A Look Ahead: Social Media Trends You Need to Know for 2021
This year has been unprecedented, and it’s challenging to predict what might happen next. However, some clear social media trends have been emerging! If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that COVID-19 has impacted the nation, and the globe, in every aspect of our lives.
According to a study from Talkwalker and Hubspot, the tone of 2021 will be influenced by the “four Cs” of COVID-19 content, which are: community, contactless, cleanliness, and compassion. Their findings suggest that these four aspects have become popular conversation drivers online, and 78% of people surveyed say that they want brands to help them in their daily lives.
Keep reading for more initial findings that will help shape our marketing strategies for the new year.
Audiences will be more aware of social issues
In 2020, users took to social media to show their support and voice their opinion on a variety of social issues and current events, such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the presidential election. These types of topics are incredibly important to consumers, and social media is used as their outlet to bring them to attention. Topics such as mental health, inclusivity, and social justice are important to keep in mind for the new year.
Nostalgia marketing will captivate your followers
In a year filled with anxiety and isolation, people want to remember the good times because connecting with positive memories from the past helps to cope with current happenings. According to the study, due to social and travel restrictions, social media mentions related to remembering the past increased from 13 million mentions to 24.4M million – an 88% increase. Nostalgia marketing connects positive emotions to a brand and gives it a sentimental boost. This type of marketing will be popular over the coming years.
Conversations will drive conversions
The pandemic has highlighted the need for brands to become more involved with their followers. Companies can no longer publish their content and walk away, hoping for the best. Now, it’s all about making connections with your followers to build relationships, which ultimately drives sales. The coming months are an excellent time to revisit your tone of voice strategy and tweak it to have a more conversational, human tone to both your content and community management.
Remixing is the new UGC
User-generated content has started evolving to include remixing. Remixing is the process of taking existing content or ideas and recreating them to express a user’s personality or ideas. You may have noticed that this is a popular trend on TikTok and Instagram Reels. For example, someone may post a video of themselves saying something funny. Other users can then use that same audio from the original video and create their content with it. While this trend is only just taking off, there will be opportunities for brands to provide templates for users to base their content off, inspiring more organic connections with consumers.
Social media giants are adapting
While Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have differences in audiences and demographics, these channels are still the biggest players in the game, and it is not likely that they will lose their dominance in the space. Even though TikTok continues to grow in popularity, the app still has a long way to go before it catches up to the larger platforms. These key channels have the size and capabilities to adapt to the latest trends and consumer habits in the blink of an eye. In 2021, they will still have a significant advantage over the social media market, consistently rolling out new features and policies.
Ready to rock your 2021 social media strategy? Call, DM, or email us at sbellem@bbrookstone.com to get started. We would love to help your brand grow and evolve with the times.
