social-media-trends-in-pandemic

Top Social Media Trends the Pandemic Gave Us in 2021

Expert Tips For Top Social Media Trends the Pandemic Gave Us in 2021

We are now halfway through 2021, and life is just now getting back to normal. Living life remotely for over a year impacted the way we live our lives, and it even changed the way we use social media.

When we started using social media in a new way, new trends emerged. The trends started by the pandemic are still enjoyed by many, and brands are strategically finding ways to leverage them to improve customer relationships and experiences.

When we were all stuck indoors, online shopping skyrocketed, and social media giants like Facebook and Instagram made it possible for users to shop directly from the app.

When we had to hold off on some of our favorite hobbies and past times, we found entertainment in new ways. That’s when TikTok became everybody’s favorite distraction.

To see family and friends, we had to connect virtually. And those who wanted to be in front of a larger audience went on Instagram Live. That’s when live streaming became a hot trend and a new feature for many social media apps.

And finally, the pandemic brought hard times. We weren’t able to comfort each other in the ways we wanted to, so we had to adapt in new ways to show compassion. People saw the value of creating meaningful content online and how we support one another virtually.   

We have become so accustomed to these trends that we began to see the value in them, and we’re not ready for them to go away. These trends are changing the way we use social. And it’s also changing our expectations of brands and how they connect with us. We see the value of growing connections because that is something we had to do this past year.  

Today, we will be diving deeper into how these trends came into fruition and how you can leverage them for your brand. 

How the pandemic birthed Social eCommerce

When we were stuck indoors and unable to visit our favorite stores, we adjusted to new ways of buying the items we needed. Amazon was at its prime – no pun intended.  

Social media giants like Instagram and Facebook saw the growing demand for buying items online, and they wanted to join in on the party. Instagram launched its ecommerce feature in March of last year when the pandemic hit, and it’s been history ever since. Instagram tremendously restructured the mission of their app, bringing more attention to the in-app shopping features. As Adam Moserri stated in his recent video, the pandemic shifted how buyers shop, and they are working on learning towards this trend.

How you can leverage this: If you are a brand with ecommerce capabilities, and your audience is on Instagram. You NEED to consider getting an Instagram shop. Imagine how much revenue you are missing out on without it? Instagram is the perfect opportunity to visually show your product, connect with your audience, and sell all in one app! And the best part is buyers can directly make the transaction from your store on the Instagram app. It shortens the sales process and lessens the risk of lost a lead or abandoned cart. 

The Rise of Video and Creator Content

Lo and behold, the rise of the video came to be. TikTok became the latest social media giant, bringing millions of viewers captivated by the hottest trends and most creative content. With all the extra time we had on our hands and stalls of our favorite hobbies, we found new ways to get entertainment in 2020. With all the extra time we had on our hands and stalls of our favorite hobbies, we found new ways to get entertainment in 2020.   

The video made us feel stuck with us, and it continued to be one of our favorite distractions as we continued with our daily lives. Video is holding record statistics of engagement because audiences stay on the apps longer, continuously absorbing every pleasurable video.

And as for the latest TikTok update – TikTok will be testing 3-minute videos. It will be interesting to see how creators will utilize this new feature and how this could affect other video dominating apps – like, I don’t know Youtube? 

How you can leverage this: Concept different ways you can create video content for your brand. Some topics can be the story behind your brand, tutorials, or any other subject where a video can be fitting. Make sure whatever you are creating tells a story and will be visually captivating. Make sure whatever you are creating tells a story and will be visually captivating.

Livestreaming and How it Can Build Relationships

At one point in 2020, live-streaming was huge. Celebrities were unable to tour and do concerts, so they opted for another way of connecting with audiences through live-streaming.

Brands caught wind of this trend quickly since it allowed them to connect with audiences in real-time through the live chat feature on the live streams. Q&As and live tutorials were a few of the many conversations brands had with their audiences.

How you can leverage this: If you are searching for ways to make meaningful relationships with your audience, consider doing a live stream. Livestreams can bring more authenticity to your brand because you can connect with audiences visually and see their live chats coming in. This also allows you to understand your audience’s wants and needs and possibly their current perception of you.

Ensuring Your Content is Meaningful and Holds Value

And with the hard times the pandemic brought, people began to see the value in the physical connections they previously had with others. Since we transitioned to connecting virtually, people were reading deeper into the messages on their timeline and what it actually meant.   

For example, with the social movements in the last year, many brands knew that to be perceived as the humane and caring brands they claim to be, they had to post content that showed they supported the cause. 

This sparked the social shift that content had to deliver a message and speak to others rather than some unoriginal marketing post to earn more revenue.

How you can leverage this: If you want to grow a deeper connection with your audience, take the time to create a message that is meaningful and will positively impact your audience. People are scrolling through social media for a reason. They are looking for something that will inspire them – try to be that one post that leaves a good impression and makes them act on it.

