EP 50: 5 Social Media Marketing Trends You Should Use In 2021
Oh hello there, my rad entrepreneur friend,
and welcome to the Feel Good Social Podcast!
Ready for the social media trends that will help you see the most success in 2021? Today, on the 50th episode of the Feel Good Podcast (woot woot 🙌), I’m letting you in on the 5 trends you need to start using today!
These trends include:
+ Simple but effective ways to improve your brand vibe
+ Why you need to be incorporating video into your content
+ The content trend from 2020 that will be here to stay
+ And more!
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Here’s the transcript:
Hey, hey, my feel good friends! And welcome to 2021! Oh man, if you’re anything like me, you are so ready to dive into this new year and leave 2020 behind.
In the past year, we’ve been forced to deal with challenges, changes, and pretty much all the things we’ve all tried to avoid all our life. It was tough, sad, scary, overwhelming and all the emotions that we don’t want to feel, but I do want to say, I truly believe that as much as this past year sucked… I know that we’re all going into 2021 as stronger, more enlightened, more resilient humans than we were at the beginning of last year.
Adversity makes us better entrepreneurs, my friend, and while I totally understand if that statement makes you want to punch me in the face, just a little bit, it’s true.
2021 is going to be an amazing year for you, and I know at least a small part of that is going to be because of the shit storm of a year we’ve all just been through. I cannot wait to see the amazing things you’re going to do this year, my feel gooders. And you better believe I’ll be here to cheer you on along the way.
And that said, I don’t think 2020 was completely horrible. I mean, we are celebrating one whole year of the Feel Good Social Podcast this month, so that’s saying something, right?!
One year ago, I uploaded our very first episode of this podcast and shared the top 4 social media trends to use in your marketing in 2020…
So to celebrate, I’ve decided to share that same dang thang for 2021!
In today’s episode, I’ll be talking about the top 5 trends you should incorporate into your social media strategy this year, WHY these strategies can truly help your brand, and how you can get started incorporating them today!
Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
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Recap of the 2020 Social Media Marketing Trends
So, I thought we would start this episode with a little recap of the 2020 social media trends I shared in the very first episode of the podcast one year ago. Because I gotta say - even one crazy year later - these trends are just as relevant and pertinent, and you should totally still be using them
2020 Trend #1: Show More Faces
The first trend I shared was to Show More Faces on your social media account - and most importantly, your own beautiful face. Photos and videos with faces have been proven to perform the best with social media algorithms AND they do the most to drive interpersonal connection with your followers and up your brand’s know / like / trust factor with your customers. And in 2021, that still holds true. So keep on posting faces, especially yours.
2020 Trend #2: Be More Real
The second trend I shared was to Be More Real! People can smell BS through their screens (in last year’s episode I joked that it’s the latest in 4D technology - and I still think that joke is hilarious. ;) The best way to show up on social media is as your authentic self - because that’s how you’ll build a following of people who feel like they know you, like you, trust you and want to support you.
2020 Trend #3: Ask Your Audience To Spread Your Message
The third trend I shared was to Ask Your Audience To Spread Your Message! A sharing strategy is one of the best ways to organically grow your account and spread your message to the right people, so create awesome content, then ask your audience to share it with their friends who need it as well.
2020 Trend #4: Be Purposeful + Generous With Your Outreach
And finally, the fourth trend I shared was to Be Purposeful + Generous With Your Outreach! Here’s a little newsflash for you, my friend: Likes, comments, shares, saves and messages, don’t cost you a thing, BUT when used strategically, they will help you put your brand on other people’s radar and build relationships with your ideal potential customers. So keep dishing up engagement to your followers and potential followers, moving into 2021 - to not only boost your algorithm performance but also bring a little joy to your people’s day.
2021 social media marketing Trends
But, now let’s get into the 2021 trends you should totally hop on board with.
2021 Trend #1: BE MORE HUMAN
The first trend I want to share is to BE MORE HUMAN. And if it sounds like I’m just driving home the first, second and fourth trends of 2020, that’s because I am. But it’s just that important.
