Social media marketing is one of the best ways to connect with your target audience. The businesses that get social media right create the perfect content, with the right message, and post it at the right time. Yet, finding the right social media strategy isn’t always an easy task. As a business, the goal of social media marketing is to help your brand stand out and attract new customers. While creating engaging content is half the battle, you also want to stay on top of the latest social media trends.

If you are a business looking for new social media trends then this article is for you. Here are nine social media trends that will dominate during 2021.

1. Authenticity Is Key

With brands facing a global pandemic, many things have changed. In 2021, your business will need to develop social media content that shows authenticity. Consumers will interact with brands that foster a great deal of trust. One way to facilitate authenticity is by creating marketing campaigns that leverage customer experiences and showcase user-generated content. When a brand can do this in an authentic way it helps drive awareness that your brand cares about people. It also creates a deeper level of trust, which makes it clear why authenticity falls under the social media trends to watch for in 2021.

2. Video Content Is King

Another social media trend that will power your marketing strategy in 2021 is video content. While Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have already had video content, other video platforms are making it known that video is here to stay. From TikTok to Twitter Fleets, and LinkedIn stories, your brand should expect more video consumption from your target audience. Social media video content generates 1200% more shares than text and image content. While videos that are up to two minutes long receive the most engagement. With those stats alone it is clear that video content is one of the social media trends in 2021 that is here to stay.

3. Micro-Influencers Are More Important

To cover all the social media trends that will dominate 2021 you have to cover influencers. Influencer marketing is a social media trend that will continue to grow over time. While businesses think mega influencers such as Kylie Jenner are the only way to reach an audience, that is simply not the case. In 2021, you want to focus on micro-influencers instead. Micro-influencers have a more targeted audience. Their identity as an influencer is more attractive because they are seen as more personal and dedicated to the brand. Micro-influencers posting products isn’t all about money. They like sharing their experience which speaks to authenticity. Additionally, micro-influencers are less expensive than celebrities with millions of followers. Social media proof is best from friends and family, or people who really follow the brand.

4. Quality vs. Quantity

In looking at social media trends for 2021 it is important to understand that brands should be focusing on creating quality content instead of quantity. Consumers want to engage with videos, live streams, and story content. They do this with content that they find valuable. Successful brands aren’t the ones who post the most, but rather the ones who post the most quality content. Addressing the quality of the content is going to be the thing that separates good social media content from great social media content in 2021.

5. Creating Conversations

While conversational marketing isn’t one of the newest social media trends it still is something to implement in 2021. Social media is a source of connecting and creating conversations with your audience. In 2021, the way that brands create the tone of conversations with their target audience might change. Your business should focus on educating its consumers, and nurturing them through conversion. This is achieved by creating a thoughtful and personalized conversation that has an empathetic tone.

6. More Brands Will Leverage Technology

With the social media trends that are changing in 2021, you can expect technology to be apart of it too. Technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) will become a more integrated part of social media marketing. The augmented and virtual reality market is expected to have a supercharged amount of growth by 2022. While in the past social media has been slow to adopt technologies such as AI and AR, that is changing. Brands are beginning to use it as a way to personalize their marketing content.

If your brand began to use Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality it could help customers along their buying journey. By using technology in this way your business can boost awareness and product discovery. AR can help your brand transform the customer experience, allowing your customer to have a more interactive shopping experience. For example, Sephora, the cosmetic brand uses AR (along with VR and AI) with their Sephora Virtual Artist app. A healthy balance between AI and human interaction can drive more authenticity, trust, and help customers buy. While this is a new social media trend, it goes to show how using technology in marketing can open opportunities for brand innovation.

7. Bite-Size Content Works

As TikTok and Instagram Reels continue to grow in popularity the need to create bite-size content is one of the social media trends to consider in 2021. Brands that want to continue high levels of engagement should create content for Stories on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. The attention span of the average consumer continues to shrink. Not creating bite-size content that is easily digestible is a sure way to get your content overlooked.

8. Revamped User Generated Content

User-generated content, or UGC, is one of the best current social media trends that will continue to expand in 2021. Content that has been posted by your brand’s users and then shared is how you showcase your customer experience. One way that brands can revamp their User Generated Content is by allowing users to leverage some brand assets. Creating things as templates or filters can give users new ideas on how to showcase their brand experience.

9. The Social Media Detox

One of the last social media trends to look out for in 2021 is the social media detox. After the social media controversy with Cambridge Analytica in 2021, some users began to detox from social media. Some users are choosing not to use social media due to how it affects their mental health and productivity. Even in a digitized world, a good business will have a flexible marketing strategy to address changes like these.

Navigating 2021 Social Media Trends

Many aspects of the social media world will continue to change. Learning how to navigate the social media trends of 2021 will make a big difference.

If you need help with your marketing strategy to address these social media trends, we can help. Contact us today to get started!