Social media has become a mainstream of online activities. There are 4.48 billion social media users out of 7.9 billion people in the world. For social media marketers, the year 2021 is a little bit different. A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong has noted that the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 brought about a lot of changes. Marketing shifted from physical store visits to digital shops. There is a lot of clamor for climate change and racial equality. Vaccines have also rolled out globally, giving hope for the new normal.
As such, a social media agency Hong Kong highlights the positive light to bounce back from lockdowns and social distancing. Social media users are very optimistic that the coming days will dramatically be different this year compared to last year. Yet, change is a constant element in marketing. A resurgence brought about new rules in social media marketing. They aim to keep the right balance of advertising, content, and engagement. Below are some social media trends that have taken greater significance for consumers and marketers this 2021.
Trend No. 1: Social media marketing bridges the gap to a new customer experience to boost ROI.
The main goal of social media marketing is the return on investment (ROI). It still is the focus of social media marketers today. What has changed is the rule on how to achieve such a goal. Gone are the days of hard-selling and spam emails. Social media marketing now bridges the gap to a new customer experience. That is 24/7 customer support and lead generation through automation. It brought about two equally urgent approaches:
- Short-term ROI through targeted performance tactics
- Long-term loyalty through innovative digital experience
Trend No. 2: Brands find their place in social media conversations through silence.
Another new rule in social media marketing today is that silence is golden. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many brands increased their social media activities to connect with their target audiences. But this 2021, they will focus more on authentic connection instead of consistency. Many businesses will divert their ad spending to social listening. They first need to keep an eye on what works and what doesn’t. By keeping their silent, they can come back to a one-time big boom approach to capture their audience. It means marketers striving to put more value on their content approach. That is, instead of posting more content without value on their social media pages.
Trend No. 3: The boomers ignored by digital advertisers and marketers now boom on social medial.
Marketers used to target people between 1946 to 1964 through traditional advertising. It is because they thought that traditional ads are the most effective ways to reach baby boomers. Yet, brands and businesses failed to realize that boomers are increasingly using social media today. There was around a 66-point increase of baby boomers discovering products and services on social media platforms. More than a quarter of them spend long hours browsing social media. So, the new rule is for social media marketers to continue exploring ways on how to target the digitally savvy baby boomers.
Trend No. 4: Tying social media engagement to identity gives advanced marketers new momentum.
Social media has become the strongest bridge to connect with customers and prospects today. So many traditional strategies have collapsed. But the new rule shows social media as the best marketing medium until five years from now. A video marketing agency Hong Kong even noted that video consumption has risen among social media platforms. It has also become the most popular content format among social media users. By 2022, videos are predicted to cover 82% of online traffic. Around 9 out of 10 social media users wanted to see more video ads from brands and businesses. Plus, an average person spends 100 minutes per day watching videos online. So, the new rule is branding video content with the social media identity of brands and businesses.
Trend No. 5: Bold brands start in the boardroom, not the front lines of social media pages.
The last new rule in social media marketing is that it is a team effort. Bold brands start in the boardroom with consistent branding rules. Each member of the marketing theme should adhere to these rules, whether it be content creation, graphics management, or updating social media groups and pages. They also automatically become brand advocates on different social media networks. Gone are the days of only one admin page to manage ads and campaigns. Most brands and businesses have a team working on advertising and marketing today.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Change is a constant element of social media marketing. It means that from time to time, the rules are changing. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, social media marketing has experienced a major shift!
Reference: https://www.marketingweek.com/new-rules-social-media-marketing-2021/