What trends can you expect to see on social media in the coming year? 🤔
We venture a prediction.
2020 was a year like no other, and certainly not what we expected.
The entire world had to change its way of life due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was faced with numerous challenges. The pandemic brought about changes in a wide variety of areas— including social media, where a shift in user behavior can be observed. With people spending more time at home and having fewer in-person social contacts, various social networks saw a significant increase in usage.
In Switzerland alone, Instagram achieved a whopping +12.5% increase in users in just five months (October 2019 to March 2020).
Globally, an increase in monthly social media usage of around 21% was observed in March.
Social shopping 🛒
Social media is increasingly becoming a shopping channel. Amazon, Alibaba, and Google Shopping are facing serious competition from Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shopping, Pinterest Shopping, etc.
Social media offers users the opportunity to discover an item and purchase it on the same platform—this makes the shopping experience incredibly easy and straightforward.
The changes in people's everyday lives around the world are further supporting the trend toward social shopping.
Example of the Instagram Shopping feed.
Shopping on social media platforms has already become established in 2020. Pinterest increased the number of "shoppable product pins" by a factor of 2.5 in 2020.
Attractive new shopping features are also expected to follow in 2021, making online shopping even easier.
Instagram, for example, introduced Instagram Shop in 2020, a shopping feed that will continue to significantly promote e-commerce in the coming year.
So in 2021, it is important to keep up with e-commerce and, as a company, to take a closer look at the topic.
2. Social SEO 🔎
Social media increasingly wants to take over the role of search engines. With a market share of 92% in the search sector, its major competitor Google has not yet been seriously threatened, but search is changing.
It will now also be possible to search and find via social media.
Instagram has also evolved accordingly. In mid-November 2020, Instagram announced that it was expanding the search function in the US, UK, Canada, and other countries. Users can now search using keywords as well as hashtags.
This opens up a whole new world. And one thing is certain: the Facebook group (which includes Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook, among others) will not want to miss out on the opportunities in the search sector...
Pinterest has also established itself in the field of visual search. Now you can simply take a photo and receive image result suggestions directly: https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/pinterest-lens
2021 could bring some interesting shifts in this area, so you should start preparing for them now.
3. Live 📹
Live video formats have become particularly popular as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With social contact being avoided, it is even more important to feel connected through live broadcasts.
As a company, live formats offer an opportunity to build stronger customer loyalty, among other things.
4. Raise your voice 📣
The year 2020 clearly showed that social media provides a platform for opinions and voices that convey a strong message.
Source: Unsplash
The Black Lives Matter movement, for example, was able to leverage the enormous reach of social networks to inspire people around the world to reflect and take action.
That is precisely why it will be even more important in the coming year for companies to take a stand and express their own opinions.
Issues such as sustainability, equality, and diversity will become even more prominent in the public eye, and companies' positions on these issues will be scrutinized.
Update 4.2.2021: As predicted, Instagram itself also recommends becoming more active in this regard. So prediction 4 seems to be coming true :)
5. Reels 📼
After IGTV, Instagram launched another new format with Reels—short videos similar to TikTok. It was a huge success in a very short time.
Video remains on trend, with Reels offering a short format and IGTV a long format.
Reels has also been available on YouTube since November 2020. Facebook is likely to follow suit, thereby consolidating the trend. In 2021, the trendy TikTok video format will play an even more important role and gain relevance, if only to steal a march on its competitor TikTok.
Tip: It has been shown that reels that are no longer than 15 seconds perform better than longer reels.
We are happy to support you with your social media marketing.
6. Digital detox & digital wellbeing 💆♀️
Amidst all the trends toward more social media and more digital, there is also a growing realization that minors in particular should be protected from harmful influences.
Back in 2019, the WHO (World Health Organization) published a recommendation that infants up to 2 years of age should avoid screen time as much as possible and that less screen time is also better for 3-year-olds from a health perspective.
Last year, the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma" brought the issue further into the public eye.
In 2021, we expect awareness of healthy and mindful use of online media to continue to grow. Here are 11 helpful tips for greater digital wellbeing.
7. Disappearing messages à la Snapchat 👻
We are already familiar with the disappearing messages feature from Snapchat, which experienced a huge hype.
Facebook has now followed suit with "Vanish Mode," which makes messages in Messenger and Instagram disappear after they have been read. The feature is currently only available in the US, but will also be rolled out in Europe in the future.
WhatsApp already introduced this feature, which makes messages disappear after 7 days. This trend continues to promote the short-lived nature of content, just as with story content (see next point).
We consume a lot and quickly, which promotes the disappearance of content. Over the course of the year, other platforms will likely follow this trend.
8. Stories 📱
Stories are a format that originally gained popularity in the Snapchat app. Instagram made the format big, and by 2020 at the latest, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn had also jumped on the bandwagon.
Source: Unsplash
Why will stories continue to gain relevance in 2021?
User behavior has changed over time, and consumers' attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, which is why stories are ideally suited to this change.
Story content should therefore not be underestimated in the coming year!
Our experts will be happy to advise and support you in a personalized consultation.
9. Augmented Reality (AR) 👓
Never heard of AR? Watch out, because in 2021 this form of augmented reality will play an even more important role online.
Specifically, you can think of the various filters on Snapchat or Instagram, for example.
Due to the limited opportunities to visit stores, virtual fitting will continue to develop in order to keep pace with e-commerce.
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Sources:
WhatsApp (2020), About disappearing messagesEmarketer (2020), Augmented Reality in Social Media
Later (2020), Instagram SEO: 6 Ways to Increase Your Discoverability
Later (2020), 9 Predictions to Fuel Your Social Media Strategy in 2021
Later (2020), 8 Trends Shaping the Future of Instagram Marketing
Frobes (2020), Seven Digital Marketing Trends For 2021
Statista (2020), How is the coronavirus affecting digital media usage?
Statista (2020), Increased time spent on media consumption