#14. Social Media in 2021
The Year of Socializing on Social Media
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Hi!
To start off, I want to say thank you for the umpteenth time for supporting this newsletter. I never thought I'd have this many people willing to let me send stuff directly to you each week.
I've been thinking for a bit about my format, though, and made the decision to cut back from weekly to once every other week. I based that decision on:
1. Decreased open rates over the past 3 weeks: I think we're all busier than ever, and I don't want to just send something weekly to say I did it. The data seems to back this up, so I'm going to listen and adjust.
2. Personal time limitations: I wish I could include video each week of me frantically writing and putting this together while also changing diapers and trying to find YouTube videos of garbage trucks to entertain my wee young charge. This year I'll also be taking on a bit more with focusing on launching my own product and/or business, so I'll have even less spare time.
3. Newsletter overload: I subscribe to a LOT of newsletters, and lately I've found that the ones that are sent too frequently get overlooked. I don't want this to feel like that for you all. Hopefully by decreasing the frequency, you'll look forward to hearing from me.
I also may be tweaking the format in other ways to make this easier for me to write and put together (more visuals for one). Let me know if you have any thoughts on this!
And now to the good stuff! I'm continuing my series of insights based on thoughts from leaders in a variety of spaces.
This week the focus is on social media.
It's been a BIG year for social media already. And that's probably going to continue as conversations progress on how much impact these platforms have on all our lives, even the lives of non-users, and how to provide safeguards.
From a marketing standpoint, any brand that isn't using social media well at this point is in danger. It's such a valuable channel.
Even if it doesn't touch every customer, the reach of social media content is extending. People are spending more time online, and that's increasingly not just limited to "those darn Millennials."
Enough of my spiel, though. Let's get into it!
(I recommend you read this on my website instead of as an email. Much better experience there!)
Read this complete post as a web page instead.
“Community happens in the replies.”
This pandemic blows. People are feeling excluded, separated, and alone. This year is going to be all about individuals (and brands) using Twitter in unique ways that build connections into communities.
Adam Ilenich, Community Manager, Twitter
In my opinion, I don't think social media marketing in the year 2021 will see MAJOR changes, but what I think we will see, is a focused attention to customer service via social media.
As we've seen in 2020, business can shift real quick and a lot of small biz had to resort to creating a social presence, or even more so, a better social presence
We will start to see companies allocating more funds to supporting social media needs, whether that be hiring someone full time, creating a team, more money used for paid ads.
I'm excited to see what 2021 holds for the digital space.
Codi Dantu-Johnson, Marketing Manager, Reggae Rum Cake; and Digital Marketing Consultant
People are looking for two things: more methods of intimate connection with smaller groups, and creative spaces where their content will be seen and not limited by algorithms.
The door is open over the next year or so for the current platforms to either evolve according to what consumers want, or we’ll see more new platforms successfully entering the space.
Eddie Rizzo, Social Media Director, Westbrook Media
In 2021, I’m hoping that marketing professionals take a good look at their social media strategies and find ways to prioritize accessibility.
Make sure that every video is captioned and you write alt text for all of your images. Put any compound hashtags in #CamelCase and place emojis at the end of your posts.
Little things can make a huge difference to how inclusive your content is!
Alexa Heinrich, Social Media Manager, St. Petersburg College
2021 will be the year in which marketers will truly be put to the test in terms of being inclusive and accessible. Elevating marginalized voices will be crucial for the public at large to respect campaigns and businesses overall.
If companies haven’t begun their year with inclusivity in mind they’re already behind.
Linda Dianne, Freelance Social Strategist, #DiversifySocialMedia Co-Creator
In 2021, social brands and organizations will have to look into being accessible and focus on being accountable. Brands need to make sure that not only finesse their content with ALT text, closed captions, and be more ADA compliant, but the way they present content to be relatable and authentic to various community groups.
Brands and orgs will be accountable for how they present themselves on social media based on their social and political stances. Basically, they need to be walking the walk for the things they stand for, or progressively improving themselves to promote inclusivity and equity within their organization and amongst stakeholders. We have their receipts on how they responded to the Black Lives Matter Movement and other social and racial injustices that happened in our world.
Angelo Jasa-Phillips, Digital Marketing and Social Media Professional; Digital Marketing Specialist, Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall; Co-Founder, Jasa Phillips Creative, LLC.
The instability of 2020 will continue well into 2021 and beyond.
The algorithms on the different platforms will change on a weekly basis and new features will be added and removed at a moment’s notice.
We should expect uncertainty and change, but do not overburden yourself with the need to learn and adopt every trend right away. Chasing after every new content format can create unrealistic expectations with your audience and your brand’s stakeholders and lessen the impact over time.
Here is what will remain constant: you should be listening to your audience, trusting your gut instincts, and remember that not posting can be just as important as posting.
Ron Cacace, Digital Marketing Manager, Archie Comics
I think the absolute most critical skill you can have as a social media manager in 2021 is critical thinking. 2020 was a year that really tested all of us who work in social - and 2021 is about building the boundaries back up and enforcing them.
Think critically about every aspect of your role. What purpose is this serving? How does this connect to your overall business goals? Are your priorities on the right pieces of content?
This will help you to not only continue to grow your social media program but also will keep a laser focus on what’s really important when it comes to social media content.
Jenn Crim, Entertainment Social Media Manager
Be prepared for much more empathy in 2021 in social media.
There were so many instances of unrest and instability in 2020 where brands chose to pull back and remain silent. That works in the short term, but when many brands began to turn their voice towards empathy, they found fans reacting positively.
We'll see higher levels of emotional intelligence in 2021 throughout the social realm—and that's truly a great thing to be excited for!
JZ Jake Zachariah, Multifamily Industry Marketing Manager
But wait, there's more!
Check out the FULL LIST of social media insights on my site. Click the button below to see it!
Well, I guess I'll see you in 2 weeks. Don't miss me too much. 😜
When I come back, I'll have some tips on being more successful at influencer marketing from experts in that area (basically any online cool kids that'll respond to me sliding into their DMs). Got any tips of your own? Share them with me via Twitter or LinkedIn!
Have a safe, productive week!
C
Bonus: Stuff That Caught My Eye This Week
Let's start off with something that we've all been talking about. Twitter banning Trump from the platform. This statement from Twitter CEO @Jack is a must read for those of us working in marketing or who use social media in general.
Some random data: The top 3 countries by population numbers are currently China, India, and the US. By 2100, that's projected to change to be India, Nigeria and China. This is despite the face that China's population is expected to shrink by half within that time. Check out the infographic here.
Taco Bell captured the hearts of its social media audience with a charming video of its CEO...as a talking potato. If you somehow missed it, here's the link. Takeaway? Be bold. Be bizarre.
My friend Melissa wrote a book! And judging from the number of us who streamed Bridgerton on Netflix, there are more than a few romance fans among us. That said, check it out if you're looking for some casual, fun reading material this weekend.
This last week's session of Google Office Hours provided some insight into why crappy websites still sometimes outrank more high-quality ones. Interesting info for anyone trying to organically grow website traffic.
Live streaming grew 69% in 2020, and people spent nearly 2B hours watching League Of Legends content (surpassing even Fortnite). Any other gaming nerds out there? Here's an annual report from esports/streaming industry website Stream Hatchet.
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