I’ve said this so many times in the past year, but I’m going to say it again: There are so many brands out there just like yours.
The best and (some might say) only way to truly stand out from the crowd and build a community of people who choose to support YOU and your brand (and not all those other jane shmane brands) is to make your brand more human, i.e. relatable, likeable, unique, trustworthy and awesome..
WHY
This will not only help you differentiate yourself from the crowd and stand out in people’s minds, but this will also make it easier to develop your know / like / trust factor and drive deeper connection with your ideal customers through the screen.
So, HOW can you start to make your brand more human?
Well, I’d say the first step is to understand your brand’s persona on social media (or what I like to call BRAND VIBE)
Your Brand Vibe is made up of your brand’s STORY (or experiences), VOICE (or personality) and VISUALS (or style) - and when you can understand what those are and how they can work together, you’ll be able to show up as more of a personable brand than some faceless business.
I do have several resources already to help you hone in on your brand’s vibe, if you’re struggling to figure it out. You can scroll back to episodes 30 and 31 of this podcast for a breakdown or go to feelgoodsocial.com/brandvibe to download my free workbook with 5 pages of exercises.
And if you’re catching this podcast later in January, you’ll be able to take an online quiz to help you instead! It’s one of my new projects for Feel Good Social this year, and it’s super fun (so if you’re listening to this episode before I’ve release the quiz - go ahead and get excited for it - but if you’re listening after I’ve launched our Brand Vibe Quiz - well, go ahead and take it, my friend. Whichever it is, you can find my extra Brand vibe resources at feelgoodsocial.com/brandvibe.
Another way to make your brand more human is to PUT YOURSELF into your content
YOU are the most beautiful, unique, human part of your brand, my friend, and you need to show up for it!
Show your face and tell your stories, because that is truly one of the best and easiest ways to differentiate your brand from all those other brands AND to create a community of people who feel connected to your brand.
If you want to learn more about storytelling for your brand, go back and listen to episode 33 of the feel good social podcast when you’re done with this episode.
And the final thing I want to say about making your brand MORE HUMAN is simply: Don’t be a robot
It’s hilarious how many of us humans can act kind of robotic on social media. We’re writing boring captions with no personality, leaving copy/paste comments on each others’ posts, and scrolling and liking scrolling and liking, without really paying attention to each other at all.
I get it, my friend, and believe me, I can get caught on the acting-like-a-robot train too, but it has to stop. Take the extra time to be genuine, compassionate and intentional with the content you put out there, the engagement you’re dishing up and your social media habits, in general, and I promise your audience will start to think of you as a human brand who cares.
2021 Trend #2: bring your brand’s VALUES to the forefront of your biz
Okay, the second trend I want to bring to your attention for 2021 is this: Bring your brand’s VALUES to the forefront of your biz!
WHY?
People want to buy from brands they believe in!
And if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we need to make our brands more purposeful. If you can help your customers’ make a difference in the world, spread a higher message or simply feel like they’re a part of something bigger, your brand’s affinity will grow exponentially and your customers will feel compelled to support you.
So HOW do you figure out your brand’s values and bring them to the forefront of your content?
Well, to hone in on your brand’s values, ask yourself these questions:
What do you support in your industry and the world?
And hat do you want to see change in your industry and the world?
What messages, lifestyles and habits do you want to promote with your brand?
And what about the world (or your industry) makes you cringe and want to take action against?
Journal about those questions and once you have figured out your brand’s values and bigger purpose, include it in your brand’s messaging regularly. Post about it on social media often, add it to your website, tell your customer’s about it on your email list. Make sure your followers know what they are SUPPORTING (or NOT SUPPORTING) when they support your brand, and make them feel like a part of something bigger and like they are purchasing purposefully.
2021 Trend #3: Video Content!
The third trend you should hop on board with in 2021 is Video Content! I’m talking feed videos, stories, lives, reels - We all need to be incorporating some sort of video into our 2021 content.
