Content is at the core of every social media marketing strategy. While videos, photos, and written content are all effective ways to attract an interested audience, 2021 is sure to see some new trends in the world of social media marketing. Consider using the following trends in your various social media campaigns:
1. Sharing User-Generated Content
Brands often focus on curating a feed dedicated to their original content, but this isn’t the only content you should focus on. In the past few years, user-generated content, or UGC has gained popularity, giving brands the chance to connect with their followers in a new way. While brands can promote their services and products with their original content, UGC is a more authentic approach to social media marketing.
Followers that are already a fan of your brand will be excited to see their content shared on your social media channels. This type of give and take relationship will help build trust between your customers and your brand.
2. Optimizing Content for Voice-Search Technology
Social media isn’t just a platform to share incredible imagery. More people are using voice technology to interact with their favorite brands on social media and in general search engine searches. With a strong voice search strategy, you can change the way your followers interact with your content.
While voice search is typically reserved for search engines, social media is quickly joining the trend. With the use of voice-controlled personal assistants, users can easily check their notifications or read their social feeds without having to physically scroll through their social media platforms.
This is where optimization for voice search comes in. Brands with clear and concise written content are most compatible with voice-controlled technology. Do this by focusing on content that easily answers basic questions like “how”, “why”, “where”, “what” and “who” to take advantage of this trend. Crafting content optimized for voice search will ultimately help your brand develop a more conversational voice, making it easy for customers to connect with you.
3. Focusing on Conversational Marketing
2021 will see an increase in the need for brands to connect with their consumers on a more intimate level. As brands develop more conversational content around the voice-technology trend, they should continue to expand their approach to content marketing with a focus on creating conversational experiences. While it’s important to craft purely promotional content for marketing purposes, brands should also work to cultivate relationships with their followers. These relationships help your followers and potential customers develop trust in your brand, ultimately improving customer loyalty.
While brands should focus on sales in their marketing efforts, today’s social media user searches for brands that share honest information, offer authentic engagement, and provide appropriate responses to social issues. Brands that can connect with followers in this way will see an increase in customer retention and continued engagement.
While some marketing strategies come and go on social media, the best trends make it easy to connect with your audience, increase engagement, and drive traffic to your site. As you put your next social media marketing campaign together, keep these three trends in mind.
