Here are some of the top Social Media Marketing Trends to look out for in 2021.

December is here, which means it is time to start looking at marketing strategies for next year. This year has made some significant changes in the world, including how we conduct business and use social media. The social media trends to watch for next year have that in mind.

Focus on Ephemeral Content

Ephemeral content is something that has been gaining popularity throughout the year. Ephemeral content is content that only lasts for a short duration and then disappears. Facebook and Instagram’s Stories, and Snapchat are the pioneers of this style of content, which lasts 24 hours and then vanishes. Instagram alone has 500 million Stories posted daily worldwide. These are so popular, in fact, that Twitter recently created their own version, called Fleets, and LinkedIn added Stories as well, also following the 24-hour duration of its predecessors.

The reason that ephemeral content is so popular is because it is short, engaging, and people can spend hours scrolling through them. You can leverage this to help you connect with new customers by using ephemeral content as a means of storytelling. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is something we in the marketing industry are intimately familiar with, and stories are a new way to use FOMO to your advantage; if the story only lasts 24 hours, they have to look at it now, right?

User-Generated Content

This is one of the most valuable forms of content you can use on social media, and it is a trend that will continue to climb in 2021. There are a number of ways you can motivate your audience to share user-generated content with your brand.

You can offer customers a chance to be featured on your page by tagging you or run campaigns that encourage your users to share photos with you. User-generated content is free, and it can help give your brand authenticity in the eyes of your audience.

Influencers

Working with influencers is a huge trend that will continue to grow in the coming year. Social media, especially Instagram, is filled with influencers promoting various brands, and they have proven to be effective in helping brands extend their reach.

Startups have begun collaborating with groups of influencers related to their niches, which gets them better engagement and a better return on their investment. If you are working with smaller influencers, they can sometimes be less expensive than an advertising campaign while still delivering satisfactory results. This is something to keep in mind when planning your 2021 strategy.

Video Content

Video content has been a significant player in marketing for years now, and it is continuing to be one of the most popular and engaging content types. This is a trend that will undoubtedly continue in 2021.

There are multiple ways to use video content to engage your audience on social media. You can go Live on Facebook or Instagram, post small videos in Stories and TikTok, and use YouTube. Studies have indicated that by 2022, 82 percent of content online will be video content, so if your business is not using video content, it is time to jump on the bandwagon.

Stories and TikTok are an excellent way to get started because they are much shorter videos, and when you begin making longer videos, you can use Stories as teasers to bring more traffic to your videos. Before doing a live video, take some time to prepare; these can be stressful, and you will want to plan in advance.

Engaging Content

You want to engage with your audience and start a conversation with them. Getting your message out is only the first step in marketing these days; you now need to establish conversations with your consumers. With the pandemic and other social issues currently happening in the world, your audience cares more about your story than your products, so you need to offer engaging content to build relationships that will turn followers into shoppers and foster brand loyalty. Use your social media posts, videos, and even chatbots to build these relationships with your audience.

People want to see where businesses stand on certain issues before giving them their money, so making a stand clear on different social and political matters can help your business. You are essentially humanizing your brand to your audience. Approximately 88 percent of consumers have said they would rather buy from companies that are aligned with causes that they support; by taking a stance on certain issues, you might gain new customers.

Memes

Memes are now a major way to communicate through social media; about 55 percent of 13 to 35-year-olds send memes weekly, and 30 percent send them daily. This means, if you are using memes, you can get better visibility for your brand. However, you need to ensure that when you use memes for marketing, you have the legal permissions necessary to use the images. Also, it is important to keep in mind that memes can be used maliciously.

Conclusion

These are some social media trends to incorporate into your strategy for 2021 that can help you boost your business. Social media marketing can be complex for a business, but the experts at Bellevue Public Relations are here to help. Contact Bellevue Public Relations today to get started!