And I’ll be honest, this trend is not new. Video has been on the rise for years, BUT I have not recommended video content to everyone, until now.
And here’s WHY:
Yes, video has been increasingly performing the best on social media platforms, but honestly, I know from personal experience how freaking time consuming it can be to create a video. I still remember my first 5-minute youtube video taking me 8 hours to edit - and honestly, it’s not very good.
I also know how scary and uncomfortable it can be for a lot of us to show up on video, and while I know - also from personal experience - that you can get better and it does get easier with practice; I would rather tell you to lean into your strengths with content creation so you can show up consistently and authentically, than have you spend tons of time trying to create videos that stress you the heck out and that you end up looking super uncomfortable in anyway.
You know what I mean?
BUT now, my friend, as we enter 2021, it is time. I am finally recommending that you incorporate some sort of video into your content this year because:
1. Video is truly becoming a standard in content creation and I don’t want you to be left behind.
2. Video is super engaging and is still out-performing all other types of media on social
And finally and most importantly, video is becoming easier than ever to create, so you don’t have to waste 8 hours trying to edit a 5 minute clip, okay?.
So, let’s talk about the HOW. How should you start incorporating video content into your strategy this year?
Well, my best advice is to Start small and easy.
Creating quick behind-the-scenes videos for IG stories that you don’t really have to edit and that only last 24 hours anyway is a great place to start, especially if you’re nervous.
Instagram REELS is another great place to start playing around with video.
Because not only are REELS outperforming all types of video content right now, but the videos have to be super short, so you don’t need to worry about editing a ton. Plus, it’s kind of the standard to be less professional and more goofy with your Reels, so it doesn’t need to look perfect or professional by any means.
Then, there’s IG Lives - and while I know live video can sound super scary for a lot of people, I honestly kind of love it because it’s more engaging and forgiving. People are almost expecting you to make a mistake or say the wrong thing - and that’s okay. They also have the opportunity to interact with you in real time and get to know the “real you” and that can do so much to drive deeper connection.
Whew man, I could go on and on with tips for using video in your content, so I’m adding that to my episode to do list, but for now, I want your takeaway to be: Just start using it. It doesn’t have to be perfect and it will get easier with practice. And I promise it will help you boost your conversions and success this year.
2021 Trend #4: Create Engaging (and NOT BORING!!!) Content
But for now, we’re going to keep this trend train moving. The fourth trend I want to share for 2021 is to Create Engaging (and NOT BORING!!!) Content.
And while it might seem obvious, it has to be said.
There’s SO MUCH CONTENT out there. People will scroll right past your boring, irrelevant and/or cookie cutter posts. And I don’t want that to happen to you.
We need to get more personable, so we’re not typing up a post that sounds like a textbook we didn’t want to read in college.
We need to get more creative, so our posts don’t look and sound like everyone else's.
And we need to be more engaging, so our audience feels like we’re speaking directly to them, and they feel compelled to leave us a little love in the comments, save our post or share our post with a friend.
Because not only will that help you to build a loyal community BUT that will also help you to boost your performance on the algorithm.
Longer comments, saves and shares are the best way the algorithm can measure a post’s popularity and value, so if you create content that compels people to engage, your post will be shown to more people.
So, HOW can you create more engaging content that stands out on the platform and isn’t a snore fest?
Well firstly, you can speak directly to your reader and add a little personality and pizzazz to your caption. If you want more tips about how to find your brand voice so you don’t sound like a robot, make sure you check out episode 20 of the feel good social podcast, because I dive deeper into it there.
I also want to encourage you to stop trying to be like someone else with your content. I’m all for being inspired by my idols and competitors, BUT we can’t all be posting the same safe things.
If you think of a post that might be funny to you or even polarizing to others, but you’re not sure if other people will like it or you haven’t seen a post like that before, you should probably go ahead and post it.
