Social media is constantly changing in response to new technology, trends, and consumer behavior. It is crucial to stay on top of the latest changes and see what tactics your company should be implementing.
COVID-19 influenced the way people consume media, leading to 2021 social media trends that are heavily centered around humanity and togetherness. People spent increasingly more time on social media in 2020 and 2021 because of lockdowns and everything going virtual, causing people to shift their perspective of what they want from companies online.
1. Humanizing content
According to PR Daily, people want to see content that speaks to their emotions and personas. Start by conducting an analysis of your audience and find out what messages they want to receive. Audiences would rather see realistic content tailored to their ideals and wants than generalized social media posts.
Consumers are looking for brands that reflect their personalities, especially during a time where a large part of human interaction is online. Therefore, it is important to post real, humanizing content that reflects a company’s specific target audience. Depending on your company and what message or product you are selling, your audience may be looking for content ranging from heartfelt, down-to-earth posts to luxurious, sophisticated posts.
2. Social media shopping
Hubspot states that shopping on social media platforms is on the rise. Facebook and Instagram have shopping features built into their apps, where consumers can see products and shop directly from social media posts.
This changes the game for many companies that sell products, giving them a specific call-to-action on social posts that can increase sales. With a year of limited in-person shopping because of COVID-19, e-commerce drastically increased and will continue to be a popular method for purchasing products. To learn how to incorporate social media shopping for your company, check out this article.
3. Conversational marketing
Conversational marketing is a popular way to build relationships with audiences. It has been gaining momentum for a while. However, Hubspot mentions that conversational marketing is typically centered around trying to sell a product or service as quickly as possible by creating customer dialogue.
Because people became used to receiving human interaction through social media during the pandemic, it is important to implement conversational marketing that focuses on empathy and building a customer relationship before making a sale. It is still important to make posts with direct calls to actions, but it is also important to post humanizing messages and share customer or employee stories that reflect your organization’s mission.
For example, this post from Lululemon connects with its customer base by sharing its focus on inclusivity and has nothing to do with its products or services.
4. Raw video
Video has become increasingly popular on social media over the years. Starting with the former short-video app Vine, video started to rapidly grow and evolve on platforms like Facebook Video and now TikTok, one of the fastest growing social apps in the world. Video content engages audiences because it can quickly tell a story and is easy for audiences to consume by simply pressing play, listening to the audio and watching what happens.
This year specifically, consumers are looking for raw video content that appears genuine, not over-produced. With the lack of human interaction many experienced during COVID-19, people became used to interacting with others through low production value videos. Companies can accomplish this by posting personal, minimally edited videos that showcase companies’ missions and messages.
Additionally, videos with closed captions are more likely to capture audience attention, improve accessibility, and maximize SEO.
5. Snackable content
With the rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels and other easy-to-consume media, consumers will continue to favor content that is easy and quick to view. Companies can stay on top of this trend by implementing short videos, image-focused graphics, quote graphics and simplified captions.
With the influx of media, Hubspot agrees that consumers typically only have the attention span to interact with a post for a few seconds before they scroll. Therefore, it is important to keep most content simple and straightforward.
Social media is one of the most important tools to increase customer engagement, interaction, and awareness. Consider staying on top of what your audience wants and how social media changes year to year. Using social media correctly can drastically elevate your organization’s image and customer loyalty.
There are lots of popular trends on social media right now, and you don’t have to implement them all to freshen up your posts. Pick one or two items to try out in the next month, like adding raw video to your social media or creating an easy-to-read quote graphic that highlights your organization’s mission.
To learn more about using social media, specifically for Instagram, read Taking Your Business’ Instagram to the Next Level.