12 SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FOR 2020

I love attending trade events and learning from experts everything from interior/homeware trends to what’s happening in the world of social media. The ‘Social Media Trends 2020’  talk at Top Drawer London last month was something I didn’t want to miss. It was a pretty informal chat about social media (well mainly Instagram), but I found it very useful. I use social media daily, many of us do. Some people have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it which I totally understand. It’s a real time thief and often doesn’t show you the big picture. It’s a big part of the blogging world however. I use social media to advertise my blog posts and to gain more readers. I wish hitting the publish button would be enough these days, but it hasn’t been that way for a long time (if ever) in the world of online media. I use Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to gain more exposure, although in this post I will mainly focus on Instagram (since it was the main topic of the social media talk).

Like I said, Instagram still seems to be the main social network, especially in the world of interiors and lifestyle content. It’s a visual platform and from an interiors point of view, it does provide a lot more inspiration compared to Facebook for example. Instagram has become incredibly saturated though and the algorithm (I’ll explain this later) isn’t helping. It has become very commercial recently and people are finding it harder to distinguish between genuine and sponsored content. Of course there are also the concerns over privacy and mental health issues that should not be ignored. However, in this post I will only look at Instagram and Social Media overall as tools to promote your brand and drive sales.

So, if you’re running a blog, social media account or a business (which is often linked to a blog) here’s what you should be doing in 2020..

1. S E T  C L E A R  G O A L S  &  O B J E C T I V E S

This one is probably quite obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning. If you are using social media for business (big or small) you should have clear goals and objectives. Are you selling a product or service? Do you want to gain new customers? How will those new followers translate into new customers? Instagram isn’t all about pretty pictures anymore. It’s a serious business now and you should be using it to market your business, if you want to get something out of it. Set clear goals and objectives, and really determine what your Instagram strategy is.

2. F I N D  Y O U R  V O I C E

With 1 billion monthly active users Instagram has become very saturated in deed. I’ve noticed this myself and it’s much harder to find new inspiring accounts and I often miss updates from my favourite ones. That’s why it’s more important than ever to find your voice and stand out from the crowd. Be yourself and don’t be afraid to share that on the grid too. Make it personal, but still professional. I find this tricky as it’s hard to know where to draw the line sometimes. I don’t like to overshare, but I also understand that people follow people on Instagram, not just accounts. Make sure that you’re consistent with the message you’re sending out too. Easier said than done, right?

3. B U I L D  Y O U R  E M P A T H Y

I guess this relates to the previous point. Don’t be afraid to show also the ‘less perfect’ moments, or in my case ‘decorating fails’. Life is not perfect, but in Instagram it can seem that way. Instagram isn’t real life though. However, it can be more real if you share your ups and downs there too. Sharing those less perfect moments can make you feel a lot more relatable and likeable. I’m not talking about airing your ‘dirty laundry’ online (unless that’s the thing you’re going for..), but just generally being more open and discussing topics close to your heart.

4. P R O D U C E  C O M P E L L I N G  C O N T E N T

Apparently when it comes to the grid, you should only post the images that are meaningful and relevant to your account. I don’t know if I really agree with this one. I mean it makes sense, but I really enjoy seeing other people’s travel photos too. I tend to post whatever I like, although I stick to interiors 90% of the time. I like fashion too and if I feel like I want to post a picture of my new shoes, or work with a fashion brand I will. Mainly because it’s my account and I don’t like to be told what I should and shouldn’t do with it. It is probably best to keep it safe though and stick to your niche. You can always use insta stories for the more ‘random stuff’. Stories don’t have to be as beautifully curated as the grid. Having said that, I’ve noticed a lot of people are putting more effort into their insta stories and they are becoming quite well curated too.

5. V I D E O  C O N T E N T  I S  K I N G

Whether it’s insta stories or IG TV, video content will dominate social media in the future (and if you’re a blogger/influencer you probably know this already). Video content is one of the most engaging forms of social media and has a huge response rate. A lot of people just watch stories now and don’t even bother with the Instagram grid. I do both, but often miss posts from friends or accounts with a smaller following thanks to the algorithm (algorithm is the format that determines what posts you see and when, rather than chronologically). I know I need to put more effort into video on Instagram (I’m not brave enough to start YouTubing just yet, but I know I should!) I love video content and watch a lot of stories and IGTV. It feels more realistic and you get to see and hear the person behind the camera. On the other hand, I find creating video content pretty time consuming and I’m super critical of myself (why does my voice sound so different on video?), but I know I should be doing more of it. Apparently it’s also very important to show your face on the grid and on the stories. Can’t say I’m a fan of talking to the camera, but I will try to do it more. Thank God for filters, eh?

