27 Apr April Social Media Trends

With each unprecedented day passing, social media apps have quickly become the frontlines for many to source out news, seek entertainment, and stay connected with their loved ones. We have recapped some of the April social media trends we saw and how they have adapted to our world’s ongoing situation.

How COVID-19 is affecting the Marketing Industry

COVID-19 has impacted every industry worldwide and social marketing is no different. Social app downloads are at an all-time high with internet users increasing their online video intake by 39% according to a Global Web Index Report, yet social ad budgets are expected to decline an average of 28% through June 2020. People are engaging with their portable devices more than ever and it is crucial for brands to be receptive, relevant, and flexible. To learn more, check out our latest update on how consumers are engaging on social.

Across the board, we have seen almost every social platform adapt in some way to better serve their audiences during the midst of this season.

Instagram rolls out new stickers to encourage social distancing

Instagram has responded to their users’ stay-at-home status in several different ways but one of their approaches with the most traction and simplest execution is: story stickers. Over the last few weeks, they rolled out the “Stay Home” sticker, encouraging people to post their quarantine activities with the sticker. Additionally, they recently added the “#IStayHomeFor” sticker which according to Instagram, “allows users to tag the people they love.”

TikTok surges in popularity

According to the analytic firm Sensor Tower,  TikTok saw a 34% revenue increase in just one week. This shift is worth noting considering the traction the app is now receiving across different age groups (Recent reports show 26% of TikTok users are millennials). Although initially deemed as a Gen Z fad, TikTok has become a sensation during this quarantine due to its unique platform that fosters a wide variety of content—from funny, more traditional ‘viral’ videos to step-by-step arts and crafts, the app has a little bit of something for everyone! Several brands from varying industries have taken the leap to join TikTok and those that use it appropriately have seen major success engaging with fans—not to mention their impressive organic reach! Check out our other article see what your brand can leverage from the TikTok bandwagon.

Facebook moving toward transparency

Earlier this week Facebook announced they will be providing the location of posts that come from high-reach pages. The purpose of this is to protect the integrity of these posts and instill more trust in the content that arises from these platforms before the 2020 election. According to Facebook’s Product Manager, Anita Joseph, “We want to make sure people use our services authentically and can understand who is behind the posts they’re seeing. This is particularly important when it comes to elections, so we’re taking extra steps to make pages and accounts with large audiences more transparent … These changes are part of our broader efforts to protect elections and increase transparency on Facebook and Instagram so people can make more informed decisions about the posts they read, trust and share.” This is an additional precaution to “Facebook Protect”, a program that came into effect last year to help campaign workers secure their posts.

That’s it for the April social media trends recap! Looking to stay up to date on the latest social media happenings? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter – Social You Should Know.

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