In the current climate where many businesses are unable to communicate with clients face to face, keeping everyone informed through social media can be vital. But what is the best way to do this? We have taken a look at some social media trends which might help you get the best out of your social channels in 2021. They are:

Socially conscious consumers 

Being able to understand your audience is an important factor to success on social media. 2020 showed how a younger audience is bringing their feelings to social media platforms which companies may want to be aware of. Hootsuite’s social trends report stated that:

“Between the economic and emotional fallout of COVID-19, the uprising against racism and police brutality, and climate change fuelling historic wildfires across Australia and North America, marketers were under significant pressure to publicly address issues that their organisations had never focused on or were only beginning to align with.”

An example of these issues having an effect on business operations was seen last year in America with the 15 percent pledge calling on US retailers to match their representation of black business owners to the black population of America. 

Companies will need to show they are aware of such issues otherwise they risk losing potential customers. As consumers become more socially aware, companies will be need to be careful of any negative impact their social media activity may have. 

However it would be wise not to use social issues as a gimmick to increase brand awareness online and any desire to do so should be treated with caution. Pepsi made this mistake with an ill-advised advert launched in 2017. They quickly realised their mistake and the ad was taken down soon after release.

Video content will continue to dominate

The use of video content has been a trend on the rise for several years now. It is also clear that it will only get bigger. 

According to a Cisco study, 82% of all online content will be video content by 2022. This clearly demonstrates the importance of video and why it could be invaluable as part of a successful social media strategy. 

If you are not currently creating and sharing videos as part of your social media marketing, now is the time to start. An easy way to start if you are working from home could be to utilise the story feature which social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook provide. 

Furthermore adding videos to your normal social media posts is a good way to attract more views and generate conversions. Emily Hirsh conducted an experiment to prove this point. She stated that:

“I recently tested ads that featured an image with audio, a static image, a moving image, and a video and found that the ad with video converted at as much as half the cost of the others.”

While video definitely seems to be the way forward, it may not enhance every post or be what every consumer wants to see. Knowing what your customers will interact with is the main driving point behind content creation.

The rise of Facebook groups

This is another trend which is growing quickly, as seen on Facebook where businesses can create group pages where users can ask for or suggest business actions.

A Facebook revenue and statistics report found that:

“In a typical pattern seen in other social media with large user bases, engagement/reach rates are higher in smaller communities. Pages with fewer than 10,000 fans enjoy organic post reach of 8.18%, compared to 2.59% for those with more than 100,000.”

Businesses and brands can be active within the group to promote their own services and show to be helping their customers. The pages can be utilised to ask for customer feedback, launch new products and gain valuable consumer insights. 

It is important to remember that the group is there to engage with consumers, not to spam them with offers and products they have not asked for. This way you have a greater chance to keep them involved in valued discussions. The aim of such a group could be to:

• Provide value for customers
• Discuss current events
• Build your customer base
• Promote events

Taking these ideas forward and integrating them into a well thought out social media strategy could benefit you significantly. Understanding consumer demands has always been important in business and the use of social media has helped brands to understand these with greater certainty. If you are having issues with your social media strategy, or are looking to launch a new account and would like some help, please get in contact with us today.