6. E N G A G E  W I T H  Y O U R  A U D I E N C E

The most effective way to gain new followers is still to comment and like other people’s photos. Not surprised? Me neither. It’s definitely  harder to find inspiring accounts these days (there are just so many of them), but you can use hashtags for this. Follow your favourite hashtags and you will discover new accounts more frequently. Also, don’t be afraid to message people directly. Interacting with larger accounts (100 K or more) can have a positive effect on your algorithm apparently. If you message someone with a huge following and they reply to you it will boost your value in the eyes of the Instagram algorithm. So, if you ever needed an excuse to send a message to your favourite movie star or comedian, now is the time! Of course whether they’ll actually get back to you is a different story, but does it even matter? Try to be social, it’s called ‘social media’ for a reason.

7. P O S T I N G  F R E Q U E N C Y

So, what is the ideal posting frequency these days? I’ve definitely noticed dip in posting frequency recently. Some of my favourite accounts no longer post daily. It’s more like few times a week, but apparently posting daily is still recommended if you want to grow your audience. If you’re not sharing content frequently, how are people going to find you? I tend to post few times a week now. I always share my blog posts on all social media; Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and leave a link to the bio page so people can find it easily. It’s a great way to drive traffic to my website (although Pinterest performs much better for me in terms of organic traffic, but that’s a whole different blogpost). I do post pictures when I feel like I just want to share something; a new product, fun styling or just what I’ve been up to. Sometimes there is pressure to post especially if I’m working with a brand, but it’s all part of the business. You should find a posting frequency that works for you and stick to it. Make sure that you optimise exposure too! If you have a business account (which is free) you can see what time your followers are most active. Try to post during the active times and keep an eye out for any specific trends. And if you’re not posting daily (like me) you should still share stories daily so people don’t forget about you.

8. P L A N  &  S C H E D U L E

Managing a professional instagram account can be quite time-consuming. You should always plan your content in advance to make the workload more manageable and to ensure that you stick with your posting frequency. There are some great apps out there that will help you do this, like Planoly.  This is something that I really need to work on. Although I do plan my content in advance,  I don’t use any scheduling apps at the  moment. I really should though as they can be linked to your account and you can even plan stories and manage comments on the app.

9. R E V I E W  A N A L Y T I C S  –  H I S T O R Y  &  D A T A

If you have a business account on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, you can use the analytics and see which posts perform well. This will help you to create more similar content and make sure that those likes and followers keep coming back. Keep an eye out for any patterns or things that aren’t quite working out. I really don’t know why I don’t use analytics for Instagram that often. I check the insights every now and then, but  I could also use external apps to keep track of things.

10. S E T   B O U N D A R I E S

I don’t know about you, but I find all these different things that you should be doing pretty overwhelming. Social media can be very competitive and not many people have the luxury to do it as a full time job. At the end of the day it’s just an app (or that’s the way I see it). It’s not really something you have much control over and you shouldn’t let it affect your life too much. If social media is your job then it’s a different story but you can only do your best. Make sure you take breaks and consider limiting your screen time if it has a negative effect on you. If you’re a content creator you may find that hanging online all day isn’t actually that productive when it comes to new, fresh ideas.

11. F I N D  S O C I A L  M E D I A  T H A T  W O R K S  F O R  Y O U

Although I mainly talked about Instagram in this blogpost, some people may find Facebook much better for their business/personal use. You need to do your research first and perhaps test different social media platforms to see which performs the best. You can hire companies to do this if you don’t know where to start. Chances are that you need to be at least on 2 of them (if not all).

12. K E E P  A N  E Y E  O U T  F O R   N E W  A P P S

There has been a lot of talk about Tik Tok being the ‘new Instagram’. I don’t even have  a Tik Tok account and I’m not convinced I need one. Tik Tok features short videos and is super popular amongst teenagers. Tik Tok is available for users as young as 13 which does freak me out a little bit. Ultimately Tik Tok isn’t a network for engaging with friends, it’s a place to be entertained. I’m still not convinced enough to get an account (just yet) but Tik Tok are attracting more and more middle-aged people too. It’s definitely the one to watch though.

So there you have it. All the things that you should (presumably) be doing in 2020. Please note that I’m not a social media expert, although I spend way too much time at it. All the points listed above were mentioned at the Top Drawer London Social Media Talk. I did find the workshop very useful which why I wanted to share it here. I hope you don’t find the list too daunting though. Even if there’s just one thing you can work on this year that’s progress. I think using apps to schedule posts will save me a lot of time in the long run, which is something I do want to implement.

Also, don’t forget that social media is just one way to drive traffic to your website. Pinterest and good SEO (right keywords, meta tags etc) will be just as important, so make sure that you are using different sources.

If you have any comments or disagree with any of the points above, please leave a comment below. I love to get feedback and I may even learn something new in the process!

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