2021 Trends, But Add a Little Spice
“If you wanna have a great social media campaign, you gotta get with these trends.”- Us.
At Firecracker, we aim to not only be your (Spice Girls dance) partner, but your guides and experts into all things digital media. We’ll keep you up to date on trends through our weekly blog (and newsletter coming soon!), starting with the ever-essential 2021 Trends Report.
Contrary to all of our greatest wishes, 2021 will not be an automatic reset of the dumpster fire that was 2020, but things are looking up! We’ve done the research so you don’t have to, and below are some of the trends the experts’ crystal balls are predicting for 2021:
TikTok Topping the Charts: It looked like quarantine was muuuuuch kinder to TikTok than the rest of us. TikTok is on track to be one of the strongest social media engagement and business drivers of the decade, with its demographics expanding significantly in 2020 and even more growth expected this year. (Restaurant Business) Although TikTok initially picked up in popularity as a way for Gen Z to once again showcase how much cooler they are than the rest of us, brands and businesses have jumped on the trend, using TikTok to connect with new audiences and tell their stories in a more engaging way. Need help with your strategy? Hit us up here.
Quality Over Quantity: As people spent more time on their phones than ever in 2020 (hello, smartphone thumb), everyday consumers have grown even more marketing-savvy. As we head into 2021, placing a focus on the quality and authenticity of content will be paramount to keeping audiences engaged. (Hubspot) TLDR: Be authentic! Tell the truth and talk like a real human instead of a newspaper ad, don’t “post just to post”, incorporate user-generated content instead using only highly stylized imagery, and don’t engage in conversations online that aren’t relevant to your brand. (And please stop with the auto-comments, y’all. You don’t actually “Love this! 👍”)
Influencers Are Here to Stay: Although multiple wishful think pieces about “The End of the Influencer” came out in 2020, social media activity shows that influencers are here to stay. 2021 is the year to embrace influencer marketing, but the key is embracing it in a way that makes sense for your brand. (Later) Instead of throwing your budget at three highly-followed, highly-sponsored influencers, look to a partner with a diverse set of niche micro-influencers that have an aligned aesthetic, audience and ethos. And while we’re on the subject of diversity, make sure your lists are representative of your customer set! There are fantastic content creators of all races, gender identifications and orientations, and a strong influencer marketing strategy should keep this top of mind.
Virtual is Here to Stay: Although we expect in-person experiences at restaurants, hotels, and literally anywhere you can see another human to rebound significantly in the latter half of 2021, virtual interaction will continue to be incorporated into our daily lives. (New York Times) Whether you’re hosting a virtual wine tasting via Zoom, getting your fitness on with the Peloton app, instructing a cooking class via IG Live, or throwing a Facetime happy hour for friends from across the country, we’ve all learned that there are a myriad ways to stay connected without leaving the house.
Online Shopping, but Make it Social: 43% of consumers have purchased a product they found on social media (Social Media Today), and 74% of consumers use social media to research their purchasing decisions (Fundera). With the prominent introduction of Instagram's “Shop” tab in 2020 and Facebook’s Shops recent facelift, we expect shopping via your favorite social app to grow even further in popularity this year, with the potential introduction of AR-style “try it at home” experiences, allowing you to see a that new couch in your living room or the new sunglasses on your selfie before you purchase. As you plan your social strategy for 2021, think about how you can expand your selling power on social. This doesn’t only apply to tangible products; for bars and restaurants, consider selling cocktail kits (where legal) or meal kits; for hotels, consider selling special social-only packages, experiences or branded products.
So there you have it, folks. Lots of new information to take in. Don’t worry, we’ll help. Stay tuned for more and HAPPY NEW YEAR (and peeeeeeace out to 2020. BYE!)
Cheers,
The Firecracker Team
