{"id":155839,"date":"2020-12-11T06:00:31","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T11:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=155839"},"modified":"2020-12-10T18:58:59","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T23:58:59","slug":"4-social-media-trends-to-leverage-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2020\/12\/4-social-media-trends-to-leverage-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"4 social media trends to leverage in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

People spend a good part of their days on social media, and so it is becoming increasingly influential in our lives. In this article, we have identified four social media trends businesses and content creators should pay attention to in 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If we didn\u2019t realise it by now, social media is here to stay, and to many, it was vital source of entertainment during the lockdowns and social isolation that became the norm over 2020. In the world of business, social media promotion has grown in popularity, and the platforms owners themselves are not only capitalising on that popularity to generate revenue, but also to continue to ensure that their platforms evolve to meet the needs of their subscribers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As expected, dozens of social media trends have been reported; however, many emphasise particular platforms or have a specialist slant. Here, we have identified a few of the key trends that are likely to dominate in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1.  Video will continue to flourish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This trend came to the fore over two years ago, and does not seem to be waning. On the top social media platforms, video content is encouraged, as it tends to keep users on the site longer. Moreover, people are eager to view and engage video content, and so social media platforms are expected to improve their video capabilities to better serve that need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, and over the course of 2020, we saw an explosion in video streaming content, such as from webinars, live interview and panel discussions. With people still not prepared to travel, and with large group assembly still banned in most countries worldwide, in-person conferences and events are likely to be few and far between in 2021, whilst online events, many of which will be streamed, are expected to increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2.  Authenticity continues to matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the deluge of content available on social networks, and with the uptick in influencers, brands promoting their products online, and those eager to make a living creating content, users are becoming more discerning about the content on which they spend time. increasingly, consumers are gravitating to authenticity: that the brands and the people promoting brands are genuine, and are not just trying to sell them \u2018stuff\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authenticity is especially important among GenZ and Millennials, as they tend to prefer visual, raw, and real content. Further, and among those two cohorts, they also need to identify with brands, and with content creators, and feel as if they share common values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3.  Social commerce is in<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Collapsing the number of steps needed to close a sale, increases the likelihood that when someone fancies a product, they will complete the purchase before they have a chance to have second thoughts. Generally, if a product is being promoted on social media, and the user is interested in purchasing it, they would either need to go to the seller\u2019s website, find the product, and thereafter, go through the process to complete the sale, or contact the seller, such via telephone, email, or chat, and make some arrangement to secure the product. In most of those scenarios, it is a drawn out process \u2013 giving the prospective buyer time to get frustrated, bored, or lose interest in the purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, increasingly, micro and small businesses, in particular, have been establishing social network pages, and have been promoting their products and services via those channels. \u00a0However, they do not always have the wherewithal to be able to accept payments online. Having e-commerce integrated into their social accounts removes much of the headache and challenges many have been experiencing, and allows them to complete sales faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4.  Content is still king<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finally, and although it almost goes without saying, it is still worthy to emphasise. Essentially, and as much as social media has become big business, and has grown in sophistication over the years, the highly polished and produced content may no longer get the traction it had in the past. To a some degree, this phenomenon may be due to the growing thrust towards authenticity, and people gravitating not just to the content, but also to more scrappy<\/s> real productions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, and once again, with the overwhelming amount of content available, on almost any subject, content creators may need to change tact, and become more attuned to how their audience is feeling. As a result, sharing more information, being more engaged, and even tackling social issues, could allow for more creative content, and a more responsive and engaged audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image credit: Blogtrepreneur<\/a> (flickr)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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