Firebelly’s Social Media Marketing Predictions For 2021
2021 will be here before you know it and we can’t wait. As marketers, being nimble and innovative is always a goal but this year it has never been more important. 2020 saw our team going completely remote and growing, adding new team members from around the country. While none of us know what exactly is in store in the new year, we have a few social media predictions to keep an eye on in 2021.
1. Compelling visuals remain a high priority
With TikTok, Reels, YouTube, and IGTV, live streaming, social media platforms are encouraging video creation at every turn. And people are tuning in. Here are some incredible stats that illustrate how much brands need to embrace video in 2021.
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78% of people watch online videos every week, and 55% view online videos every day. (HubSpot)
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Social video gets shared 1200% more than text and images combined. (Wordstream)
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More than 1 billion videos are viewed on TikTok every day. (MARKINBLOG)
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50% of viewers aged 18-34 said they would stop what they were doing to watch a video from their favorite creator. (Google)
Realizing our clients’ needs for fresh photography and video, Firebelly launched custom creative services for our clients. If you know your brand needs help telling visual stories, let us help.
2. Data matters. Insights matter more.
Although social media for brands has been around for over a decade, providing education for clients is still a need and providing data that prove social media’s value. Clients know it is important but they need to see hard numbers that relate to their products and services to show them why it matters. Data is also important to show where gaps exist in client relationships. And, while data is important, being able to draw insights is critical.
3. The importance of social proof
Making sure your brand has a vibrant and active community on social media is paramount. Sure online reviews are important but checking out a company’s social media profiles before making a purchase is second nature these days. Not every brand can secure celebrity endorsements but there are ways to gain social proof in 2021:
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Work with an influencer
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Gather customer testimonials and highlight them
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Feature press mentions
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Be an active participant in social dialogue – comment on your followers’ posts and ask them questions, and facilitate conversations.
4. Instagram will rise as a search engine
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google and Instagram could soon give it a run for its money. You can now search for keywords, not just #hashtags, in the search bar to pull up relevant profiles, photos, and videos. This presents a huge opportunity for brands to expand the reach of their posts as long as they include relevant keywords in their captions.
5. Creative visuals will continue to drive ad results
Since people process visuals much faster than text alone (60K times faster to be exact) an emphasis on creativity to drive results in social advertising will continue. There will be more focus on videos and animated creative. Don’t have a graphic designer on your team? Canva is a great tool for creating eye-catching visuals with video and animation options.
Worried that the creative alone doesn’t share the information you want your audience to have? One way to drive home benefits or sales is to add short text to the graphics. Since Facebook has recently loosened its text in ad restrictions, this is a way to use the creative, which we know people process faster to drive home why someone should purchase, follow, engage or click through.
6. Representation is important
When using people in your ad creative make sure you keep it diverse and inclusive! Representation is important. Don’t have time to take new photos and videos? We can help with that! Lacking a budget for a photoshoot? Let your customers and fans help! With permission, of course, include user-generated content in your ad campaigns. This builds trust and allows the audience to see themselves using your product or service.
7. New ad capabilities on Instagram
Instagram will likely roll out advertising capabilities for their new Reels product. Make sure you are creating fun and engaging Reels content to have for when this happens. It will become Instagram’s baby and as we know from the past, they love it when people give attention to their new baby. You will be rewarded with better results!
A wish for 2021 is that Instagram adds a Follower ad campaign to the mix. Come on, Instagram. 2020 was hard so give us all a sweet social advertising treat next year!
8. Influencers are here to stay
Influencers are here to stay. And, if you aren’t collaborating with some yet, 2021 is the time to do so! Many brands are going to work with fewer influencers on a more regular basis since longer-term relationships are proven to be more worthwhile for both sides.
9. Post-Covid influencer experiences and diversification
It’s difficult for travel and foodie influencers to really have the in-person pre-Covid experiences that they were used to. So, it would be wise for them to diversify their niches and for brands to diversify how they engage with influencers. Brands and influencers focusing on more win-win relationships can help each other bounce back from 2020. Get strategic!
Could your brand use some help with its social media marketing efforts in 2021? Get in touch!
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