Social media has become an indispensable marketing tool in the modern, digital age, and the year that was has only made this more apparent. 2020 witnessed the rise of many trends and developments in social media marketing, but will they keep their momentum in the coming year?
What strategies should you hold on to and which ones to drop? It’s time to step up your digital social media management game!
These top social media marketing trends could help you reach your business goals this 2021!
Facebook and Instagram continue their reign.
Unsurprisingly so, Facebook and Instagram keep their crowns as the top two social media platforms and will be just as significant, if not more, in the upcoming year and beyond. With social shopping perceived to be the next big thing, brands seeking to be discovered and expand their customer base should capitalize on promoting in social media.
Aside from the Big 3 (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), there are emerging social media platforms like TikTok that are worth paying attention to, as well.
Video contents are here to stay.
Whether it’s short form videos like the ones you see all over TikTok and Facebook/Instagram stories or the lengthier ones posted on YouTube, it’s becoming clear that videos are the future of social media content. Compared to text updates and promotions, videos are infinitely more engaging, and thus have more potential to catch people’s attention and trigger buying intent.
It’s only a matter of time before video contents dominate social media. In fact, a study by Cisco projected that by 2022, more than 80% of all online content will be videos. If you’re not currently leveraging the power of videos in your brand promotion and marketing efforts, it’s high time you do so.
Influencer marketing will only get bigger.
For years, brands have been working with social media influencers to appeal to their target markets. And while influencers have always had a certain command in urging their followers to patronize brands, the pandemic has amplified their status and impact on the purchase of products.
More or less 40% of respondents reported that they bought a product after seeing it used by an influencer on YouTube, Instagram, or Twitters. Consumers are more likely to support something that’s recommended by an influencer than a celebrity because they believe that influencers provide a more honest and authentic review of brands, products, an
d services.
Suffice it to say, influencer marketing is red hot right now, and it’s going to stay that way for quite a while.
Use of social media for customer service.
These days, social media is more than just an avenue for people to share their photos and connect with each other. It has become a marketplace, a product discovery platform, and, recently, a customer service network. The latter happened gradually as brands discover that many of their customers are raising their queries and concerns via social media messaging.
Nearly 30% of consumers reach out to brands and companies via social media DMs due to its convenience, but because this is a relatively new service for most companies, they still have a lot to work on to improve the service. Nonetheless, the majority of consumers say that being able to message a business on social media boosts their trust and confidence on the brand.
The rise of socially conscious consumers.
Millennials and Gen Z are proving themselves to be very socially-conscious generations, and their desire to make a difference were seen to make an impact on brands and businesses.
Majority of today’s youth and young adults are inclined to support companies and organizations that also support their causes, be it mental health, feminism, racial equality, climate change, and much more. Thus, for brands to connect and appeal to the millennial and Gen Z audiences, they should steer themselves towards a more cause-driven messaging in and out of social media, and genuinely commit themselves by acting on the issue.
Authenticity matters to the younger generation. They tend to shy away from theatrics and prefer more visual, raw, and real content. Brands that authentically engage with their consumers and participate in conversations about issues that matter are more likely to thrive as the new generation’s spending power increases.
About the Author
Gabby Klesser is the Outreach Manager for LA Website Design, a digital marketing agency that has assembled a team of expert web designers and digital marketing strategists. She often writes about web design, UX, social media, technology, marketing, and starting a non-profit.