In a short period, social media have become an integral part of our life. What began to stay in contact with friends and family soon became a channel for brands and businesses through well-connected social media strategies to link with their target groups.
Over the years, many social media trends have emerged and evolved through the rapid growth of this medium. The adaptation to these new and future trends helps companies keep themselves informed of the tough competition. Test and search for an enormous amount of resources with the best free social media marketing course to upgrade your skills in social media across the board.
Social media marketing is more important than ever in 2021. The article brings together the six best social media trends to reach and convert customers in the coming year.
- Â Growth in messaging apps:
In social media marketing, one of the latest trends in 2021 is messaging applications. The latest data shows that in 2023, there will be a worldwide 3.12 billion users of mobile messaging applications – a 24 percent increase compared to 2.52 billion in 2019.
Today, 90% of smartphone users worldwide use at least one messaging application, a vast business market for enterprises. In addition to communicating with most consumers with enterprises via messaging, this is undoubtedly a social media trend that is part of your business’s marketing plan.
And if you think about that, consider each platform’s potential. With monthly active users of over 1.6 million and 1.3 billion, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger can be the two most popular mobile messenger apps.
- Social Chatbots:
If more consumers shop online comfortably, they will also solve problems online. But chatbots from the past have left much to be genuinely desired. They could provide only the most basic type of assistance. Enter chatbots of 2021 powered by artificial intelligence. You are wiser and much better, and you can change things when it comes to customer support. Two things are meant. Users can solve their problems fast and without talking to an actual human being (always). Smaller firms can also serve customers even without a ton of workforce.
- The Proliferation of Memes on Social Media:
The first social media trend that you need to know about is not new, and you don’t have to be knowledgeable in social media to hear about it. But popularity has increased over the past few months. It’s the rise of memes we’re talking about here. Memes use, and mention rose to 24.9 million in July 2020, from 19.8 million in August 2019, a growth of only 26% in one year. Perhaps by chance, its use peaked at 28 million in April. That’s when lockdowns have been imposed, and internet users turn to their social media dose.
Indeed, almost nine out of ten (88.1%) US social media users reported that they spend at least a half-hour more every day on social media during the coronavirus pandemic. With the expected pandemic and resulting lockdowns in 2021, memes are more likely to continue to trend in social media. As a business owner, this is undoubtedly something to consider, even if you haven’t done so already.
- The key to YouTube growth is personality:
There’s a boom in online business, and YouTube is no exception. Many channels, including newer channels, are currently growing exponentially.
Differentiation in the middle of this growth is crucial to distinguish and reach your ideal customer. As YouTube gets saturated with topical niches, it also becomes more personality-centered. It means that your precious differentiator is your unique character, how you talk, and how you explain concepts.
- LinkedIn networking behavior changes:
LinkedIn is currently plagued by massive spam, making it more hesitant and skeptical for people to connect and offend by a sales pitch. Expanding spam ruins relationships and reputations but builds genuine relationships.
In 2021 marketers would like to focus on developing connections rather than collecting relationships with the sole aim of dropping a sales pitch after two interactions. Real 1:1 connections start when the connection request is customized and valued for the recipient.
The sophisticated social media marketer will make an effort to establish meaningful, long-term, non-transactional LinkedIn relationships.
Not only will the effect be stronger connections. A larger cohort of the ideal target audience will view and interact with your posts, which adds value to your career much longer than in a current campaign.
- More companies are using influencer marketing:
Another well-known tactic is influencer marketing, which will not go anywhere in the foreseeable future. Sixty-three percent of marketers intend to increase their existing influencer marketing budget in 2021 because the ROI is reasonable – $5.20 per $1 spent.
It is because consumers are careful about advertising and reckless of faceless corporate brands. They put confidence in someone they know – even if the relationship is entirely online. Social evidence comes in various ways, whether it’s family and friends, acquaintances, or an e-commerce’s customer review section. Consumers give these reviews more weight than a brand, in any case.
Social media is the domain of influencers, and it is beautiful to avoid being an enormous company with deep pockets to benefit from their benefits. Small and medium enterprises with a small budget can use partnerships with micro-influencers as a tool to influence marketing.
With that in mind, it is destined to be one of the most significant social media trends in 2021, the continued increase of influence marketing – particularly for micro-influencers.
Concluding thoughts
In the everyday lives and routines of people, social media plays a vital role. Some of them are so fond of it that they check their social media feeds first after they wake up.
Because social media are essential in consumers’ lives, sellers and companies flock to social platforms with the hope of linking up with customers. However, the content of social media is overloaded, and there is very high competitiveness. If you do not have a clear social media marketing strategy, it can be challenging to stand out. Staying updated on the current trends in social media can help boost your strategy and distinguish you from the crowd.
