GET A FREE CONSULTATION
Posted by Ushma Dave
January 31, 2018
If anyone asks about one thing that has revolutionized the world in the 21st century, it is the invention of different social media platforms that have given people an exceptional instrument to express their voices about almost anything. The social media platforms have given users a virtual personal space to put their opinions, likes, concerns to the public. In addition to that, they can also connect with like-minded people to discuss their concerns and subjects in a meaningful manner.
There was a time when businesses did not have any clues about how to use social media platforms for business development. Today, almost all brands have their official social media accounts and it has turned out to be the most effective medium to interact with their target audience. In fact, social media for business is no more an option, it has become mandatory if you want to have that competitive edge over your rivals.
According to research, social media users have gone from 5% in 2015 to 69% in 2016 in the USA alone. Social media platforms are the most powerful tools for digital marketing that you cannot ignore if you want to write a growth story for your business.
Another study by Ambassador revealed that 71% of users would recommend brands to others if their social media experience with the brand is superlative. If your business is not on social media, you are surely missing something. All you need to do is to hire a social media professionally and make your presence on different social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Linked In, and others.
2021 is already here and in this blog, we will discuss some of the social media trends that are likely to rule in the present year. We are sure that it will help you to design your social media marketing strategy effectively. Let’s start.
Influencer marketing is one of the most successful marketing techniques in which people refer your brand on different social media platforms and they get agreed to commission when users buy the products or services.
Research conducted by The State of Influencer Marketing 2017 asserted that 95% of marketers who practised influencer marketing strategy agree that it offers tremendous results. There are many renowned brands like Amazon, Flipkart and others that use influencer marketing to target new unexplored territories and a new audience. Furthermore, with influencer marketing, you can also reach out to your existing customers too.
In 2021, influencer marketing will be adopted as a key marketing strategy by brands to gain optimum sales.
Do you know what is Generation Z? well, it is a demographic set of people who are born from the mid-90s to mid-2000s and they are 22 years old with superior buying capacities. When you make your social media marketing strategy, you cannot ignore them. In fact, your strategy should cover them efficiently. They are on the verge to start their careers and have the buying power now.
According to a report by Goldman Sachs, generation Z is the segment organizations should focus on. It elaborates on the importance of generation Z and why you should lure them. Redesign your budgeting strategy by investing more on Instagram and Snapchat.
Augmented Reality is the future and you can foresee it noticing its popularity today. It is a technology that allows users to have a composite view by enabling them a placed computer-generated images on a user’s view. Recently, Apple has launched its new mobile series iPhone 8 and iPhone X with a new chip for augmented reality. With this feature, users will have different augmented reality experiences and they simply will love it. Snapchat is a perfect example of augmented reality with Bitmoji characters to make silly faces.
In social media too, augmented reality experiences will increase just like gaming and we will see more of it in 2021.
Shortly, brands will come up with different filters to see the products in your home to understand their advantages and needs. In short, augmented reality is here to stay for a longer period of time.
Earlier, Snapchat was a medium to send photos and videos to friends and others at light speed. However, the trend has changed in recent times. Instagram has come up with an interesting feature called Instagram Stories. It enables users to create their own appealing content and post on Instagram and as per the reports, half of Instagram users are using this excellent feature to inform people about what is happening with them. Whether it is a new product introduction, promotional event, product sales guidelines, or anything, businesses are using Instagram stories to reach out to the masses.
According to the experts, Instagram will redefine social media practices in the upcoming years.
You must be aware of the increasing popularity of original and enthralling videos. Videos are considered the best medium to engage audiences and with a live streaming facility, you can connect with your loyal customers in an easy way. Facebook Live is a popular example of how live streaming can be helpful for businesses. Whether you are having a product launch campaign, advertisements or any other event, you can go live and your followers will see the happenings live, just like football matches. It is fascinating and engages users instantly.
Experts predict that live streaming will be an integral part of the monthly content strategy of many businesses in 2021.
Till now, no social media platform has come up with virtual reality products in the market, but you don’t have to wait for them. Facebook is coming up with a special VR product called Facebook Spaces in 2018 that will give a paradigm shift in the way we use social media. With this VR product, users would be able to connect with their friends in VR. Oculus is a virtual reality hardware and software company owned by Facebook and is developing a platform to make the first VR product.
You must be aware of inauthentic pages and accounts on different social media platforms spreading lies and fabricated news about almost anything. In fact, Facebook and Twitter have received wide criticism in 2017 and they are likely to come up with different guidelines and approaches to overcome this issue.
In 2021, all the social media platforms will come up with different monitoring forms and artificial intelligence programs to check unauthentic practices.
There are millions of posts published on different social media every day and social networks want you to pay them to show your content.
A smart paid social media strategy is what you should focus on when you want high visibility with superior content optimization. Digital marketers need to focus on a paid social media campaign to ensure that they can reach out to the masses.
Brand participation in messaging platforms with artificial intelligence, voice assistants, and chatbots.
You must have seen a personal chatbox on the below right or below the left side of the website. Even you will find your favourite pizza retailer contact you on Facebook to take your order or to inform you about the latest deals. They are not actual persons, but virtual assistants who want to communicate with you. Yes, brand participation in artificial intelligence is what going to drive social media in the future.
If you want to get engaged with your followers in an instant and easy way, these artificial chatbots are the perfect tools for it. B2B brands are also eager to implement this tool for better and effective operational effectiveness.
No one likes to read something that is irrelevant, especially on social media. If you are posting generic, irrelevant posts on your business pages. Your followers stop following you and it is not something you are looking for, do you? Always ensure that you are posting relevant content on all your social media platforms to engage your followers. They want information about your brand, products, and services you offer, not about some random films, series, or political incidents. Don’t jeopardize your brand recognition by posing irrelevant content on your business pages.
Facebook was originally not developed for mobiles like Instagram or Snapchat. However, according to a report, 59% of Americans are using Facebook from their mobile phones.
Being a marketer, you need to ensure that you create mobile-friendly content that is engaging and relevant. In fact, all the content for various social media platforms should be mobile optimized to gain immense attention and visibility. It will surely pay you back.
Welcome 2021 with implementing these trends in your social media marketing strategy to enhance brand recognition and awareness and brand loyalty. Think out-of-the-box and ensure that your brand has a good presence on different social media networks. Hope you like this article. If you have any concerns, comment.
