4 social media waves to ride in 2020

Social media has emerged as one of the most important tools for public relations and marketing over the past decade.

A social media presence is essential for practically all mid-size and large businesses and other organizations; some entrepreneurs rely almost entirely on social media for PR and marketing.

As social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn mature, the debate over their future grows. The platforms have encountered increasing problems over fake news, privacy and data security.

Some pundits say social media has passed its prime. They predict people will spend less time on social media and join fewer networks. Whatever happens, social media will evolve. Networks will vie for dominance and perhaps even fight for survival.

With that in mind, here are four aspects of social media marketing to watch in 2020:

Growth of social media commerce

Until recently, consumers have been reluctant to embrace social ecommerce. They have little reason to change buying behavior with the convenience of direct ecommerce sites like Amazon and many retailers only a click away.

In 2020, sophisticated chatbots will improve engagement with customers on social media, help allay consumers’ concerns, and ultimately boost social commerce.