The ever-evolving social media platforms are always buzzing with new algorithms and features. However, these rapid changes pose several challenges for marketers, as you have to constantly innovate and ensure you’re keeping yourself updated with the latest social media trends to engage your followers and gain an edge over your competitors.
We’ve put together a list of the 8 most popular social media trends in 2021 to help you ace your social media strategy, keep your followers engaged, and grow your customer base.
2021 Social Media Trends
Live Streaming
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the world to work remotely, many businesses have gone digital. In-person meetings turned into Skype/Zoom conferences and live events turned into live streams. Live streaming is definitely the need of the hour for many businesses and will continue to be in the post-COVID world.
Almost 75% of millennials believe that live streaming is helpful when they’re shopping for products online. Also, 80% of people would rather watch a live stream from a brand than read their blog. (Ouch!) With live streaming continually gaining popularity, we recommend that you include it in your social media strategy. (And, yes, we need to adopt live streaming, too!)
Increased Focus on Content Value
When the pandemic pushed many businesses to work from home, social media teams were required to focus on scalable content creation processes that could be done from home.
With more and more customers engaging with live streams, videos, webinars, and other social media content that was being created from home-based offices, marketers realized that content with lower production quality can be engaging and drive value. If you've seen the word "authentic" bandied about among marketers, this is why.
More Inclination Toward COVID-Related Content
Like it or not, COVID-19 is here to stay. It's why social media marketers are focusing their efforts on COVID-related content to provide followers with important information and help them sail through these uncertain times.
Many marketers are focusing on these 4 Cs of COVID content:
- Cleanliness
- Community
- Compassion
- Contact-free services
Virtual Reality
2021 will see the entry of virtual reality (VR) into the world of social media. An excellent example of this is Facebook Horizon. Since early 2021, Facebook has been using the Oculus VR platform to beta-test a virtual space that allows its users to connect, explore and play games. Marketers can make the most of VR to provide their followers with a meaningful space where they can interact with each other.
Memes
Emojis and GIFs are things of the past; memes are here to stay. Memes can be a great way to communicate with your audience and keep them engaged.
Memes can help in altering the mindset of customers and prospects. This year, you not only need to learn how to use memes to your business’ advantage but also to protect your business from them. According to YPulse’s latest social media behavior survey, 75% of 13- to 36-year olds (and 79% of 13- to 17-year olds) share memes.
Shopping Channels
Once again, as many businesses have completely moved online, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are working to develop online marketing solutions for them. It's why you may have noticed that many social media platforms are doubling up as shopping channels.
Facebook and Instagram have already brought shopping channels to their platforms. Customers can now buy products and services they see in posts using Facebook Shops and Instagram Shoppable posts. Research suggests that 54% of social media users find products using social media.
Stories
Over 500 million Instagram users view Instagram Stories every day. Stories will continue to remain a popular content format. In 2021, marketers can leverage Facebook and Instagram Stories to showcase their products and services.
Per a study by Social Insider, images in Stories have a 5.65% better tap-forward rate (number of social media users who saw a story and move to the next one before finishing it) when compared to videos.
Informational Tone
While conversational marketing was working wonderfully for marketers over the past few years, in 2021, things have changed a bit. Now customers are looking for more information to make a purchase decision, so the tone of digital conversations is changing.
To convert prospects into buyers, marketers need to educate their audiences about their products and services and nurture them over time. You can’t over-explain or over-educate to an audience that wants to better understand the importance and value of what you offer!
Keeping up with social media is a challenge for many small businesses. If you’ve fallen into the trap of posting inconsistently or feel at a loss for what to share, we can help. Let’s start by scheduling a call to talk about your business, your audience, and your budget.
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