For the last few years, I’ve been developing a “Social Media Trends” presentation in January that I’ve now given more than 20 times. While I don’t proclaim to be a trend-spotter, I do keep up with social media trends each week–mostly because I have to! For this blog. For the Talking Points Podcast. For my class at the University of St. Thomas (which starts next Monday!). And, for the Talking Points e-newsletter (sign up here).

This year’s edition made its debut two weeks ago as I presented at the Communicators Connect group in St. Louis Park. I’m hoping to give this prezo a few more times here in Q1 (if you’re interested, shoot me a note at arik@arikhanson.com — my speaking fee is usually minimal, or zero!).

With my trend decks, I focus on more pragmatic trends, if that even makes sense. I’m looking for trends that will actually impact most of us. And, trends that aren’t the “same old, same old” that we see in so many other posts (if I see another post that says video is a trend in 2020, I WILL SCREAM LOUDLY!). As I look ahead to 2020, I saw nine realistic social media trends ahead:

1 – Brands will have to better prepare for the Internet Flash Mob

2 -More brands will “challenge” followers on TikTok (but then what?)

3 – Community management makes a comeback

4 – The beginning of the end for the newsfeed

5 – Brands will stop measuring “engagement”

6 – Less is (Way) more when it comes to social content

7 – Internal influencers > external influencers

8 – Companies will start more podcasts that compliment traditional tactics

9 – Employer brands go mainstream on social

Here’s the full deck, if you’d care to review. I’ll be monitoring these trends throughout 2020–should be interesting to see where we land in December!