Five Trends That Are Coming Our Way In Social Media Marketing

At the beginning of the year, in particular, many online marketers use the time to think about the coming year and the social media marketing coming trends. 

Stories

Whether on Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp, “Stories” functions have conquered the world in the past year. The experts surveyed by Swat.io agree that their triumphant advance will continue in 2021. Stories are direct, personal and allow brands to tell “human” stories. For example, that “the shift in user behavior from feeds to stories on all platforms” will continue and recommends that this popularity be taken into account when developing ads.

Messenger Marketing

According to the survey participants, communication via messenger apps will also play a significant role in the marketing mix of 2021. Whether WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Instagram, chatbots in customer service, content distribution, or customer loyalty measures will become more relevant. But direct contact via private messages is also becoming increasingly popular. It will be essential for companies to integrate their messenger marketing into their channels and processes in a targeted manner.

Live Video

Facebook and Instagram, in particular, are currently relying heavily on moving images and live content. The surveyed social media experts see a further major trend for the current year in both. However, live videos pose new challenges for marketing departments in companies, as they should express a certain spontaneity and authenticity but still have to be planned. The interactivity that makes this possible makes live videos a key element in the relationship between brands and their followers .” In any case, new, creative format ideas for moving live content are desirable, according to the respondents.

Professionalization

Trend number 4 does not refer to specific functions or platforms but the general strategies of companies. 2021 will therefore be a year in which the social media marketing industry is becoming more professional. Above all, this includes:

1. Further expanding solid and functioning foundations.
2. Improving processes.
3. Developing strategically-focused and data-based dialogues.

Ultimately, the decisive factor for professionalization will be the cost factor. Because when it comes to reaching as many people as possible via social media, “companies will increasingly have to rely on fee-based options and creative, unusual strategies.” 

KPIs

The call for better measurability of social media activities is also mentioned several times. In addition, the respondents assume that in addition to the professionalization above, the topic of monetization will continue to be promoted. The interface between social media and business administration  is also becoming important in the small and medium-sized sector. 

Requirements or critical figures such as CAC, ROI, or CL, V are on social media manager land tables. ” A challenge here will be that the (at least what feels like) different social media camps of the “community and performance factions” approach each other, learn from each other, and measure their results with the exact vital figures.

More Social Media Trends

In addition to the top 5 trends mentioned, topics such as “community building,” “spoken content,” as well as “paid content,” and “consolidation” have been identified as crucial developments for 2021 by the industry. Therefore, active community building continues to play a role because, in this way, long-term relationships can be established that create customer-oriented experiences with the brand or product. Establishing affinity groups is an excellent opportunity for companies. Therefore, this year the brand values ​​and the mission should be placed at the center of communication.

“Social media are becoming more auditory: voice assistants, voice control, and AI help ensure that voice messages and spoken content become more important. 

In 2021, companies will also notice that an efficient reach for their content can only be achieved with the targeted use of paid options. In this respect, it is crucial to deal intensively with the respective possibilities and, if necessary, to adapt your strategies.

Also Read: The Five Most Important Social Media Trends For 2021