Social media has taken the world by storm, connecting people and brands, making communication and marketing available to everyone. It is a powerful tool employers, users and companies use sometimes everyday to reach audiences, share relevant content and network with others.
It’s no secret that social media is constantly evolving and if you’re looking to stay ahead of your competition, you’ll need to know what’s coming up and what to expect. To help you out, here is a comprehensive guide to the top social media trends that you need to know this year.
Live Video
Live videos are one of the top trends in today’s social media environment. It’s a great way to interact with your audience in real-time, engage with them, and build a deeper connection. With live streaming platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitch, it’s never been easier to share your experiences in real-time.
Real-time responses, live Q&As and interviews also provide great opportunities to further engage with your audience. For example, brands could create engaging live videos to discuss new products or services, ask questions and launch polls to get instant feedback from their viewers.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has become one of the most effective and popular ways to market products and services. It involves utilizing the power of key opinion leaders to drive more sales and boost brand visibility. Brands are investing in influencers to help them gain visibility, attract more leads and ultimately convert more prospects.
Influencers have developed a loyal fan base who follows them for their posts, opinions and recommendations. By partnering with influencers, you can tap into those communities and reach more users. However, you need to ensure that the influencers you choose align with your target demographic and brand.
Chatbots
Chatbots are automated computer programs that can carry on conversations with users. They have been around since the 1960s, and they’ve recently been used more and more in the customer service space. It provides an opportunity to build relationships and get users to book appointments or make purchases without needing a human representative.
Chatbots are used to engage with customers, give personalized content, and deliver real-time support. For example, a chatbot can answer FAQs, provide a personalized purchase assistant and deliver post-sales follow up.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality (AR) combines digital components with a real-world environment, creating an interactive environment. It’s a great way to enhance user experiences and provide more engaging content. Using AR, you can create 3D models, digital objects, and detailed experiences.
It’s becoming increasingly popular among brands, as it allows them to create more engaging and interactive content. For example, a fashion designer could create an AR experience where users can see how the clothes look on them in real-time. It’s a great way to increase visibility, engage more customers, and boost conversions.
Stories
Storytelling has been around for centuries and it’s one of the most powerful tools to communicate with people. Social media stories provide a great way to share content quickly and engage with your followers.
Platforms like Snapchat and Instagram have “Stories” sections to share content that disappears in 24 hours. This gives users the freedom to post stories without feeling the pressure to create high-quality content. For brands, this offers more opportunities to engage with their followers and promote products or services in a fun and creative way.
Voice as a Search Tool
Voice search is becoming increasingly popular and is expected to dominate search engine optimization (SEO) in the near future. With voice-activated devices such as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, and Apple’s Siri, users can perform tasks quickly and easily without the need to type in commands.
Optimizing your content for voice search is key and requires different tactics compared to traditional SEO. For example, you need to include natural language and long-tail keywords to optimize your content for voice search. You also need to focus on providing quick and accurate information pertaining to the user’s queries.
Social media is an ever-evolving medium that always brings new opportunities to engage and reach audiences. To stay ahead in the game, it’s important to always keep up with new trends and use them to your advantage. The above trends are just some of the key ones to keep an eye on in 2021.
Using the right social media trends and tactics, you can grow your brand, increase visibility, engage your audience and increase conversions. So start implementing these trends today and watch your reach and conversions skyrocket.