If you want to do a great job of marketing your business online, it’s vital that you make the most of your social media efforts. Using social media well is essential for reaching your target audience and building strong connections with them.

Unfortunately, social media is constantly changing and it can be difficult to keep up and stay competitive. Because of this, it’s important that you stay on top of the latest trends and let them inform your own social media strategy.

Fortunately, we’re here to help. Below we’ll list a few social media marketing trends that you’ll need to keep a close eye on in 2021.

1. Live Streaming Events

One of the most popular social media trends that should watch in 2021 is live streaming. The use of live streaming events on social media platforms had already been growing quite a bit over the past few years. However, COVID-19 lockdowns have accelerated its progress.

Now, live streaming events on platforms such as Facebook and Zoom are very common, and more and more businesses are getting on the bandwagon. Smart social media marketers are learning to embrace the many types of live content that can be used to connect with consumers. The popularity of live streaming will likely grow even more in 2021.

Whether streaming includes Q&A sessions, interviews, educational seminars, or other business events, live social media is sure to be a mainstay on the marketing stage during the coming year.

2. Social Gaming Communities

Another social media trend to watch is the rise of social gaming communities and platforms. Platforms such as Twitch and Facebook Gaming have risen in popularity during the 2020 pandemic. As a result, more brands are seeing the significance of this segment of the online community.

As these social gaming platforms become even more popular and as new platforms and communities emerge, companies and brands may get in on the action. It may become more common for businesses to spend significant effort to cater to these unique consumers.

Social gaming and social media are becoming increasingly intertwined. It will be important to watch how this relationship continues to develop in 2021.

3. Meme Marketing

It should come as no surprise that meme marketing is becoming more popular as well. Memes are as popular as ever among social media users and great businesses are learning to use their popularity to connect with their audiences in new and exciting ways. Memes are highly sharable and easy to make, meaning they are a great tool for businesses who want to build their business online.

On the other hand, there’s a dark side to the use of internet memes as well. Memes are also being used as a negative reaction to brands and this can be a big threat to the reputations of businesses online. Memes are powerful and sharable, and they can be used to spread disinformation or alter the mindsets of those who see them.

It’s important that you’re aware of both the good and bad sides of memes. Look for ways to use them to your advantage while also minimizing the negative impact they could have on your business reputation.

4. Growing Disinformation

In recent years, the line between fact and fiction has become increasingly blurred. Especially on social media, disinformation is on the rise and tensions are high.

With so much information spreading across social media, not all of it gets verified as fully accurate. This is significantly changing the digital landscape in unexpected ways. Especially in the age of COVID-19, disinformation is a reality that will need to be dealt with. If you find your brand wrapped up in a disinformation campaign, it could wreak havoc on your business.

It’s important that social media marketers remain aware of the growing disinformation on social media. They should also do everything they can to prepare for it and to reduce its impact.

5. Socially-Conscious Branding

These days, nearly everything has become politicized. It’s no surprise that many consumers are voting for their own values through the products they buy and the services they use. As 2021 goes on, more and more businesses will start to recognize this and align themselves with causes they believe in.

More companies will begin making stands on social justice issues, mental health awareness, and other important global, national, and local issues. If done authentically and in alignment with overall brand values, socially-conscious marketing can allow businesses to reach their ideal consumer while also making a positive impact on the world at the same time.

6. Conversational Marketing

Another trend that you can expect to see in social media marketing in 2021, is increased conversational marketing. Businesses are looking for ways to have one-on-one conversations with consumers and are making use of a variety of tools to do it. These conversations are happening in a variety of ways including through live chat options, live calls, and even chatbots.

While being authentic has always been important on social media, marketing online is becoming more conversational and businesses are now looking for new ways to have personalized 2-way conversations with customers.

Luckily, these conversations are becoming easier to have than ever before through the use of more social media features that facilitate this kind of personalized communication.

7. Nostalgia-Based Ad Campaigns

One of the biggest social media trends to expect during 2021 is a change in tone due to the aftermath of COVID-19. Because things have changed so drastically during 2020, consumers are mourning the loss of normalcy. Many are looking to the past for comfort.

Many brands will embrace this nostalgia and will keep it front and center in their marketing campaigns going forward. Through social media marketing, more brands will appeal to emotions when communicating with customers. Nostalgia and sentimentality will become a key element in social media content and ads.

If done right, this type of marketing may connect well with consumers who miss simpler times.

Keeping Up With the Latest Social Media Marketing Trends

If you want to build your business effectively online, it’s important to keep up with the latest trends. Be sure that you’re aware of the latest social media marketing trends listed above and consider using them in your own social media strategy if you want to have success online in 2021.

Looking for ways to improve your digital marketing strategy? Click here to learn how you can create powerful email marketing campaigns when building your business online.

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