Now we’ve settled into the new year, we are looking ahead to this years’ predicted trends in social media marketing. Take a look below at 5 of the top trends, along with our advice on how to take advantage of them.
1. Livestreaming isn’t going anywhere…
2020 forced many of us to move online in a way we never have before, for the world of business this meant developing livestream content to keep their audiences engaged. While in many cases this content came in the form of online conferences and webinars, livestreaming via social media platforms is not to be disregarded. In fact, it is an area that has seen enormous growth in the past year.
In terms of the platforms being utilised, many businesses livestream via Twitch, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Currently based on viewing hours Twitch is the largest streaming platform in the world. In the second quarter of 2020 over five billion hours of livestream content were watched by users on Twitch, this is a 56% from Q1 to Q2. The growth didn’t stop there either, in October a new record was set by Twitch for hours watched, reaching 1.6 billion viewers in one month alone, this was a 99% year on year growth from the previous October. If we were to consider the number of active monthly users, then as you may have already suspected Facebook with 2.7 billion monthly active users, is the biggest social networking platform with livestreaming features.
As for the consumers, a vast amount of them (80%) would like to see more video content from brands, with them stating that they prefer watching live videos over reading a blog post. That’s a percentage too high to ignore, so going forward if you haven’t already, you’re going to want to invest in livestreaming.
How to take advantage of this trend
Livestreaming, especially via social media doesn’t have to be difficult, you just have to make sure the content is of a high quality. Start with who in your team will be the most suitable choice for your charismatic and charming presenter/host. From there, brainstorm some ideas for content, perhaps you could make announcements or launch a new product, create behind the scenes content to give consumers insight into the workings of your business, hold Q&A sessions or even interviews with special guests. There are so many possibilities, get creative and utilise the tools the platforms offer to you.
2. Growth in Influencer content
Influencer marketing isn’t a new concept, in fact its one we’re now probably all too familiar with. These days you can’t log onto Instagram without seeing an advertisement posted by one of your favourite celebs, and you’ve got to admit it works. Consider how many times you’ve clicked on a link or have even bought something because someone you like and trust has posted an ad to social media.
How to take advantage of this trend
Influencer content doesn’t just have to be on a large scale, you don’t need to most recent winner from Love Island advertising your business. Actually, this would totally defeat the point of influencer marketing, unless of course you are specialists in the latest beauty or fashion trends. Finding niche influencers, that focus on similar topics to what you offer as a brand are the key to success. Micro-influencers (anyone below 10,000 followers) often are very good at engaging with their audiences, with less people following them they are able to interact on a more personal level, therefore meaning that their followers will trust them when they advertise a product to them.
Spend some time researching which influencers are excelling in a similar area to your business, reach out to them and build a relationship. You never know where it may lead.
3. Brand Authenticity
Next up is brand authenticity, this is something we touched on within the educational and storytelling areas of content marketing. Consumers like to build up a level of trust, a connection with the brands that they interact with. If your business is honest, and transparent with its audience then it is much easier to allow them the opportunity to do just this.
How to take advantage of this trend
There are lots of simple ways of doing this, to begin, its best to ensure that you are confident in your brand message, everything else will stem from this. From here, you could start by establishing a tone of voice for your social media output, one that matches the ethos of the business. Likewise, you could start to create video content, pick a representative for your brand who will engage your audience. Embrace the human side of your business, it’s much easier for your customers to connect with a real person.
4. Social Commerce will continue to grow.
This year has seen a major change in the way in which consumers shop. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, IMB reported that the transition away from shopping in physical stores to shopping online has been accelerated by 5 years, with an expectation of e-commerce growing by nearly 20% by the end of 2021.
Combined with this, there has been a rise in social media platforms incorporating or improving their online store features. An example of this would-be Instagram introducing the ‘Shop’ feature. This includes clickable ‘shopping’ tags, customisable ‘storefronts’ and ‘collection pages’ and an entire section of the app dedicated to discovering online businesses. Facebook uses similar methods to Instagram, meaning that consumers can buy products without leaving the app they’re on.
How to take advantage of this trend
First things first, if you are not already set up with an online shop or social media shop then your first step is to develop that. Omni channel marketing is the way forward for many industries. Providing your customers with a smooth and efficient service is key. If you already have a website and online store, check how easy it is to purchase a product from yourselves, is there anything in there that would put you off if you were a consumer?
Embrace the social commerce, it’s too early to say whether it will be here to stay, but for now it is a growing marketing and the perfect opportunity to reach out to a wider audience.
5. Personalisation
Personalisation is a powerful tool. It’s a global trend that is consistently growing in many areas of marketing.
It can be argued that it is difficult for brands to personalisation their social media output, and in many ways this is true. However, it is possible to personalise advertisements on social media. Many social media platforms offer targeted advertising features, which allow you to focus on very specific groups of consumers.
How to take advantage of this trend
Start by defining your target audience, think about age, gender, location, interests, etc. This will be paramount in helping you to narrow down who you want to target. Then create an engaging advertisement that is in-line with the chosen demographic, use this to post whilst applying the customization options. In doing this, you will be able to personalise one element of your social media output, ensuring that you’re reaching a new and relevant audience.
Round Up
There you have it, 5 of the top trends social media marketing trends you should expect to see in 2021. The world of social media is ever-changing, constantly evolving and you are expected to evolve with it. By tapping into some, or all of these trends you will only be benefitting your business. Developing your social media strategy will enable you to create a strong multi-channel marketing strategy. This can lead to creating a smooth, efficient and all-round positive customer experience.
Now you’ve read up on the Social Media Marketing Trends in 2021, why not discover more about the 5 Content Marketing Trends You’ll See In 2021?
