In recent years, there has been a significant growth of online activities and with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the usage of social media has grown even more.
That said, social media marketing is becoming crucial for all businesses in this digital era. And to gain the most out of it, you must review your social media strategy regularly.
Here are six social media marketing trends to watch out for!
1. Stories
According to Mediakix, about 400 million people use Instagram Stories every day and one-third of Instagram users become interested in products through Stories.
Started by Snapchat, Stories are becoming increasingly popular especially on Instagram. Stories enable more interaction with followers as it offers functions such as question box, voting, product stickers, countdown stickers, and more.
Currently, about one-third of Stories are created by business accounts. Most businesses use Stories to post short videos or behind-the-scenes to engage the users.
In short, Stories can improve the interaction between brands and users through various functions. So, if you haven’t tried Stories yet, you should give it a try now!
If you don’t have a team that can make short video ads, you can consider hiring a digital marketing agency.
2. Videos
A video is an effective method of social media marketing. On average, people watch 2.5 hours of online video every day. Additionally, most people prefer learning about a product or service through videos.
Besides users, many video marketers have observed;
A significant increase in website traffic after they started video marketing.
An increase in sales
Higher engagement(likes, comments, shares, etc.)
In general, about 86% of companies across the globe are already using video marketing, and this trend is likely to continue as more companies are planning to start video marketing in 2021.
You can start your video marketing on major social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. In fact, YouTube offers many free SEO tools that can help identify the right keyword and rank higher on the YouTube search result page.
3. Chatbots
Chatbots are an online conversation system that assists customers and visitors using artificial intelligence and are set to change the customer service landscape. Interestingly, chatbots can solve more straightforward queries without human intervention and provide 24/7 service.
Statistics reveal that chatbots can save up to 30% of customer service’s operation cost and currently there are over 300,000 chatbots on Facebook. Chatbots can be deployed on all major social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook to assist customers. Some businesses deploy chatbots to answer questions like opening hours and other frequently asked questions and improve their customer experience.
Additionally, several chatbot builders allow you to create a chatbot without coding and deploy it across multiple platforms like WhatsApp, websites, and other social media platforms.
With advances in AI, the functionality, and advantages of chatbots are likely to expand rapidly.
4. Live streaming
If you think live streaming is related to gaming, think again. In 2020, Twitch saw 1,116 minutes watched and 6.9 million monthly streamers, with a 69% and 90% yearly growth respectively compared to 2019.
Live streaming is also expanding to other niches such as “live shopping”. It is the latest online shopping trend that combines social commerce with live streaming. It generated a whopping $ 60 billion in global sales in 2019 and is likely to continue rising.
Currently, Instagram Live Shopping is available for brands and creators to sell products during a live broadcast. Many brands even use this feature to collaborate with influencers and creators to drive sales. “Amazon Live” by Amazon allows sellers to promote their products by hosting live streams on the platform.
5. Social commerce
Social commerce or shopping online is also on the rise. Users find it convenient to shop on social media and are more engaged as they can like, comment, and share content.
Statistics show that;
30% of online users purchase directly from social media platforms,
50% of millennials prefer shopping through social media.
84% of online buyers first check for the company’s social media account before purchasing.
Social commerce is one of the fastest-growing social marketing strategies globally and is likely to increase by one-third in 2021.
Instagram is a popular social media platform that introduced a shopping function in 2020. It allows users to visit a shop from a business’s Instagram feed, profile, and Stories. Visitors can search for products and checkout directly on the app, providing a seamless shopping experience.
Facebook’s Marketplace function allows users to list and sell products. The company also introduced Facebook Shops for small businesses which are similar to Instagram Shop. Users can access Facebook Shops via the business Facebook page, Stories, Instagram profile, and ads.
6. Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has been an important marketing strategy and will continue to grow. Reports reveal that 63% of marketers plan to invest more in influencer marketing in 2021.
Interestingly, micro-influencers with less than 25,000 followers have the highest engagement rate of 7%. This is because followers tend to treat such influencers as friends and value their word-of-mouth.
Consumer-based content will dominate in 2021 as users seek customized content and addressing users’ real concerns will be more effective in marketing. For example, the Q & A function in Instagram stories help influencers to know their followers’ concerns. This helps users get to know more about the products and encouraged them to make a purchase.
Additionally, companies are building long-term relationships with influencers and ensuring their contracts are popular. Repeated promotion of products and services is also appealing to followers as it makes them more reliable and trustworthy.
Final thoughts
The social media landscape is ever-changing. Therefore, it is important to watch out for the latest trends and act accordingly. That said, remember not one strategy works for all. Try different strategies and see what works best for your business.
If you are looking for social media marketing experts for your business, contact us today.