How will business be using social media in 2021? We break it down for you here.
1. The ROI Race
In the fall of 2020, Hootsuite surveyed thousands of marketers to ask them what their most important social media goal would be for 2021. Surprisingly, almost 75% of them said “increased acquisition of new customers.” With in-store and in-person customer contact going out the window, companies are less interested in “improving offline customer experience” as a goal for 2021. Social engagement, live stream events and video marketing are going to be key in 2021. Here are a few things you can do:
- Add more channels to improve ROI and effectiveness.
- Make online buying fun.
- Work with influencers or share user generated content.
- Engage with loyal customers.
2. The Upside of Silence
In times of crisis, people use social media to distract and entertain themselves rather than connect with brands. Successful campaigns of 2020 have helped connect people or have provided lighthearted moments. Take Coors for example. Their social media campaign asking people to nominate someone who #CouldUseABeer ended in them sending 500,000 beers to engaged customers. Here are some pointers for 2021:
- With people sharing fewer posts lately, provide valuable content for people to see, rather than expecting them to reshare.
- Explore search analysis data.
- Leverage user generated content.
3. Don’t Ignore Boomers
Baby boomers are discovering more and more about how to use social media, video, gaming and mobile payments—especially through Facebook. Forty six percent of the U.S. adult population is over 50. Paying attention to this age segment will be very important in 2021. Here are some tips for the upcoming year:
- Target baby boomers by passions and hobbies, rather than by age alone.
- Depict older generations more accurately with creative imagery.
- Engage with consumer reviews.
4. Engagement and Identity
During the pandemic, 35.5% of marketing leaders surveyed said retaining current customers was their top priority. However, lack of data integration may be preventing them from actually engaging with the right people in the right ways. Companies with completely integrated paid and organic social strategies are much more confident in their ability to prove ROI of social media than those without. Here are some bullets for your 2021 resolution list:
- Don’t just engage reactively.
- Set clean objectives and goals.
- Gather measurable data from social engagements.
- Track all data from both organic and paid campaigns.
5. Be Bold and Purposeful
Millennials and Gen Z consumers now expect the businesses they buy from to be socially conscious and have positively affected society during the pandemic. Reputation is everything. You have to be able to talk the talk and walk the walk. Consumers are paying attention to make sure that brands are following through with their position statements. Going forward into 2021 you should:
- Revamp your internal social media policy.
- Establish a solid crisis communication plan.
- Leverage social listening.
By following these important social media trends, you’ll be ready to take on 2021. You’ve already taken on a pandemic; you can do anything!
