Current Trends in Social Media – Significant Growth Since March 2020

By Laura DiCaprio

When the lockdown first happened in March, many people relied on their social media feeds to get information on the pandemic and to satisfy their need to interact with others. As a result, many platforms saw significant growth and usage from March through July 2020. Below are a few quick facts on the recent growth on certain platforms, and takeaways on how to best reach and interact with those audiences.

 

Quick Facts

  • 38% of Americans stated that they are more open to interacting with brands on social media. This is due, in part, to the isolation during quarantine and the need to connect with other people.
  • Over 300 large, national brands joined the Facebook boycott in July, in show  of support to the #stophateforprofit movement spearheaded by civil rights groups such as the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League.  But since the top 100 advertisers only contribute to 6% of Facebook’s advertising revenue, it won’t put a big dent in the social media company’s bottom line.
  • Social media use with all demographics has increased since March 2020. Between March and May, 51% of people reported increased social media use.
  • TikTok saw tremendous user growth in March 2020, reporting 12MM new unique visitors. Between January – March 202 it reported a 48.3% increase in total U.S. unique users.

 

social graph 72820 1 - Current Trends in Social Media - Significant Growth Since March 2020

Consumers want to see ads and products that are relevant during the pandemic. Source: Smartly.io, July 2020

 

Key Takeaways

  • Messaging needs to be current with the COVID atmosphere; sensitive and relevant.
  • With more people engaging with social platforms, it needs to be an active piece of your media plan. There are social platforms available for every demo, so if one platform isn’t desirable there are other options to choose from.
  • Whether or not to take part in media boycotts need to be an internal decision that best reflects your brand and culture. Wahl Media is always available to talk about alternative mediums so that your campaign still delivers results.
  • Be open to new mediums. Buys on new platforms might deliver surprising results