Social media has been keeping many of us informed over the majority of the year, as a need to adapt to a new way of living has become apparent. We'll look at the social media trends to keep an eye out for in 2021, in this blog. 

Users’ continuous interest in using social media platforms, as well as it’s convenience has seen a range of major trends emerge. According to Smart Insights, half of the world’s population now use social media. Users’ are beginning to interact more with businesses via social media platforms; whether that’s to engage with content or for customer service needs. 

As more users enter the social media world, businesses are also now looking at ways in which they adapt and improve their marketing strategies to go in-line with their consumers and users’ online activity. Finding an innovative solution in the long term has become important from a business perspective. 

Customer Service To Improve 

As mentioned before, more users’ are opting to contacting businesses via social media platforms to solve their queries. It is seen as a more convenient way to get in touch, with timely and efficient responses. 

According to Gartner, by 2020, more than 90 % of businesses will be using social media for customer support. As brands maintain their image on social media, it is vital that they respond to customer requests and develop a direct relationship with them. Social media platforms are now enabling brands with customer service tools to enable companies to integrate social media as part of their marketing strategy.

Social media marketing allows companies to get direct feedback from customers, while bringing a more ‘personable’ feel to customers. 

The Use of Chatbots 

The use of chatbots are emerging and social media platforms such as Facebook, in particular, have implemented the use of chatbots. Chatbots come in very handy when dealing with a load of enquiries, or if you run a 24/7 service such as a hotel or global business. If someone is not available to answer a customer query, a chatbot will be there to step in. Chatbots are quicker than human beings in giving any data related answers as well as taking a new request. 

Video Content: The Art of Storytelling 

Video content is becoming a popular element of the social media timeline, hence the reason brands are using video to tell a story to their followers. According to Social Media Examiner, live video content is on the rise and more brands will be using it regularly going forward. 

Live streaming events via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram has become a convenient way for brands to showcase events but also a convenient way for followers to keep up and be a part of events, whilst interacting. 

Social Commerce 

Research by Visa has revealed that social media accounts for accounts for quarter of all online purchases. Social media brands such as Instagram and Facebook have enabled ‘Instagram shop’ and ‘Facebook shop’ on their platforms to allow users’ to purchase items. As online shoppers feel social media is a more convenient way to shop at the moment, due to how quick and efficient it is, brands such as ASOS and Levi’s have started selling their products through Instagram Shops, Facebook Shops and even Pinterest Catalogues. 

Augmented Reality 

Augmented reality is technology that takes the real world and projects virtual, computer-generated augmentations to it to enhance our experience.

With platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat in particular, we have seen implementations of AR filters on social media as the use of platforms increase in the midst of the global pandemic. AR filters have become so popular that Instagram now allows anyone – brands, businesses, influencers and even users – to create their own filters for others to use in their Stories. 

As technology continues to advance, we think this trend will reach a whole new level.

Personalised Marketing 

As the number of brands on social media increase, there’s more competition to be able to stand out from the rest and produce unique content. By implementing personalised content, this brings in more interactivity and encourages audiences to engage more with brands’ content. 

The major advantage of using social media for personalised marketing is that it provides a deep well of data, information and insights, all which can be used to better engage audiences. 

Social media channels can be used to present individualised offers, ads, product suggestions, or even tailored content based on demographic and previous product purchases. Many brands have taken full advantage of these elements.