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It’s no secret that social media is a necessity for businesses to thrive in the 21^st century. Many take the same unstructured approach to their business account as they do to their personal account, but social media is a science. As platforms and user practices evolve, it’s important to stay up to date so that your business can maximize its return from its social media efforts. Here are a few insider insights that illuminate the most important social media trends of 2021: There are basic practices every business should adopt;

1. Every platform has an algorithm that determines who sees your social media content. The key to manipulating these algorithms in your favor is consistency and intentionality. Algorithms reward consistent posting. Create a posting schedule so that at least three days a week, you can post original content at the same time of day. Around 11:00 and 5:00 are best because social media traffic spikes around lunch and the end of the workday. Don’t post just for the sake of uploading content. User engagement is just as important to algorithms as consistency. Create content that makes users stop scrolling, read more, open a picture, watch a video, or click on something.
2. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home protocols, social media usage spiked. Just over a year later, general usage has decreased but has stabilized at a higher level than ever before. Due to the radical shift in engagement, consumers are more likely to see ads on social media than any other traditional advertising method. An intelligent and structured social media presence is of paramount importance in 2021.
3. More people are spending more time on social media than ever before. However, Americans distrust social media more than any other group in the world. Building brand trust (backlink to brand trust blog) is always challenge businesses face, but this is only amplified on social media. Your content needs to exude reliability, show that you listen to what consumers want, and demonstrate that your business tailors its actions towards their feedback.
4. Social Media is beginning to rival search engines and ads seen on television as the most common source of brand discovery. Even though it is not the first, social media carries the most weight. Ads seen on social media are the most actionable to consumers, have the highest conversion rates, and conveniently give advertisers the most bang for their buck. They are an extremely cheap alternative to traditional advertising methods and certain platforms, like Facebook, have tools to target your ads towards very specific demographics by geographic location, age, etc.
5. While it can be easy to use social media as a megaphone to describe why all of your products and services are the best, users don’t want to be sold something. A business’s social media presence is oxymoronic in that way. Users are most likely to engage with content that appeals to their emotions or sense of humor. The best way to attract potential consumers to your page is to creatively communicate your brand narrative in an eye-catching way.
6. Effective strategies include cashing in on meme culture and responding directly to individuals. Memes demonstrate your understanding of your consumers and are simple and free to make. Gucci is widely known for its meme strategy of “making luxury relatable.” Responding to individuals also demonstrates a heightened level of consumer care. Netflix is perhaps the most notorious response account. Even when they are not tagged, Netflix often responds comedically to community conversations about their shows and movies.
7. Influencers are frequently associated with vanity, beauty, and luxury, but new research shows that users are taking interest in far more lucrative categories. Influencer segments that are currently booming include travel, personal healthcare, fitness/exercise, wildlife/nature, DIY/home improvements, fashion, beauty/cosmetics, and charities/volunteering. Paid promotion through relevant influencers could be a useful strategy you never considered, so be sure to research which internet voices are the loudest related to your industry.
8. Modern-day users expect demonstrated social responsibility from business accounts in a wide range of ways. Research shows that users favor business accounts that show care for employees, the environment, humanitarian efforts, and current social issues. They are expected to make statements regarding injustices in the news and tailor their content towards calendar celebrations (i.e. Black History, Pride, AAPI awareness months). Many businesses worry about alienating customers by taking political stances, but silence in the wrong situation can be just as damaging to a brand’s reputation. Keep in mind that when addressing these topics, users are looking for acknowledgment and accountability, not for a 280-character post to change the world.
9. Facebook is the most obvious social media platform to prioritize, and as the most-used platform in the world, it should be a substantial part of your social media plan. However, this cannot be your sole online presence. Consider expanding to Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Frequently, the same posts can be uploaded on all four platforms with only minor modifications needed. An underutilized but extremely lucrative platform is Pinterest. It is known in the industry as a marketplace of “aspirational shoppers” because users turn to Pinterest for inspiration in the home décor/design, recipes/food/meal ideas, style/clothing/beauty, health/fitness, travel, and wedding/party/events categories. Often, when consumers take to Pinterest for inspiration, they are already dedicated to making some kind of related purchase in the near future.
10. Social media platforms are beginning to incorporate e-commerce into their sites. Something like the Facebook marketplace is not particularly useful to a business as it is for local buying and selling between individuals. Conversely, platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok have created in-app e-commerce features where products can be sold without leaving the platform. They also offer services that let businesses tag their products in the foreground or background of a photo or video. That way, if a user sees something they like displayed in context, they can tap the item and be directed to an e-commerce page selling it. Don’t rely solely on the e-commerce integrated into your website. Use all of the tools available to sell your product or service.