Ever since the world hunkered down last March, social media has been one of the most powerful marketing channels for brands both small and big. Studies suggest that during 2020-2024, the social commerce market will grow at a CAGR of at least 31%. In fact, last year itself in Q4, worldwide social ad spend increased by 50.3% compared to the holiday peak in Q4 2019.

So, it’s pretty clear that marketers across industries realized that these platforms which a while ago were largely deemed to be fringe advertising channels, now made up for the a sizeable chunk of their marketing budgets. Why? Simply because almost overnight interacting with other human beings moved online. Not only couldn’t people reach out to that office techie expert in person for advice on the latest smartphone, they found themselves grappling for help with home errands void of domestic support, and were compelled to facetime or WhatsApp their loved ones for quick fixes.

Here’s where Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and the likes fueled conversations and kept us both as consumers and marketers grounded and in touch with reality around us. So what lessons did winning strategists from last year glean? Which marketing pivots drove home success and which ones plunged? Let’s hear it from the social media experts themselves.

1. Employ user-generated content to cash in on social currency

“User generated content will be the “crown jewel” for great brands in 2021. The best pieces of content will be the ones marketers don’t create, but facilitate. At a time where consumers’ lives have changed dramatically, they look for people, not brands, for inspiration about products and services that fit within their new lifestyles post COVID-19.” -- Heba Sayed, Strategy Leader, IBM Cloud and AI, Middle East and Africa

What brands can do:

From asking existing patronizers to recreate their version of the most popular dish on your menu card, and showcase it to be rated, to encouraging your followers to upload hilariously dumb videos and giving them a platform to show how idiotic can be epic. These are a couple of ways that worked well during the pandemic with people stuck at home. The essence? People want to laugh and stay entertained. Think of the most light-hearted, fun, and simple ways to engage with your audience. It could be as easy as asking them to take a fun picture with your product, or promoting an exciting challenge they can involve their family/ friends with. Plus, with more time on their hands, people are game to do more, provided you position and incentivize it well.

Bottom line: UGC helps you stack up on trusted earned media that work wonders for your brand. Don’t take our word for it. 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions.

2. Experiment with social commerce and uncover a shortcut to conversions

“Social commerce is not a new concept, but with the development of Pinterest catalogues, Facebook and Instagram shops alongside increasing online shopping behaviour during the Pandemic, 2021 is the perfect time for social e-commerce to flourish. It’s easy, functional and streamlined.” -- Maisie Tomlinson, Digital Marketing Coordinator for Penguins Events and Incentives

What brands can do:

Research shows that between 40-50% of shoppers dig deeper into the brands they plan to purchase from, on social platforms. While shoppers don’t traditionally approach social avenues with the intent to buy, enamoring them with the right set of visuals and copy can coax them to give into those impulse desires.

And Facebook helps you to get them pull out their wallets right there with simple shoppable posts. Setting up a Facebook or Instagram shop is quite like the way you approach your own e-commerce website. You can create collections, add filters and even integrate your loyalty programs to it. All you need is to ensure your content is incredibly shareworthy, as shoppers tend to want a second opinion from their social circles, before hitting ‘Buy’.

Bottom line: 70% of business-to-consumer marketers have gotten their customers through Facebook. As a trend, social commerce is only slated to grow stronger. With people spending more time on their smartphones, brands will do well to hop onto this bandwagon, if anything atleast to make good for lost in-store sales.

3. Use live streaming and other video content formats to stay top of mind

“Video will dominate social media engagement, we’ve seen the growth in Tiktok and YouTube and now Instagram Reels. The pandemic has proved that with so many of us online, we’ve been exposed to creative, entertaining and thought provoking video content and we want more of it.” -- Gordon Glenister, Global Head of Influencer Marketing Branded Content Marketing Association

What brands can do:

There’s nothing quite like disappearing content and the time-value attached to it. Live streaming events have helped brands fill the void with insightful Q&As, tell a story, offer behind-the-scenes snippets, eventually getting them the eyeballs they craved. Add to it some renowned influencers with an authentic fan base that mirrors your target audience and you have a solid go-live plan. As a brand, you can leverage stories to get your lesser-offerings on exclusive time-bound discounts, or host a walk-through of the various ways your product can be used. Create videos that are edu-taining, as users are constantly looking to up their image not just online but offline as well. DIYs, hacks and expert advice are great starting points.

Bottom line: 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts.That said, it’s not possible to turn every other post into a live video. The crux lies in brands creating visual content that’s as interactive, valuable and memorable as possible.

4. Leverage Nostalgia Marketing to carve a loyal niche

“Nostalgia campaigns work especially well with Millennials as they mainly focus on purpose also because a good marketing strategy should always have a purpose. Reliving positive memories and beloved icons from the past can feel good. We are all so busy with hectic schedules every day that fond memories that make us smile leave us open to brand messaging.” -- Eleonora Rocca, CEO, Elle Innovation Consulting I Co-Founder,Growence

What brands can do:

During the pandemic, there have been quite a few things/habits people have rediscovered from staying at home. Like watching Doordarshan. Of course! With Netflix here, no one does that anymore, but just to hear the opening credits of Mahabharat (or even “Jalebi!” - Courtesy Dhara) will pull that nostalgic chord in any Indian millennials heart.

Uncovering these treasure troves of yester-known clichés are bound to work well if married perfectly into your brand. Social media managers should aim to hinge on these emotion-packed content, initiate conversations or even offer them up for passive consumption online. After all, there’s a lot we miss of the freedom we didn’t know we had before the lockdown

Bottom line: Nostalgia has been studied to prove that people do tend to spend more when induced with appropriate messaging. So whether it’s a recreation of Madmen or something closer to home, marketers can bet on gaining the social momentum they are looking for by ringing in popular elements from the past.

Source: https://dyworks.in/what-is-nostalgia-marketing/

As brands focus on striking a lasting connection on social media, staying competitive demands being in on the latest trends, strategies your rivals could be contemplating and navigating to outpace them accordingly. Armed with a digital partner with decades of hands-on experience can truly help stay in the winning lane. To know how we can help you meet your social media marketing goals this year, contact us.