Social Media Trends to Look Out For in 2021

This time last year, Air Social’s Managing Director, Alex Vinall, gave a talk called “2020 Vision: An eye on future trends in digital marketing”. In this talk, she emphasised the importance of establishing an authentic rapport with clients and earning their trust. She went on to emphasise the importance of clarity, and then noted how video and Chatbots were poised to become an essential component of digital marketing strategies. She failed to mention that the world would be shut down by a global pandemic, but we think we can forgive her for that oversight! However, over the past year, the importance of video has become self-evident, and Chatbots are commonplace in their use, with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) behind them developing at a rapid pace.

What trends should we expect to shape our social media experience in 2021? What areas should digital marketers be keeping a close eye on?

Influencer Marketing

Influencers are not a new phenomenon, but the way AI connects you with relevant ones is! In 2021, we see AI becoming better at determining an Influencer’s actual influence, and this will be an invaluable tool for your marketing efforts. Micro-influencers who appeal to niche audiences will start to get their time in the spotlight. You can read more about using Influencers to promote your brand.

New Ways of Searching

Imagine being able to take a photo of something and see immediate search results; this will become a mainstream approach to online searching very soon. You will need to get your marketing caps on as we might see a return to some more mainstream forms of public advertising. Pinterest’s Lens is the most popular visual search tool of 2020 and “turns your phone’s camera into a search bar”. Definitely watch this space.

Shoppable posts

With more businesses shifting their products online than ever before, shoppable posts and e-commerce features are the ones to watch in 2021. This year, Instagram has become a digital storefront for many brands and creators, and with its new e-commerce tools, such as Instagram Shop, it has created a more streamlined way for customers to discover shoppable products. Instagram Shop isn’t the only feature in Instagram’s toolbox; Instagram also has e-commerce tools, including Story stickers, Shopping from Creators, Instagram Checkout, Live Shopping, and, most recently, shopping on Instagram Reels! We predict that more e-commerce tools will roll out in 2021, so be prepared.

Advancements in Established Technology

Chatbots have been incredibly well-received by the public and have led to the development of a more conversational approach to marketing. People want an immediate response, and chatbots can provide this, keeping customer service conversational while creating real-time connections between marketers and their customers. Chatbots will power the majority of customer service in 2021, making it essential for your business to capitalise on this development.

VR and AR adoption are still slow, but they’re an upwardly growing trend and very popular with Gen Z. We predict that with the advanced technology now accessible to the majority of people, 2021 will see Augmented Reality grow to new strengths and be applied more frequently.

Ultimately, whatever happens in 2021, 2020 taught us that we must always be ready and prepared for the unexpected as much as possible. Our biggest takeaway from 2020 is the importance of listening to your customers, learning to adapt to new challenges, and maintaining conversations during downtime.

If you think Air Social could help you take your digital marketing to new heights in 2021, then get in touch with us today. Call our expert team on 01483 789 434

Social Media Trends to Look Out For in 2021