Everything you need to know about social media marketing trends today!
The social media world has exploded with activity, and the social media trends of 2021 have shifted since the onslaught of the COVID pandemic. Sure, it’s exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. You need to know how these changes affect your business—and how to take advantage of them to improve your marketing strategy.
Hence, we are venturing into the digital world to help you understand the social media trends and opportunities for 2021. Let’s get it!
1. Build a Relationship with Live Streaming
Human beings need to be connected for personal and professional reasons. When they can’t do it face-to-face, technology is happy to step in and bridge the gap. Luckily, new trends in social media have come to the rescue during this pandemic. Live streaming, a popular medium that only got stronger in 2020, will play an important role in 2021 as well.
People have become used to learning and exploring in live streams as they reach out to satisfy their need for social interaction and engagement. So, one of our top tips based on social media trends for business in 2021…
Go live on social media at least once a week! And be sure to include a call to action that sells your audience something valuable in the end.
2. give something for free
List building is one of the most valuable consequences of maintaining a social media presence in addition to nurturing relationships. When you post on social media, you can use your call to action to build your list. Free offers help make this process easier. Selling something valuable doesn’t always mean exchanging money. Your inventory is gold—your treasure trove of potential new customers and sales.
People will exchange their contact information so that they can get something valuable. For example, some people don’t have time to read every word of your blog post. A good blog article summary, or access to a hidden page on your site that provides summaries for your most important blog posts, may attract some of your prospects.
Other free offers may include the following:
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Access to slides from a conference
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In-depth guide and tutorial
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behind the scenes glimpse
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free report
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even more
3. Showcase Your Brand Personality with Videos
Good News! There’s still plenty of room to build your online presence, attract viewers, and build loyalty with videos. And before you say, “Really? Isn’t the YouTube market saturated?”, think again.
Yes it’s true. YouTube has grown rapidly and remains the top channel for video. But the doors are open for branding through personality-driven content. Your unique personality—how you communicate with your audience—sets you apart and helps you stand out. So, be authentic, be you, and have fun! Use videos to discover and grow your clan!
And don’t stop with YouTube. Make your way over other video channels. Here’s a list to get you started!
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igtv
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Instagram reels
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Twitter Fleet – New in 2021!
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Facebook
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Pinterest
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TIC Toc
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Snapchat
4. Stand Out on LinkedIn and Instagram with the Carousel
Let’s continue to engage in the social media trends of 2021 in marketing with engaging, movement-focused content ideas! Why settle for static LinkedIn posts when you can jazz things up with a carousel? That’s correct! You can create and publish fun slideshows! These allow you to stand out in a sea of text-based LinkedIn posts and create awareness for your company page.
Not to be confused with LinkedIn Carousel ads, you publish Carousel posts for free. These posts grab attention and generate interest in engaging, dynamic visual displays that take up more real estate in a feed. So be sure to include a clear call to action at the end!
Plus, Instagram users get a huge benefit from using carousels in their feeds. If a user doesn’t like the lead image and scrolls to it, another image is displayed on their feed. It gives you a second chance to gain engagement.
Ideas for sharing content in LinkedIn Carousel posts
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Statistics, Infographics, and Numbers
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Framework and step-by-step how-to instructions
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Actionable Business Tips and Lessons
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conference slides and event materials
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Excerpts from your blog / listing posts
5. Email and e-news are still the tried-and-true method
Tell your audience when you post something new: “This blog is going viral right now!” Yes, email and e-news are still some of the best ways to get attention to your articles and blog posts. So, keep growing that list! Then use social media to highlight content that your audience loves.
To achieve permission-based customer list opt-in, use constructive calls to action (CTAs) that encourage your prospect to trade their contact information for tips, how-to instructions and entertainment.
With so many new social media trends, it can be difficult to figure out how to maximize their impact. Knowing that these social media trends exist for business and knowing how to use them to grow your strategy are two different concepts!
Let’s look at some of the ways you can use social media marketing for your business!
