Social Media Trends You Need To Know

Welcome back! If you haven’t had a chance to read my latest recaps on social media trends, I highly recommend it. I also recently shared my thoughts on four misconceptions when it comes to influencer marketing. Without further ado, ere are the latest news and trends in social media. 

1) Sprout Social 2021 Content Benchmarks

Sprout Social released their 2021 Content Benchmarks report, which takes a look at what types of content marketers are publishing on social and what is performing best. A few takeaways below: 

• Consumers like or follow a brand on social primarily to 1) learn about new products or services, 2) to stay up to date on company news, or 3) to be entertained.

• Despite the value of video content, marketers report underusing it in favor of photos and posts containing links. Whether this is a resources issues or just preference, it's worth noting. 

• Marketers cite budget, market research, and audience research as the top resources needed to achieve their social media goals. This feels applicable to most marketers, not just social media professionals.

2) Short-Form Video Help 

Let's talk about video content some more. We know that digital marketers want to use video content more but are struggling to do so. Well, influencer Valeria Lipovertsky sat down with Later and provided three tips she uses to create short-form video content that reaches her 4M+ followers. 

Tip 1: Find inspiration in the comments section. Learn what our audience has an appetite for by reviewing the comments. Think of the comments as our personal audience research (albeit it doesn't replace a traditional focus group). 

Tip 2: Stay on top of trends. Being aware of new platform features and other brands creating "best-in-class" social content through internal knowledge shares () leads to better overall work. Use the "Explore" function on your favorite social media platform as inspiration!

Tip 3: Get connected with your audience. We already know consumers want to feel connected to the brands they interact with daily. So creating Reels or other short-form videos that generate a sense of community should perform well. Showcase all of the unique things that make our brands what they are!

3) Twitter Holiday Trends

Ad Age partnered with Twitter's Conversation team to put together a trends report for brands to better understand how to connect with the consumer during the holidays. A few key takeaways: 

• Digital has emerged as the dominant shopping platform "post-pandemic." And after everything 2020 was, consumers are looking for positive messaging about the holidays.

• Brands continue to be involved in holiday celebrations, with some of the top branded hashtags during the holiday came from product launches (#PS5), shopping-related philanthropic donations (#FillTheCart), and semi-virtual experiences (#Macys Parade). 

• Finally, a recent Twitter survey showed that more than 33% of respondents said they get inspiration from the celebrities and influencers they follow. 

Until next time!