Social Media for Bloggers in 2020

As we head into a new year, it’s essential to have an idea of what changes are coming and what changes are here to stay. Especially when it comes to social media for bloggers in 2020. But, instead of talking about the trends in the coming year (and decade!) I wanted to talk about things that are here to stay.

You don’t need the trends, you need the essentials. So, that’s what we’re going to cover today.

#1: Video

Video isn’t the future anymore, it’s here and now. And it’s time to start including this in your blog marketing strategy. But it doesn’t have to be such a stressor. And if the idea of putting your face on camera makes you want to puke, you aren’t alone. I myself am still hesitant to put my face and voice on camera.

So, how can the camera-shy take a chance on video this year?

1. Start with just your face. Part of the stress of video can start with showing your face/body at all. So, start with just photos of you and start to get comfortable with it.
2. If the pics of you aren’t the problem and your voice seems to be a sticking point for you, try adding voiceovers to some simple Canva graphics.
3. Start using Instagram stories (and all it’s fun features) and throw your face in every once in a while. For example, maybe you talk to the camera as an intro to your IG story but then use graphics for the rest.

The important thing here is being proactive in the move to add video, no matter how slow. You don’t have to start a YouTube channel or only put your face on camera to start reaping the benefits of video.

#2: Transparency

This isn’t about sharing everything about your life, far from it. Transparency is about taking full ownership of who you are and what your business stands for.

Transparency in your Values 👇🏻

Consumers are super smart these days. They can spot a fake from a mile away. So, not only is it vital that you have clear values in your business, it’s necessary to share these regularly. Now, this doesn’t mean that you should just state your values in a list.

You don’t have to be that obvious about it. You just have to be consistent in your messaging.

Here’s an example: Say you are a mom blogger that shares easy crafts other moms can do with their kids. One of your values could be clarity in your tutorials. You don’t have to tell people it’s one of your blog values, you just create tutorials that are clear, detailed and walk them through every single step of the process.

Remember: Showing people what you value is more powerful than telling them what you value.

#3: Boundaries

Social media has been around for over a decade now and its effect on people is starting to show.

But the thing is: The impact that it has is different for each person. So, noticing how much time you spend on social, what you spend your time doing on the platforms and how you feel each day is essential.

Once you have a good idea of how you are using social media and how you feel as a result you can start to set some boundaries with yourself and with your audience.

And setting boundaries for when you are available with yourself and your people can be absolutely terrifying.

But if you are clear with your people and stay firm in your boundaries consistently you train your existing audience, and new audience, how and when to interact with you on social media.

There will people in your audience that don’t like this, especially if you’ve made yourself SUPER available to them in the past. They aren’t your people, LET THEM GO.

Boundaries are cool in 2020. It’s time to get your sanity back.

Having trouble figuring out your boundaries? Some examples of boundaries for you could be:

• Only being on the platform during the weekdays when your kids are at school
• No social media on the weekends
• Only spending 20 minutes each day answering DMs
• rude or intolerant comments toward you or anyone in the comments won’t be tolerated and will be deleted
• social media will only be used during business hours for you.

The options are pretty limitless here. Social media for bloggers in 2020 means that you are in charge of your social media accounts and get to set the boundaries for use and treatment. Your sanity on the platform, no matter what platform you are using, is the most important thing.

Related: Social Media 101: Social Media for Bloggers

#4: Casual over Professional

Professional, high production values used to be one of the most important things when it came to content.

And for a while, production values were an important part of content creation.

Times have certainly changed, haven’t they?

Social media has had a major hand in this change. Over the last decade, we’ve seen smartphone cameras get to the level of many digital camera models. And most people carry one in their pockets every single day.

We no longer need any kind of fancy equipment to create really good content. Our cell phones and a little bit of knowledge in sunlight are just perfect.

Better tech means more casual content.

So, take a breath. And take that video of your face without makeup. Your content matters way more than your looks.

Repeat after me: Serve and connect. Serve and connect.

#5: Consistency

If all of that stuff above seems like too much for you, know this: consistency is king. Consistency in posting, messaging and content creation is still one of the best ways for you to grow your social media accounts.

To do this, create a simple schedule for yourself and stick to it. Consistency, even if you post less often, is more powerful than posting every single day for 2 weeks and then ghosting (guilty!) your audience.

Remember: Social media doesn’t have to make you crazy, you just have to figure out how to make it work for you and your life.