Despite the many inconveniences of Covid 19, it has accelerated initiatives in the world of social media, the stakes being higher in a “no contact” context.
In fact, this trend has not gone unnoticed and the Hubspot and Talkwalker social media platforms have screened, to our delight, the 10 trends to follow to be a social media whiz.
1. See COVID-19 as an opportunity for your business!
Stay informed of the evolution of the pandemic and try to address the sorrows and needs of your customers through digital solutions. Show your customers that you care about their well-being and that means respecting sanitary measures. Focus on what is on the minds of consumers and try to make the connection with your brand, universe. The themes underlying Covid 19 are: community, no contact, hygiene, compassion.
Do not hesitate to take inspiration from them when writing your posts so that your audience feels concerned.
2. Focus on Social Gaming
In a context of confinement, Internet users seek to distract themselves, to set their minds to other things. What could be more entertaining than gaming and more specifically video games. Often untapped, gamers represent a potentially effective audience for brands hoping to stimulate innovative forms of social engagement.
Therefore, stay tuned for new trends in terms of platforms that connect gamers with their community (Twitch, YouTube, streaming). Be imaginative and merge your world with that of gamers. Get to know them, what motivates them and create specific content for this type of audience.
Part of the success of the Tenet/Fortnite partnership can be attributed to its ingenuity. Playing a trailer on a video game platform was such a novel technique that it got a lot of press mentions.
3. Remixing
The rise of remixing, that is to say the art of recreating existing formats, models or concepts to express one's own personality or ideas, is largely explained by the emergence of applications such as TikTok and Reels on Instagram.
Go crazy! And make digital assets, like logos or brand models, available to your audience to encourage their creativity while keeping an eye on respect for your brand. Interact with creators like Made.com, a home furnishing site that uses photos posted by its community on Instagram to create shopping experiences.
4. Memes
When it comes to communicating, social networks swear by memes, a fun way to interact with communities. But what is a meme? It is an idea through a short text and an image that spreads by being imitated and/or redirected. Forget emojis and GIFs, memes are especially popular with younger generations. 55% of 13 to 35 year olds send memes at least once a week. Don't wait any longer and share the user-generated memes and don't forget to mention the creator! This will only strengthen the link with the brand while encouraging other Internet users to create branded content in their turn.
5. Nostalgia // Resuscitate the past
In this time of uncertainty and economic downturn, this practice is increasingly common, and for good reason: consumers seek to return to happier times to forget the current problems. Thus, positive feelings linked to the “good old days” tend to accentuate current emotions. The appeal of nostalgia marketing is therefore obvious: by associating strong positive emotions with your brand, it gives it a sentimental edge.
Divide your audience into multiple demographics to ensure nostalgia marketing success. This requires an in-depth analysis of historical data: what were the popular trends in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s?
Netflix is a master at creating content that strikes a chord with its audience. To do this, the streaming platform has struck the right balance between creating original ideas and broadcasting series that play on viewers’ need for nostalgia.
6. Conversational marketing // Talk to your consumers
There are several means for maintaining communication with consumers and conversing with them. Things such as chatbots, social media messages and texting are all solutions that enable your brand to engage with its audience.
Highlight the human side of your brand, use accessible jargon, be honest and transparent. Use the words of your consumers from the data collected in chats, emails and calls.
7. Old fashioned marketing conquers a new market // Make way for the old.
In 2021, we will see a resurgence of “old school marketing” where brands will return to simpler ways of engaging consumers. Deploy relevant information, in particular via podcasts and newsletters. Use newsletters to grow your audience, in fact, 31% of B2B marketers agree that newsletters are the best way to generate leads.
8. The adaptation of social media giants to the new normal.
Today's major social platforms are expected to retain their hegemony in 2021 and beyond. They may adopt new features and adapt to trends in their own way, but their importance is unlikely to decline anytime soon. Therefore, communicate judiciously on your social networks. Do not be scattered and be present in the right place at the right time! Facebook, Instagram and Twitter must remain the pillars of your marketing investment to enable you to reach large and diverse audiences. Continue to analyse how you use each platform and get the most out of the features it offers.
9. The rise of digital disinformation
Social networks have always blurred the line between fact and fiction. Take for example the ultra-idealized lives of some Instagrammers or the fake Twitter accounts. This is why, starting in 2021, brands and social networks have made it their key role to highlight the truth and put an end to “fake news”. Studies point in this direction and find that 66% of consumers say that brand transparency is one of the qualities that appeals to them the most. So be careful and make sure that all your channels, social media, email accounts, etc. are secured in particular through an alert system to reduce the risk of hacking.
10. The impact of socially responsible audiences
In 2020, the socially responsible generation (and the future Alpha generation) has had an impact on brands, policies and society as a whole. This awareness says companies tend to be interested in topics such as mental health, inclusiveness and social justice. Engage your social responsibility in your strategy, listen to the issues that concern your audience. Focus your marketing strategy on your mission. A mission-driven marketing campaign will create a more emotional connection with the audience, fostering a sense of brand identification. Avoid social crises. Even if your brand isn't based on social issues, that doesn't mean you're out of reach.
Nike has never been afraid to express its political views. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement this year, Nike was quick to bring up the subject and clarify its position.
We are convinced that all of the trends mentioned above will help you to animate your community better. Don't hesitate to contact us to collaborate and create engaging content for your networks together.