I’m not saying to go crazy with your opinions that have nothing to do with your business or make questionable jokes in the name of your brand, BUT the more you lean into your own personality, step outside of your comfort zone and stop “playing it safe” because you want to make everybody happy, the more you’ll stand out and drive deeper connection with your audience.
And finally, one of the best ways to drive engagement and gain saves and shares is to create Shareable + Saveable content.
So, there are two main trends I see happening with content that’s being shared and saved on social right now.
Firstly you could create Educational posts that would be handy for your followers to save for later or valuable enough for them to send it to a friend.
I’ve seen people creating educational carousel posts where you swipe to the next graphic to see the next tip and those have been performing really well.
Or you can create Entertaining posts that are so hilarious or intriguing or cute that they simply have to be shared or saved.
One major trend of 2020 that I believe will carry into 2021 is creating memes for your business and industry.
Some people shy away from posting memes because they want their accounts to “look beautiful and professional” but if a meme can boost your accounts performance and drive deeper connection with your ideal customers, I say: screw looking beautiful and professional. Don’t you?
2021 Trend #5: sell your stuff without shame
Okay, I’m going to move on the final trend I want to chat about for 2021 and that’s to SELL YOUR STUFF.
Now again, this may seem obvious, but...
This year, there was a huge shift to ecommerce - and social platforms have responded by trying to make ecommerce easier for users.
Instagram has added so many new features and ways people can support small business or even buy directly from the platform, so we need to be making sure we’re using those if we can.
And the thing about this ecommerce shift is… Not only are these new features making it easier to buy and sell, BUT it’s making shopping more “normal” on social platforms where it wasn’t necessarily before.
Last year, I would have told you that people go on Instagram to be entertained, educated or inspired - and NOT necessarily to shop.
But with the pandemic and this shift to supporting businesses and shopping on social media, NOW shopping is becoming something that people go to Instagram and other social platforms to do.
Which as a business, is kinda great!
So what should you do to sell more of your stuff?
Well, firstly, I want you to make sure you’re utilizing new e-commerce tools as much as possible. There are a lot of opportunities to add a button to your profile or stories, or even link your shop directly to Instagram, so make sure you’re using the features if you can.
Also - try to frequently check to make sure you’re up-to-date with all of the new features. Instagram has been going crazy with updates and additions, so if you can’t use any of the ecommerce tools with your business right now, you will probably be able to in the near future.
Secondly, Get creative with the way you sell on the platform! Use IG Lives or Instagram Reels to sell your offers, get down-and-dirty in the DMs with people, there are so many new ways to reach your customers, so take some time to consider how you could use them.
And finally, my friend, please SELL without shame in 2021.
I am so sick and tired of our collective issues with selling and money (believe me, I’ve got them, too) - but with this new ecommmerce shift on social media platforms, selling is becoming less taboo everyday, okay?
You are allowed to show up and shout about the way you help your people solve their problems and/or live a better life. So show up with confidence, my friend, because that’s not only how you’ll boost the success of your business, but that’s also how you’ll be able to help more people.
I believe in you. You are amazing. And you’re about to make 2021 your bitch. At least on social media.
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So those are my 5 social media marketing trends to hop on board with in 2021:
Be More Human
Bring Your Values to the forefront of Your Brand
Create Video Content (of some sort)
Make sure Your Content is Engaging and not boring
And sell your stuff without shame
I would love to know which one of these trends resonated with you the most so please share this episode to your Instagram stories and hit me up in the DMs at @feelgoodsocial. I’d love to chat with you about how you can incorporate them into your specific business this year.
And I’d just like to say, once again: THANK YOU so much for tuning in to the Feel GOod SOcial Podcast, my feel good listeners. I am so excited to celebrate 50 episodes and one whole year in your ear with you. You are amazing. You’re the reason I show up every week. And I so appreciate you, my friend.
I hope you have a wonderful day, and I’ll catch you on Thursday for our minisode with a super exciting announcement that may just make you feel like a part of the cool kids club and like your making a difference in the world in one fowl swoop.