Top Social Media Trends for 2021 You Cant Ignore

Come 2021, the best and most memorable brands will be the ones who use the most powerful marketing tool known to man — people. If there is one big take-back from a pandemic fuelled year, people will always turn to other people in times of crisis. As humans, we seem to have finally understood the value of other humans over materialistic things — and that can be seen in the way we interact with content too! User-generated content, led by influencers, will be the crown jewel of the year. And pitching your brand behind the right influencer will make or break your year.

2020 was the year for hyper-interactivity. From lookbooks to walkthrough videos, VR and AR overlays, interactive timelines, and more — it seems like the more personalized the content, the more interaction it garners. This taps into the basic human psychology, the need for belongingness and to be heard, on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. So, whether it is a uniquely intelligent chatbot or an interactive banner ad, ensure your social media marketing strategy has an element of interactivity in it, and you’re home.

The pandemic has put things into perspective. And with such perspective comes a certain nostalgia for things of the past. Simple activities that we took for granted before have become a cause for longing today. Keeping such basic human truths and base emotions in mind will make your marketing strategy stand out. If there is one underrated yet highly essential social media trend for 2021, it is capitalizing on emotion-based marketing. Humans world-over are yearning for the good-old-days where going out meant simply going out, and wear masks and gloves were only meant for Greys Anatomy or Scrubs. Such emotions are powerful and will be all brands will want to harp on in the coming year.

Millennials, Gen Z, and the future Generation Alpha are fast becoming more open to a conversation around enhanced consciousness. They talk about diversity, inclusivity, mental health, societal barriers, prejudices, income and gender disparities, and acceptance with a much greater sense of understanding and acceptance than any generation before. The future is inclusive, and our biggest takeaway for you — the greatest social media trend for 2021 — will be just this. If your brand does not ask the hard questions, take a stand for what is right, become more open to having frank conversations about equality and inclusiveness — from gender to caste, religion, race, disabilities, or sexual identities — your brand will become obsolete. Your future consumers are smart and socially conscious. It’s high time you be too.