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2020 was a transformative year for social media, seeing more people than ever before turning to their devices to stay connected with their communities. While we think a lot of social media marketing strategies still apply from last year, it’s time to look ahead.
This huge increase in social media usage saw many brands decide to level up their social media marketing strategy, many of whom are now looking to utilize a variety of new trends in 2021.
However, with 2020 renowned as one of the most difficult years on record, 2021 sees us moving into a time of economic uncertainty. This means that now more than ever, businesses need to utilize the new year and their social media strategies to grow, recover and, ultimately, become more successful.
So, with this in mind, let’s take a look at the five trends we think you should utilize within your social media strategy in 2021.
Consider TikTok for Your Business
As a social media marketing strategy, TikTok’s bite-sized videos have been a huge hit in 2021, pioneering a new approach to social engagement.
Instagram has also taken a new approach to help increase engagement by rolling out Reels, allowing influencers to create 15-second videos for their followers. Some businesses repurpose their TikTok content to Reels to capture a larger reach. Repurposing your content can help alleviate content creation fatigue.
TikTok has, in the past, attracted more of a (B2C) or business to consumer environment. If you are (B2B) or business to business, you need to position your content toward educating your audience.
The only way businesses will start to take the plunge is if the market forces a shift the same way 2020 did.
So, start exploring ways you could incorporate TikTok into your social media marketing strategy. If you are still on the fence, sit down with your team and complete a SWOT analysis and differentiate yourself from your competition any way you can.
Go Live As A Social Media Marketing Strategy
Enter any social media platform and there will be a live video happening or about to start. Live social media has already soared in popularity in 2021, as celebrities, influencers, and everyday users enjoy the excitement of live media.
Businesses use live video for collaborations, webinars, conversations about industry topics, and product releases to name a few.
As such, if you want your social media marketing strategy to work well in 2021, embracing live videos is a great place to start.
Listed below are a few topics you could potentially talk about:
- Interviews With Experts
- Collaborations & Takeovers
- Announcements & Launches
- Q&A Sessions
- Behind-The-Scenes Footage
- Contest Results
- Exclusive or Limited Time Offers
Offer A Message
2020 was the year for sell-out headlines; the huge influx of political, environmental, and social issues, as well as a pandemic to top it all off, really got people talking.
And, as a result of this, social media conversations skyrocketed, with every major news headline reporting live updates from all around the world right down to the murder hornets
In response to this, social media strategies in 2021 will need to focus on the issues your audience cares about and be produced in a time-appropriate manner on the appropriate platforms.
Social advocacy is one thing.
Corporate social advocacy is another.
So if you are a business wondering if you should position your social media channels to support a social, political, or environmental cause, you must be authentic and back your reach with action as a social media marketing strategy.
Brands will also need to listen to other conversations happening about their brand, in their industry, and across the web, to have a deeper insight into what matters in a specific niche.
Brand monitoring and reputation management play an increasingly important role in any business especially if you are harboring a negative reputation.
Social listening tracks brand mentions specifically on social media. Both help understand where you should focus your efforts to align with your brand and mission.
Provide Value At Scale
After many businesses were forced to go completely remote in 2020, video marketing and social media teams have needed to change tactics with the right social media management tools.
As such, many marketing teams focused on valuable, scalable content that can be recorded and created at home as a social media marketing strategy. While this may have affected the production quality for some, marketers soon discovered that their home-produced content could still be engaging, as long as it provided value.
Working remotely has accelerated businesses’ need for automation in 2021. When teams invest in automation it allows less time to be spent on manual, repetitive tasks and instead focus on innovative thinking and creativity when coming up with new marketing initiatives.
Da Costa Coaching expands on this further in ‘The Self-Running Agency’ and shares the value and importance of growing a business and team sustainably using automation.
So, throughout 2021 – when most of your audience will be at home, struggling with Zoom meetings, sending voice notes to friends, and creating content from their living rooms –
we estimate that there will be a sharp rise in bare-bones productions, featuring an array of artistic messages audiences can connect with.
Create Bite-Sized Content
Social media channels like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat are seeing increased engagement through short-form content. Google My Business has exploded with growth.
So, exploring bite-sized content as a social media marketing strategy is a great way to seek new virality in your content. You have eight seconds to grab your audience’s attention.
From dance videos to fast-paced Q&A’s and infographics designed for social channels, bite-sized social media content is here to stay. After all, with so many of us still stuck at home, more people than ever before are aimlessly scrolling through their social media feeds, wanting to be entertained.
Therefore, your social content needs to catch their attention and deliver on its promise. And the best way to do exactly that comes through creating bite-sized social media content that will wow your audience throughout the year.
Use Your Social Platforms As Shopping Channels
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This year, many businesses have transitioned all their services online.
Shifting to selling online has been vital as a social media marketing strategy for businesses that traditionally depended on foot traffic and a brick and mortar location.
Social media channels have provided a huge range of helpful marketing solutions, one of these being online shopping.
Facebook and Instagram have embraced this marketing tactic already by buying shopping capabilities directly to their apps. With shoppable posts, social media consumers can now buy and sell products online.
If you’re in ecommerce, then you need to make sure you optimize your social media channels with Instagram shops and Facebook shops. People can find Facebook Shops on a business’ Facebook Page or Instagram profile, or discover them through stories or ads.
With over 100 million active users, do not overlook Pinterest as a way to promote your business online. It can be a powerful tool for all kinds of industries outside of home goods and apparel.
If your business sells a product or a service, creating a social media shop in 2021 could be a great way to increase your sales. Not only will you see an increase in social media engagement, but you will be able to reach a wider audience and potentially see an increase in your sales.
Final Thoughts
As 2021 goes on, there will be a number of new trends coming out thick and fast, so agencies will have to adjust their social media marketing strategy accordingly to keep their content engaging.
As a business, therefore, the best things you can do are threefold. Firstly, you need to continually research the trends in your specific industry. Then you need to analyze the behaviors of your customers before, finally, utilizing all the data you amass to determine which social media marketing strategy and social media marketing tools are best-suited to your business.
