Looks like this year is the year, when Social Media becomes more important than ever before. We all are aware of the fact that SM has proven to be an effective and valuable channel for the reaching and converting your customers. It’s no secret that last year due to global pandemic we spent twice as much time on Social Media than ever. That is why many brands went digital. So, there are some new challenges for us to face. You need to keep your audience engaged all the time, keep the content appropriate all the time etc.
All in all in 2021 Social Media platforms will keep evolving, with new tools and features being launched and new algorithms being constantly changed. Hence all the marketers need to review the existing strategies all the time. But there still are trends, common for every Social Media platform, that will remain pivotal in 2021.
– Live streams will still be popular. The global pandemic in 2020 created new reality so now people are used to connecting their favorite brands without leaving their homes. That is why live streaming should become top priority for marketers.
– Stories and storytelling are becoming dominant content format. A whopping number of 500 000 users watch stories every day. So, stories as a contents format should definitely be a part of your SM marketing strategy. And Stories with videos will gain even more popularity. Connecting stories to posts in your feed and to each other might be a good idea, it’s nice to watch a series till the end no matter how long it is. Besides that it gives your reader a choice.
– Commerce on SM will keep growing. Social Media Platforms are adapting and launching new features to make shopping much easier and quicker. Both Instagram and Facebook provide easy checkout mostly without even leaving the platform. As of now, Facebook platform is leading in discovering products to buy. But Instagram is catching up in sales rates with Facebook, so you should definitely include paid promotion campaigns in your SM marketing strategy.
– Virtual Reality (VR) as well as Augmented Reality (AR) are getting more attention. As of now Facebook Horizon, a brand new virtual world is ready for beta-testing. And yes, we are already using AR sometimes without even realizing it, because it’s already there – in your smartphone, which allows you to use the dynamic photo filters.
– Inclusivity will not be just a new trend. The customers tend to switch to brands that support inclusivity and people’s diversity, which means your Social Media is supposed to reflect your brand’s attitude to that. In other words the brands’ communication should become more socially sensitive.
– Transparency will mean a lot. Making a mistake is no crime, but trying to sweep it under the carpet actually is. So if you ever make one, don’t be afraid to confess it through an open message on one of your platforms. Your customers and other internet users should feel free to contact you on Social Media and express their disappointment if there is any and leave bad comments.
– Authenticity and naturalness will still be pivotal. We all are tired or those refined Instagram profiles. This year people crave for real emotions and non-staged life.
– Influencers vs Employee Advocacy. Influencers’ influence will remain in focus. Those are people with thousands or even millions of followers. They are paid by brands to promote their products and services. And we all probably know that, besides that there are thousands of fake accounts. And we are aware of that as well, thus many companies will consider using their staff as influencers as well. Companies might encourage their staff to discuss their brand on their SM. Thus this strategy will definitely outshine the influencers.
– More meaningful Purpose-driven campaigns will flourish. Trust is the driving force. People want too see more kindness and support to vulnerable and socially disadvantaged people in this world and brands should reflect this desire. So, many more companies and brands will run campaigns aimed at showing their good will and kindness, like supporting medical workers in this fight with pandemic.
However, these are just trends and there always is a place for something new. Let’s step into this unpredictable future and see how it goes.
