3 Social Media Trends That Are Here To Stay in 2021
2020 was the year of the pivot. Travel plans were canceled, event spaces closed, and many of our work, community, and leisure activities had to be shifted and reimagined for an online space.
Consequently, we’ve seen an increase in screen time, online shopping, and additional time at home which has changed the way we do just about everything.
With all that went wrong (or simply another way than what we had hoped for), there was equally as much creativity that seemingly changed the way we interact with content, brands, and each other. Here are 3 social media trends that took the lead last year that will likely stick around for 2021 and beyond:
1. Going Live
Going live is the new black. Okay, so live videos were already hitting their stride long before the pandemic began, but now we’re seeing more people, influencers, and brands opting for Facebook Live and IG Lives to connect with their audience, fundraise, and launch products. With normalcy seemingly a long way off, you’ll be seeing more of this in the months to come.
2. Scroll-and-Click as the New Brick+Mortar
With a combination of quarantine, canceled plans, and social distancing, there has come a surge of online activity. With more screen time and fewer plans, the online space has become a hotbed for online shopping, beyond its normal scope. Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest have all become heavy lifters with their product tagging abilities paired with influencers and marketing gurus seeing a more engaged and present audience in 2020. Stay tuned for more shopping features, and, yes, more advertising in your feeds.
3. Authentic + Candid Messaging
Perhaps more than any other year, we’ve seen more business owners and marketers facing the camera and using their voice to speak for causes and to simply show solidarity with their communities experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19. Messages communicated authentically almost always beat out the engagement rates of polished images or video. So, if you haven’t already, embrace your platform. Channel your passion to encourage and inform your community about what matters most to you.
Moving forward, business owners and marketers will be channeling what they’ve learned (and continue to learn) during the pandemic into their content strategy and presence online. What have you learned this last year, that impacted the way you approached your marketing strategy and shared your message with your community?