6. Using Links vs. Audio-Visual Content
Whenever possible, use video, images and audio to draw attention to social media platforms rather than redirecting them to your published content. Social channels want to put people where they can influence them with advertisers’ campaigns.
Of course, you want them to access your content, sign up for your free gifts, and more. Here’s a simple Social Media Trends 2021 strategy: Try using the first comment under your post to post your link!
7. Connect with your tribe through social media comments
Respond in a timely manner to comments on your social media content. If people take the time to connect with you on social media, is there no point in keeping them engaged? That’s it after all!
Don’t allow comments on your posts to sit unnoticed. When you leave your prospects sluggish, you run the risk of losing their attention completely. If you engage with them, it encourages future engagements that lead to relationships, trust and sales!
8. It’s All About the Timing
The traffic of your social media posts depends on the first 10 minutes of the hour you post the content. Tag people and have your say to increase traffic flow, especially if it’s a live-streaming event. If you live stream every week, do it on the same day at the same time every week. That way, your audience can schedule it into their activities.
Are you presenting a one-off live stream? Receive the word several times in advance through different channels. Post your event details ahead of time via email, e-newsletters and post. If you have relationships with people who support your efforts, maximize those relationships and ask them to spread the word.
9. The Power of Social Media Comments and Bookmarks
You have a responsibility towards your audience to curate useful content. Whatever your industry, your audience looks to you for guidance, expertise and resources. You can’t create it all, so you’ll need to find reputable sources to share content. Social bookmarking sites provide a means to do just that!
And as social media platforms toy with the idea of taking away likes (e.g., Facebook, Instagram), people need to find other ways to indicate their approval for posts they liked. or found useful.
Arguably, Instagram is one of the most popular visual-focused social media trends for business and has become increasingly influential in marketing. To increase brand awareness, encourage people to save your Instagram posts (instead of just “like” them). Use a call to action in your image and text. A simple “Bookmark it!” There may be a ticket.
How else can your business benefit from these savings?
7 Benefits of Social Media Bookmarks
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Save and organize the resources you want to focus on later.
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Share resources with your team or audience.
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Tag content for easy reference and searchability.
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Build backlinks to your website from social media bookmarks.
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Drive traffic to your website. (People find and click on content that other people have saved on their bookmarking sites.)
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Promote mentions you get from others (bookmark articles that mention you and your content).
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Take advantage of SEO. (Search engines often bring up bookmarks in their search results.)
10. Ask Questions to Encourage Engagement on Social Media Posts
Want to encourage discussion and engagement on social media? To open the doors to communication, remember the power of the question. Make it interesting. It would help if you made a provocative question that people would like to share their thoughts with. A vague “yes/no” question such as “Agree?” does not discuss
examples of discussion-stimulating questions
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I am keen. Do you have a story to share of your experiences with _____? (Fill in the blanks.)
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How have you benefited from ________? (Fill in the blanks.)
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when was the last time you _________? (Fill in the blanks.)
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What is your favorite memory of ________? (Fill in the blanks.)
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Do you think there is a possibility of _______? What takes you to that conclusion? (Fill in the blanks.)
11. Ego Fodder
I know… it’s a very full word. But think about it. Influencers and industry leaders enjoy the limelight. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be effective. Tag one or more influencers in your post and ask them to share.
12. Social Media Commerce
Social media has become increasingly more influential in consumer shopping choices. And some platforms have taken advantage of this new social media trend by introducing shopping carts. Your customers can check out and buy your products and services without leaving the social media platform.
Again, social media platforms want users to stay on them for as long as possible. Feel free to take advantage of the tools they offer. This is a win-win for you and the platform.
13. The Power of Humanized Brand-Authenticity
And, finally, you may have noticed this growing trend. People value transparency and authenticity in their relationships—and this ideal is spreading to how they feel about the brands they support.
Social media marketing trends 2021 predictions from the pros indicate that your audience wants to know who you are and what you stand for. And businesses that align themselves with socially conscious disciplines are viewed more favorably by their customers.
Lean into yourself and let your light shine. Tell your stories. You are who you are, and there is a tribe out there waiting to meet and support you and your business!
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