2020 was a very tough year for all the people around the world. From zero record in November 2019 to more than 1.2B to date, the virus took over the year 2020. COVID-19 accelerated new ideas and discovered new issues that were disappearing but may not have happened without the crisis.
In this social media report, we will share the top social media trends in 2021 as defined by digital marketing experts, and by you, our readers. The top 5 social media trends included here are ranked from what customers think will be the most impactful to the least impactful.
What are the top social media trends in 2021?
- Conversational Marketing Strategy
- Nostalgia Marketing
- Socially-Conscious Marketing
- The Rise of Digital Disinformation
- Social Gaming
Conversational Marketing Strategy
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need for brands to connect with customers to the forefront. Brands now can no longer convey their message into emptiness and wish for higher sales. Instead, it is all about communications and relationships. Therefore, having conversations with customers will help in increasing connections with brands and generate sales.
Customers do not give much importance to sales. Instead, customers give more focus to information, engagement, and social issues that are improving engagement and future maintenance.
As per a recent study, brands connecting with customer stories will be the key in 2021. Conversational marketing is a process of engaging consumers through conversations, using chatbots, social messaging, and more. Furthermore, it is about developing relationships with customers through personalized content.
Nostalgia Marketing
The radical shift in civilization and lifestyle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has also extended the use of nostalgia marketing by most of the brands. Moreover, nostalgia marketing connects strong and positive emotions to a brand and gives it an emotional boost. During the times of difficulty and economic downfall, it usually appears more regularly as customers look to connect with better times to divert from current situations.
Furthermore, keywords on social media channels related to nostalgia shot up from a baseline of around 13 million remarks to 24.4 million (a whopping increase of 88%). The audience wants to cherish the good old days because connecting with old memories helps people cut themselves from their current conflicts.
Brands should thus aim to attach positive memory to their message because it will build an emotional and affectionate relationship with their customers.
When brands make customers feel good, they will relate that brand as a good brand.
Socially-Conscious Marketing
The most impactful social media trend is the rise of socially-conscious marketing. Socially-conscious marketing is about making an impact on politics, leading brands, and society as a whole. It ranges from issues such as #BlackLiveMatters, influencer Xiaxue saga, and many more.
Brands will have to engage more with social topics such as mental health and social justice in 2021.
The brands will have to make their marketing more socially-conscious. Hardcore selling tactics will not work for Millennials and modern generations.
The Rise of Digital Disinformation
The digital marketing industry can also expect 2021 to be the year social media channels focus on displaying the truth and silencing fake news. Social media platforms have always clouded the limits between fact and fiction—from the highly edited lifestyle of some Instagrammers to Twitter parody accounts. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the issue of fake news to the forefront. Moreover, society is facing an unpredictable future, and this uncertainty has formed a box of misinformation, with some fake news & stories leading to life-changing judgments.
The sudden rise of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an information void – consumers frantically wanted more information around COVID-19, which wasn’t easy for customers to identify an authentic source they felt they could trust. Therefore, it led to customers filling in the gaps for themselves, ultimately leading to a rise in fake stories, news, and conspiracy hypotheses.
Social Gaming
During the COVID-19 lockdown, the audience turned to video games as another form of entertainment. Lots of forums and groups were created around games, building entire communities dedicated to the various gaming fanbases.
Over the last few months, the audience who identify themselves as gamers has risen from 31.1 million in August 2019 to 41.2 million in July 2020. Furthermore, the conversations and communications between customers exhibit the trend.
Additionally, the keywords that come up more regularly are not related to the games customers play but rather who they play with. Since consumers are not able to connect face-to-face in the real world during the COVID-19 pandemic, they turn to develop connections in the digital world. These gaming communities are only going to get more active in 2021 and beyond.
Additionally, we have also listed a few social media trends that are in order of least to most popular among the brands.
#1. Remixed User Generated Content
User-generated content is a type of content that has been posted by users on social media platforms, which are then shared by brands to show how consumers are using or experiencing their product or service. Customers now seem to be creating content in new ways—or remixing it—by using a brand existing content and repurposing it to change their personality or opinions.
#2. Dominant Social Media Giants will continue their Rule
Digital Marketing Experts predict that the most popular social media platforms today (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok) will be just as significant in 2021 and beyond, so long as they continue to adapt to incoming trends. That means that the Instagram of today won’t necessarily look like the Instagram of mid- or late 2021, but the platform will endure nonetheless, changing to give its users what they need.
#3. The Four C’s of COVID-19 Content
The 4C’s of COVID-19 content are the community, contactless, cleanliness, and compassion. These topics are trending online and on social media channels, and they will probably continue to trend even if the pandemic gets over in 2021.
#4. Memes 24/7
Memes have become one of the crucial steps for online communication, with a reported 55% of 13 to 35-year-olds sending Memes every week. Brands should notice this trend, but they should also be conscious of the risks that using memes can hold since memes can cause harm if done improperly.
