Looking back on 2020, it’s been such an exciting time to be working in social as the platform wars waged on and on. The launch of Instagram Reels and Guides, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat Spotlight had us sitting on the edge of our feeds, while Triller and Byte were busy challenging the big players at their own game. Next year will be fascinating with TikTok set to surpass 1 billion monthly active users.
While the platforms continue to fight it out, we can expect to see the rise of new creative and audience growth opportunities for talent the world over. Gen Z audiences will be even more thrilled with new content experiences and ways to engage with their favourite creators. Meanwhile, marketers will lose their minds (in the best possible way) as they navigate a smorgasbord of new ways to reach their consumers through the funnel.
To explore this further, we’ve put together a list of our Top 5 Social Predictions for 2021:
1. The Growth of TikTok Learning
Next year we’re set to see TikTok continue to grow their content vertical, Learning. This will be accelerated with the upcoming 3 Minute Video feature on TikTok, which will see the platform compete with YouTube, which has traditionally been the home of learning and How-To videos.
2. Shopability on TikTok
TikTok’s shopability, which rolls out via Shopify and Teespring outside the US next year, will see it become an even bigger player in the social commerce mix alongside Instagram Shops.
3. Snapchat Scales Up (Big Time)
Snapchat’s Spotlight will see consumers and marketers leveraging influencers, with an AR offering that is superior to Instagram and TikTok. We can expect to see it become a destination to watch videos, not just a platform to message friends and family. Creators will love it as they also get a slice of the advertising revenue pie.
4. Sports Move To Social
This week, there were about 1.6 million pay per view downloads of the Tyson V Jones boxing match on Triller. With more big sports deals and events being drawn to social platforms (where their fans are), Kayo, DAZN and ESPN+ will find themselves competing directly with the social platforms.
5. More Platforms Launch Their Own Influencer Marketplaces
The launch (and growth) of TikTok’s creator marketplace also saw Facebook launch Branded Content Ads so brands can put paid spend directly behind their own influencer posts. It’s only a matter of time before the platforms are competing directly with Influencer Marketplace platforms, and whilst they sit on the data and control what third-party platforms can access through their APIs, they are strongly placed in the value chain to win here.