Social media marketing reached new heights in 2019 and will continue to demand more attention in the coming year. The following trends are expected to shape the social advertising landscape:

Dynamic Ads

Several social media platforms have announced tools powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence. Facebook’s Dynamic Ads, for example, deliver personalized ad types for each user. Snapchat’s Dynamic Ads automatically create and update product ads. And YouTube’s Bumper Machine generates six-second bumper ads from existing ad creative. These tools are especially tailored to brands that are interested in social media marketing but don’t have the manpower or budget for manual management.

Stories

Stories on Instagram and Facebook have never been more popular. An estimated 500 million Instagram accounts currently use Stories, and more than 3 million brands are running Stories Ads across Facebook’s social media empire. Stories Ads accounted for 20 per cent of all advertising spend on Instagram in Q2 2019, and the platform is now experimenting with ways to increase Stories’ ad load.

Shopping

Social media users are becoming increasingly comfortable making purchases directly within apps, which is a boon for retail business. Instagram’s Shopping on Instagram feature allows businesses to tag posts with product prices and information, and its Checkout feature allows users to complete purchases without leaving the app. Pinterest’s Shopping campaigns also allow businesses to tag products in ‘Shop the Look’ posts, and TikTok is experimenting with shoppable options, as well.

Video

Video, including video advertising, has been a major focus for social media platforms for several years. Facebook has invested heavily in Creator Studio, the hub where publishers manage video content, and Instagram’s IGTV platform allows users and brands to post long-form videos. YouTube has opened 15-second unskippable ads to all advertisers, and video is the fastest-growing format on Twitter. Meanwhile, TikTok’s fledgling social media marketing products could provide access to an audience of roughly 500 million active users.

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