2021 Social Media Round Up

Social media has drastically changed throughout 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic and substantial growth of users across major platforms.

With this digital growth and more users online, marketers have had to adapt their social media content to be more engaging and relatable for users. From brand transparency and social responsibility, to consistent messaging and behind-the-scenes content, here are our top 3 consumer trends that impacted social media in 2021 and what we can expect in 2022.

Humanising Your Brand

Whether users are engaging with a brand or person, people like to connect with other people. Users engage with content in a meaningful way and want to gain value out of their engagement. Therefore, it’s important that brands show personality to make an impact over their competitors, through brand humanisation.

In 2021, brands used social media to communicate and humanise their brands through engaging content and copy. Audiences love seeing sneak peaks, behind-the-scenes content, and being encouraged to share their opinion when brands ask questions or spark conversations. This type of content adds valued transparency and shows users that the brand is authentically connecting with them.

So if you haven’t already, start to humanise your social media content to show your users that you’re not a faceless brand, and that there is a passionate team of individuals working hard behind-the-scenes to engage across the screen.

Brand Social Responsibility

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced brands to keep up with ever changing restrictions, which have continued to impact various businesses across all industries. The way brands have handled customer care issues and policy changes online has become a deciding factor for many consumers.

Communicating policy changes and implementation of safety procedures has been of paramount importance throughout 2020 and 2021, and will continue to be required into 2022. Users use social media to keep on top of business updates and to communicate concerns, for example, to check if a hotel or restaurant has updated or implemented safety procedures and cancellation policies. Brands should use their social platforms to show that they continue to be responsible by showcasing the measures that have been implemented. This assures your loyal fans and potential customers that consumer and staff safety remains at the forefront of your brand.

Additionally, if you’re going above and beyond your internal operations by showing solidarity through supporting causes and charities; you should communicate what your brand is doing to support that cause. Users appreciate transparency and authenticity when brands engage in socially responsible activity. If you're being charitable, show it off!

Omnichannel Marketing

No matter your industry, there is a high chance that your audiences engage with your brand across various channels and platforms, and expect consistent messaging. From Facebook and Instagram, to your website and email marketing, omnichannel marketing delivers a consistent message which is tailored to the channel that the user is interacting with your brand on, giving users a cohesive experience across the board.

Having identical content is not the same as providing a consistent message across different platforms. Your Facebook posts should be different from your Instagram posts to deliver the best user journey and achieve your overall goals and objectives.

In 2021, consumers were more cautious with their purchases and will have spent more time researching your brand across your social channels, website and beyond. Therefore, you should take the opportunity to understand the different interactions users will have with your brand, and give them clear, relevant information across the board.

Social Media Beyond 2021

These trends will continue into 2022, along with others that emerge from the pandemic and the evolving environment of social media and digital marketing. Marketers should keep up-to-date with what their audiences expect to gain from engaging with brands on social media, putting users at the forefront of every content plan and strategy.

If you need help navigating your way around the ever-changing social media landscape and the latest trends, get in touch and we can work together to plan and post content that delivers results.