Agency Partner lives in the digital world, and we know the digital landscape changes by the minute. If you have any questions about influential social media trends and tactics, contact Agency Partner, and we will reach back to you as soon as possible.

digital-marketing-tactics

5 Important Digital Marketing Tactics in 2021

Expert Tips For 5 Important Digital Marketing Tactics in 2021

With the digital world constantly evolving, marketers are continuously challenged to stay updated with the latest marketing trends. A good percentage of our jobs consist of learning the new updates and seeing how it affects our current marketing strategies. 

In this blog post, we will be sharing 5 digital marketing tactics that have emerged in 2021. Although these marketing tactics aren’t necessarily new, marketers are looking at these tactics on a deeper level, learning the science behind them and how they can use these updates to their advantage. Below is a list of tactics that we will be discussing:

  1. Influencer Marketing 
  2. Mobile-First Marketing 
  3. Local SEO 
  4. Personalized Content / Audience Segmentation / AI 
  5. Voice Search 

With the advancement of technology, marketers are becoming more knowledgeable on ways they can reach their consumers and telling them what they want to hear. Even though the constant transformation of the internet can be draining, its development has been beneficial. 

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has always been a traditional marketing tactic. The concept is simple. Someone with strong influence shares your product or service with their audience, and in return, you can gain more awareness from the promotion of your product. With the growth of social media each year, the impact of influencer marketing has become exponential. 

TikTok, for example, is the newest venture when it comes to influencer marketing. TikTok has been very successful in being a video-based app. Audiences are entertained for longer periods of time and stay on the app longer, giving marketers more exposure opportunities. The influencer marketing tactics on the app have been so successful that software marketers now use them to recruit influencers influential to their target audiences.

Instagram is another powerhouse in influencer marketing. Recently, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, shared that there will be changes in the way users use the app. Video and shopping content will be prioritized, minimizing the visibility of photos posted by family and friends on the timeline. As you can imagine, influencer marketing will be used more frequently with these updates.  

Mobile-First Marketing

Mobile-first marketing has been taken into more consideration by marketers in recent years. Many are starting to understand that the majority of online traffic derives from mobile devices, which means your content must be optimized for mobile devices for users to engage with it.  

If your website is not mobile-friendly, you risk the chance of quality leads leaving your site simply due to user experience. Marketers now understand the importance of mobile and how their content strategies must be based around it before executing.  

Local SEO

SEO (Search-Engine Optimization) is becoming a more respectable piece in marketing. With the development of the internet, a website’s quality score plays a big part in measuring its success. Google will not make it easy for websites to gain traffic if it sees no relevance in it. Google’s priority is the user.

They want more people to use Google to solve their day-to-day problems, and the way they are accomplishing that is by updating the algorithm to improve user experience. Google wants to make it easier for users to quickly search for something and find a solution to their problem. If your content is not answering a user’s question, your site will have a lower SERP (Search Engine Results Page), and it may never get found or clicked on. 

Local businesses have recognized the importance of SEO, and without it, they don’t stand a chance against the competition. Local SEO is essential because local audiences have a higher chance of conversion, and as a local business, you want to be present when that user is ready to make a purchase. 

Google My Business has helped many local businesses get listed on Google result pages. Utilizing keywords like your city name and services will make you more relevant, and it will higher your chances of appearing on a higher Google result page. 

Personalized Content / Audience Segmentation / AI

Creating your content based on your target audience has always been a marketing best practice. And thanks to the growth of artificial intelligence, personalizing content has never been easier. Audience segmentation is the process of dividing your general target audience by traits and attributes.

The segmentation helps marketers create and tailor content that will specifically market to that group. And with the help of artificial intelligence, marketers have understood their audience’s wants and needs on a deeper level. 

For example, if you are an ecommerce business, you can tailor your audience’s content by their shopping habits. A frequent buyer can receive a different newsletter from an infrequent one, and each of their newsletters will be customized to what each buyer wants to see.

Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more advanced, and it allows marketers to use it to their advantage that goes beyond just email personalization. The data supplementation from AI software systems is skyrocketing, and it will enhance our marketing strategies as we continue in 2021.  

Voice Search

Search engines and other applications have introduced voice typing features to enhance user experience. It makes searching a lot easier when it is hands-free. Marketers had noticed that when audiences used this feature, the keywords used are different from their regular typing. Due to the difference in vocabulary, SEO specialists consider how this will affect their SEO strategies.

Conclusion

Digital marketing has advanced within just a few years. Marketers must consistently stay on top of the latest trends to ensure their digital marketing tactics are executed successfully. Even though some of the tactics mentioned above aren’t necessarily new, they have evolved with the advancement of technology. 

Agency Partner lives in the digital world, and we know how the digital landscape changes by the minute. If you have any questions about cutting-edge marketing tactics, please get in touch with Agency Partner.