2020 was 2020, yes, we cannot find a suitable word for it.  

Aren’t we all glad that it is finally coming to an end?

Who would have thought that we would be living in a global pandemic?

Did we even know what confinement, lockdown, and quarantine meant?

Did we ever think we would avoid meeting our loved ones to keep them safe?

Well, these challenging times and experiences changed our lives, and by default social media. 

What happened on social media? We are here to tell you everything significant.  

Tiktok

Arguably, Tiktok was the mobile application of the year. As the world was going through the first wave’s lockdown, Tiktok witnessed a very strong increase in monthly users surpassing that of Instagram by far. The application that was already witnessing a growth in users towards the end of 2019 further witnessed a boost in users. What was more significant is that what was Gen-Z dominated application, welcomed up to 30 million millennial visitors.  

Tiktok even shaped pop culture in 2020, It boosted songs through dance challenges like Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage”, Doja Cat’s “Say So”, Cardi B’s “Wap”, and more. The wave was so impactful that Beyoncé remixed “Savage”, and Nicki Minaj “Say So” earning herself her first Billboard Hot 100 number one song.      

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Doja Cat (@dojacat)

The application was so successful that Instagram launched “Reels” which critics described it as a “Tiktok knockoff.” It is worth noting President Donald Trump’s attempt to ban application in the United States, which resulted in a big business shift.

Selling Online  

Businesses had been shifting to online selling for a while, but this time around they heavily used social media platforms as a means to spread information and even sell their products.  

Many new businesses emerged on Instagram, others started making use of the Instagram shop.  

Social Media marketing skyrocketed during the lockdown. That being said, The pandemic’s effect on social media was significant. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA (@fentybeauty)

Going Live  

Videos are the most popular content on social media, which explains Tiktok’s popularity. In 2020.  A-list musicians took Instagram live to give live acoustic mini-concerts for fans to be entertained. The list includes Chris Martin, John Legend, Garth Brooks, and more. Many other businesses went online to provide their services. The list includes schools, universities, and others made use of online streaming services like ZOOM Cloud Meetings to give out their material with live interactions.  

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Coldplay (@coldplay)

Rise of Memes

Normally 55% of 13-35-year olds used to send memes every week. In 2020, numbers significantly increased from 19.8M mentions in August 2019 to 24.9M in July 2020, peaking with 28M during April 2020. Memes proved to be an engaging and relatable piece of content. Even companies have started using memes as a means to engage with their audience on social media. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Burger King (@burgerking)

We can only hope that 2021 will be a better year for us all. As for now, we can tell that soon we will be posting a blog about 2021 Instagram trends to look out for.