Predictions for brands on social media in 2021

Throughout most of 2020, social media amplified all of the emotions, frustrations, fears, and hopes we collectively went through during a turbulent year. From Covid, Black Lives Matter, elections, to sharing recipes and memes to keep busy during recurring lockdowns, it proved its value in keeping people connected at a time where spending time together physically was discouraged.

Looking into 2021, here are the themes that I think will define social media this year:

1.    Resurgence of Organic over Paid

With the battle for truth and transparency raging around politics, engaging with prospects and customers on social is going to rely on the opinions and recommendations shared by your existing network.

People are increasingly wary of adverts and are focussing on tapping into their personal community for suggestions. businesses that build a bank of public social proof and empower their customers to share their positive experiences will benefit from this tighter-knit trusted web of referrals. Will this mean a rise in micro-influencers? I wouldn’t bet on it necessarily, given the key factor of trust; consumers are increasingly savvy and discerning about recognizing paid for recommendations.

2.    Continued growth of instream eCommerce

For those businesses that were able to either increase their eCommerce activities or pivot their business model from bricks and mortar to digital sales, using the increasing number of tools social networks are providing to be able to both promote, gain advocacy and customer validation, and then sell products within streams will further cement virtual shopping as the purchasing method of choice.

Along with the dramatic need and growth for courier services who have bolstered their workforce over 2020, we will be making more snap purchasing decisions based on the confidence of our personal network approval and receiving these products straight to our homes. The emerging challenge with this trend will be how to do so in a sustainably responsible manner.

3.    Creative events will provide greater reach

For many small to medium businesses, physical events helped build new connections with potential customers and reinforce existing relationships. However, with the continued challenges around gatherings, more creativity will be applied to hosting events that deliver the same benefits.

Virtual event software gained significant traction last year, and this will continue into 2021 with further development and use of engagement features as well as access to a far greater breadth of participants. These can be recorded and added to social media content schedules, made shareable by the audience, and harvested for snippets of attendee polls or Q&A material. LinkedIn Live events provide a great example of what is possible, from educational workshops to talent acquisition drives.

4.    Value over quality

With greater homeworking and difficulties with working patterns due to childcare and access to professional recording settings, we saw less polished marketing material recorded from home offices, expertise shared while handling interruptions. This was not just online;  almost all news segments have provided us a glimpse into interviewees’ homes, showcasing not just their knowledge but also taste in books and room design. This has made for more authenticity and provided relatable content.

Going lo-fi reminds me of 2007, working with FLIP cameras to quickly produce content from photoshoots and events and share it on nascent social channels. People want to get value from the information they are provided with and are tolerant of frayed edges, if only because they can recognize their own difficulties in doing things perfectly in today’s temporary life.

5.    Cohesion between values and actions

We’ve seen brands express their views on politics, social issues, and the environment. The B Corp movement is growing steadily with more businesses trying to embed sustainable practices into the fabric of their mission. (Something I am very proud to be able to do from the very beginnings of my own business Is The Answer). Consumers are increasingly demanding the brands they patronize overlap with their own values.

The difficulty businesses face is a lack of cohesion between messaging and history or business practices and the treatment of their workforce. While tea company efforts to engage with the BLM social movement were mostly well-received, hypocrisy was also noted given their historical associations with the slave trade. Addressing such disconnects between brand communications and infrastructural realities will need to be a priority for brands to truly be seen as transparent and genuine.

What do you expect to see in 2021 for social media? Will mainstream network crackdowns lead to a fracturing of people’s presence on the big 6? Ping me a comment!

I’ve worked on the intersections between employee communities, consumer communities, and sustainable business growth for two decades; I’d love to talk with you about your approach to how you will engage with consumers and employees in your online community or social media in 2021. I can provide workshops and presentations on trends for 2021 and how to best tap into them for your business, get in touch!

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