If there’s one thing that’s a constant in social media — and in digital marketing in general — it’s change.

What worked yesterday on social media may not work tomorrow, and ensuring that your social media management strategy is as effective as possible today is all about keeping up with the latest trends.

7 social media trends to focus on in 2021

#1. Video

TikTok is growing quickly, and even though it may not have a huge following in the United States yet, it has changed the game on social media in a big way for American brands and social media managers and marketers through its emphasis on video.

As probably the most engaging type of content to date, it’s no wonder why video has become dominant on social media. In fact, a Cisco study shows that, by 2022, 82% of internet traffic will be video.

Don’t wait until 2022 to start getting in on the video trend. Start making video creation a regular part of your social media management and marketing strategies.

#2. Ephemeral content

According to Search Engine Journal, ephemeral content is “rich media, primarily images and videos, that are only accessible for a brief period.” Some popular examples of ephemeral content include Snapchat and Instagram stories.

Ephemeral content works because it’s bite-sized and plays on users’ FOMO (fear of missing out). Users can scroll through lots of stories quickly because they are short and engaging. This type of content is also effective for building trust and reaching a wider audience.

Ephemeral content has grown in popularity over the past couple of years. According to Instagram, more than 500 million accounts use stories every single day! If you’re not already creating stories and other forms of ephemeral content, it’s time to start.

#3. User-generated content

There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now. And, with so much up in the air, consumers need as much peace of mind as they can get. That’s why it’s so important to make building trust a focus in your social media strategy.

There are a lot of ways to build trust on social media, but one of the very best and most effective ways to build trust is by getting more user-generated content and learning to make the most of it by utilizing it properly.

Here are a few tips for getting more user-generated content:

• Ask for feedback – Reviews are one of the most powerful forms of user-generated content, and the good news is that most of your customers will be happy to write one for you if you simply ask.
• Have a contest – Run a contest. For example, ask customers to take a picture with one of your products or check-in at your location.
• Incentivize – Offer exclusive discounts or deals to customers who post pictures or reviews of your products or services online.
• Support a cause – Choose a cause that falls in-line with your brand’s values to support and generate content around. Examples of this include Aerie’s #AerieREAL campaign and Dove’s Project #ShowUs.

When you start getting user-generated content, don’t just sit on it; use it!

#4. Influencer marketing

One of the main reasons user-generated content works to build trust is that consumers trust one another a lot more than they trust brands themselves. What a brand says about itself matters, but what consumers say about a brand matters a whole lot more. This is also why influencer marketing is so powerful.

Influencer marketing may seem out of reach for most small businesses. The good news is that it doesn’t have to cost a lot to utilize nano-influencers, and you’ll get better results than you would utilizing an influencer with millions of followers.

Reports show that nano-influencers get a lot more engagement than even micro-influencers, and that the more followers an influencer has, the lower their engagement rate (Smart Insights).

#5. Live streaming

New York Magazine did a survey that found that 80% of adults would rather watch a live stream than read a blog post, and 82% prefer live video to a social post, Because of this, and thanks to the pandemic, live streaming events increased by 300% between March to August last year (Uscreen).

There are so many reasons to start utilizing live video for your brand. For one, it provides a whole other level of transparency that helps to build trust and strong connections. Furthermore, it allows consumers to interact with brands in real time.

Live streaming can be used in a lot of different ways. For instance, you can stream live video of shopping events to showcase products and deals. You can also use live streaming effectively while providing customer service.

#6. Social listening

Saying the wrong thing — or even saying the right thing the wrong way — can hurt a brand’s reputation and demolish trust faster than you can say “Kylie Jenner Pepsi commercial.” If you want to avoid a catastrophe like this, a smart strategy is to talk less and listen more.

Social listening tools are making it easier than ever to help brands tap into the conversion to gain more feedback and deeper insight into what consumers care about.

With social listening, you can also engage more with social users who are talking about your brand, address and manage crises, identify consumers’ pain points, learn what consumers are saying about your competitors and more.

#7. Empathy

The pandemic is just one of the many reasons why 2020 will be of note in future history books. Economic crises, job loss, political unrest, mass protests and many other issues mean that people are dealing with a lot right now, and a lot of people are looking for a little empathy.

The typical “buy now” sales message is a lot less effective right now. People want to know that you understand where they are coming from and what they need, and adjusting to a more empathetic tone can help to demonstrate that.

Posting consistently is an important part of staying connected with your follower on social media and building awareness in your brand. Luckily, Marketing 360® Social makes it easy by allowing you to schedule social posts in advance across multiple profiles.

Plus, Marketing 360’s social media team is here to help you get it right as much or as little as you need them! See our plans and pricing.