, manufacturers poured in their holiday-themed content exhibiting off their merchandise and their utilization, particularly in the course of the holidays.
37. Starbucks
38. Bath & Body Works
We even noticed Burger King pull a serious one to indicate how each fast-food chain, together with McDonald’s, using 1000’s of workers may use all of the assist in the meanwhile.
39. Burger King
We know, we by no means thought we’d be saying this both. pic.twitter.com/cVRMSLSDq6
— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) November 2, 2020
Soon after the recognizing of the mysterious metallic monolith that popped out of nowhere, manufacturers like McDonald’s had been fast to leap on the meme wagon.
40. McDonald’s
welcome to McDonald’s what am i able to get you? pic.twitter.com/iIgd8J5QIW
— McDonald’s (@McDonalds) December 1, 2020
And lastly, whereas we’ve nonetheless acquired a very good chunk of December left, I’d like to go away you all with Target’s put up on Spotify wrapped 2020, that struck a chord with BTS followers.
41. Target
My 2020 Wrapped got here in and it’s official, I’m a @BTS_twt stan by and thru.
— Target (@Target) December 2, 2020
Final ideas
Well, that was social media 2020 in a nutshell!
Hope our model of ‘social media wrapped’ gave you a quick walk-through of the largest moments from a 12 months we’ll always remember even when we tried.
Here’s to 2021 being quite a bit much less about viruses and masks however extra about equality and lifting one another on social and IRL.
Happy holidays everyone!