Many marketers predicted that social media was going to be especially big once the world rang in 2020. However, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, it blew expected growth trends out of the water, essentially skyrocketing social media’s influence and power. With most of the world confined to their homes to avoid transmitting the virus, they’ve turned even more to social media to stay connected, boosting its reach further.
Almost half the world’s population used a social network once a month in 2020, according to research by eMarketer, which was an 8.1 percent increase from 2019. People expect the number of users to grow by 3.7 percent this year, which is a testament to the sheer scope of the online world. For this reason, businesses must leverage social media and ensure they speak their target audience’s language by creating specific, relevant, and innovative digital experiences, primarily through a refined video marketing strategy.
Here are a few trends in social media marketing in 2021 that will help your business get the attention it deserves:
Prioritizing Video Marketing
One of the social media stars of 2020 was undoubtedly TikTok, a short-form video platform that has surged in popularity across various demographics. The platform is known for its influential music and user-generated content and its ability to start and sustain trends.
Not one to rest on its laurels, Instagram launched a video-creation platform to contend with TikTok, called Reels. Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn also rolled out video features to keep their users engaged. These moves by tech giants further underscore the importance of video marketing in your business, as video receives the most engagement out of any other platform. By investing in a video strategy and creating original, captivating content, you’ll be attracting your target audience to your virtual doorstep in hordes.
Diversifying Your Platform
Another trend that has been on the rise in 2021 is diversification. Audiences have scattered across different platforms for different purposes, which means more accessible growth opportunities for businesses to reach their target market.
Each social media platform has its own targeting benefits, so it’s essential to tailor your content according to the platform to make sure you grow, convert, and retain your customers. Producing platform-specific content that feels like it belongs to each channel will give your followers more incentive to follow you on your other profiles as well, deepening your reach.
Creating an Online Community
Given government-imposed lockdown restrictions and social distancing guidelines, many people flocked to the Internet to look for an online community and stave off the loneliness of mandated self-isolation. For this reason, many consumers across all demographics have become more fluent in social media, which means better access to your target audience.
For instance, audiences that have historically been hard to reach on social media, such as Baby Boomers, are now constantly on social media to look for more information, entertain themselves with content, and connect with other people. By creating an online community across your social media platforms, your users will feel like they are heard and belong to the space you’ve cultivated for them, establishing their trust in your business.
Taking Advantage of eCommerce on Social Media
Lastly, many social media platforms have begun to integrate eCommerce into their apps and websites. Facebook introduced Shops on its platform and Instagram last year. TikTok is also set to focus on eCommerce this year as its local Chinese counterpart, Douyin, generated most of its revenue from in-stream purchases. Be sure to take advantage of these features so your target audience can instantly access your products, learn how much they cost, and move seamlessly further down the funnel.
Conclusion
Social media is constantly growing and evolving, and for your business to survive, you’ll need to make sure you keep up. By following these trends, your company will stay relevant and connected to its target audience.
Lavender Digital is an Atlanta video marketing agency specializing in video production, video strategy, and online video advertising. We tailor each of our videos to captivate audiences, inspire them to take action, and drive results. Schedule a complimentary Discovery Session today!
