5 Social Media Trends To Look Out For

As social media sites add new features and modify their algorithms, social media trends evolve as well. Take, for example, Instagram Stories. Snapchat was famous for its vanishing, FOMO-inducing material a few years ago, but there didn’t seem to be much of a demand for similar features on other networks. On Instagram, approximately 500 million users use the function on a regular basis, and additional platforms are implementing similar capabilities.

That demonstrates how fast we adapt to new social media trends.

These fast shifts create a whole new set of challenges for businesses and social media marketers, who must continuously evaluate their current tactics and pivot to include new forms of content in their repertoire. Marketers must constantly monitor the newest developments impacting the future of social media and adjust their strategies accordingly.

1. Instagram Stories Are Important Too

Every day, more than 500 million people interact with Instagram Stories. So, despite the fact that Instagram Stories were already the most popular content format the previous year, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

If they haven’t already, brands will need to get more organized and prepare for Stories as a form of content in their publishing schedules. More significantly, the video will become more popular as a Story format as it appears to outshine pictures.

According to Social Insider research, pictures in Stories have a 5.65% greater tap-forward rate than videos. The number of individuals that watched your Story but went on to the next one before finishing it is known as the tap-forward rate. The same study discovered that photographs in Stories had higher drop-off rates than videos, indicating that consumers prefer to watch videos.

2. It’s All About Authenticity & Transparency

Consumers want brands to be more authentic. This necessitates preserving your items’ and operations’ authenticity and openness. You must be honest with people if you want them to trust you.

What better way to accomplish so than by using social media?

If you’ve made a blunder, admit it with a sincere social media statement. Allow your consumers to contact you at any time if they have any difficulties or disappointments. Instead of removing unfavorable comments, contact them directly and demonstrate that you care about their concerns. You can’t expect to ‘get away’ from attempts to ignore, erase, or otherwise push errors under the rug now that audiences are more socially aware than ever.

3. The Rise Of Augmented Reality (AR)

Recent developments, similar to those that have expedited the acceptance of virtual reality, have hastened the adoption of augmented reality (AR) experiences, especially in the social sphere. AR, unlike VR, does not require any additional technology beyond a smartphone, making it even more accessible. It’s also recognizable from experiences like dynamic picture filters, which have been around for a long time on a variety of social media sites.

Augmented reality experiences are by their very nature interactive and engaging.

AR filters are fast becoming a popular way for brands to promote new items or stimulate fan involvement on social media. This keeps your audience interested and amused, and with the appropriate advertising, it may even help you attract new consumers.

Due to the limited availability of brick-and-mortar stores in 2020, AR may be useful in driving sales. In 2019, Instagram introduced AR shopping options that allow you ‘try on’ items using your phone camera, and AR experiences that help you see products in your own home are only going to grow in popularity.

Including augmented reality (AR) in your social media marketing plan for 2021 might help your company stand out. Creative and engaging content are among the top qualities that make a brand’s social presence stand out, according to the 2020 Sprout Social Index.

4. Live Streams Are Here To Stay

Many companies went digital to preserve social distance and avoid the spread of COVID-19 during the worldwide health crisis of 2020. Live concerts became live streaming of musicians playing from their homes, while face-to-face meetings became Zoom conferences.

As a result, the adoption of live streaming services on social media has increased. Messages and live broadcasting on Facebook skyrocketed, especially in COVID-19 hotspots like Italy. In only a week, for example, the number of views on Instagram and Facebook Live doubled.

People have grown accustomed to being able to engage with companies live without ever leaving their homes, and this situation will continue to evolve in 2021. 

As a result, live streaming will continue to gain traction and should be included in your social media marketing plan.

5. E-Commerce Is The New Shopping Mall

We’re seeing more features and tools that promote quick and easy purchasing as the social media sector adapts to improve the customer experience. For example, you may add product tags and enable simple checkout on Instagram without ever leaving the platform. You may create a Shop on Facebook that people can explore and purchase directly from the platform.

Given the importance of social media in purchasing choices, this might be the ideal tool for marketers to use in 2021. Keep in mind that 54% of social media users conduct product research on the platform. Furthermore, 71% of consumers are influenced by social media referrals while making a purchase.

When you add e-commerce to the mix, you have a customer journey that is simplified and shortened. When your audience sees a product they like on social media, they don’t have to travel to the website to find it. They may purchase it directly from the site, which is expected to minimize the number of transactions that are abandoned.

In fact, merely having a buy button improves the chance of purchase and aids in the progress of social interactions.

As a result, one of the top social media best practices for 2021 is to create social media shops and make your posts e-commerce shoppable. You risk losing potential consumers if you don’t change your plan to match shifting audience behavior.