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We expect a lot from 2021. Not just because 2020 was undisputedly the worst year ever, but because many businesses are seeing their losses and are coming up with new strategies for 2021. 2020 was not easy for anyone, but one thing that remained prominent was social media participation due to COVID-19.
Social media evolved throughout the year, with many trends coming from it. Some of these trends proved beneficial for business owners, especially those in the social media marketing spectrum.
Here are some tips that can help brands become successful and create a winning social media strategy for the upcoming year.
Relationship-based social media marketing
In 2021, marketers should focus on creating and building relationships with employees, customers, and niche relevant influencers. Developing these relationships will allow consumers to trust marketers, which is an important marketing factor.
Studies have shown that 70% of customers trust other consumers more than they do advertisements. Advertisements have begun to decline. In a recent study, 75% of respondents do not consider advertisements to be true. This public response has allowed for word-of-mouth marketing to remain prominent and more effective within marketing.
Trust has become a significant marketing factor as well. After a year of fake news and unethical practices, trust has become a key factor in marketing. Brands need to establish relationships with their followers to increase their engagement and develop a real relationship with them.
Bring diversity into your strategy
People love content. In March 2020, TikTok amassed 76 million downloads, and the numbers kept rising. Due to COVID-19, people were looking for material that would help make their lockdown experience more bearable. This approach became the most effective regarding engagement.
Upon seeing the success that TikTok’s strategy created, other social media platforms followed suit. Instagram created Instagram reels, Facebook had featured stories, Snapchat has a spotlight feature, and YouTube has created a feature for videos.
Marketers have seen that creating content can be great exposure for brands. Creating new content and adapting your marketing for different platforms could make a positive impact on your brand. Hopping on to this market would give brands the shakeup that they need.
Monitoring Impact of Social Media
Tracking your impact on social media will allow you to clarify your social media marketing strategy. By monitoring your social media, you can see what works and what doesn’t, helping you achieve your goals more quickly and efficiently.
Some metrics to consider are
- Raise brand awareness
- Improve customer support
- Boost customer loyalty
- Increase PR mentions or media relations
To have an effective strategy, you must learn to track your impact. This is the most successful way to measure the impact your strategy has and compare your results with other strategic objectives.
Creating social content and getting involved in social activity
2020 was a year to reflect, and many brands became aware of societal issues that were being faced. In 2019, there was already a social impact trend, but it soon expanded as the need for social content kept rising. In a recent study from Merkle’s Q4 Media Insights Report, 56% of consumers said they had no respect for or loyalty towards businesses that remained silent on important social issues.
The chaotic year 2020 did not just impact the world, but also the United States. There were political changes and heartbreaking moments that made businesses rethink their strategies and take a stand.
Taking a stand on societal issues becomes part of your brand identity and must be carefully crafted. What you choose to say will forever stick with your brand. Providing information on social problems rather than taking sides in partisan matters can appeal to a broader audience.
Establishing new strategies can become beneficial and help with the success of your brand. 2020 proved to be a challenging year for brands and marketing efforts. As we enter 2021, brands hope to heal and boost their new strategies in case this year becomes more challenging then the last. Applying these tips will allow brands to see how they can create winning strategies.
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