The culmination of a new year is a great time to revise and revamp your social media marketing strategy. 2020 was an unusual and tumultuous year in strategic communications, but amidst the uncertainty and chaos were a few important lessons, particularly within the realm of digital marketing and social media solutions.

Sharpen your digital strategy by pairing the past year’s learnings with strategic insight into the trends that will come to define social media in 2021. Consider keeping the following in mind as you develop your brand’s social media objectives:

  • The Dissemination of Misinformation: Social media platforms — and those who provide social media services — will continue to deal with the spread of misinformation. Private groups, peer-to-peer messaging and live video streams are the biggest culprits because they are too hard to continuously monitor.
  • Video Increases in Value: The rise of COVID-19 also led to a rise in demand for video content and this trend is expected to continue through 2021. Social media platforms recognize the growing value of video and have updated their algorithms accordingly. A winning social media strategy will prioritize quality video content.
  • Paid Beats Organic: The impact of organic reach has been on the decline for some time. Breaking through the noise calls for a social media marketing strategy that prioritizes paid promotion to reach the audiences that matter.
  • The Influence of Influencers: Watch out — the entire influencer industry is headed for a regulatory shakeup. The FTC will likely make examples out of a few bad actors who have used influencers to mislead consumers without making proper disclosures.
  • Micro-Influencers. Macro Impact: When it comes to tapping into influencers, bigger isn’t always better. Expect to see a stronger focus on social media marketing strategies built around micro- and nano- influencers, who often deliver better results.

The digital landscape is constantly evolving — who knows what will be dominating the conversation in 2022? But in the meantime, addressing these key social media trends can set the stage for a winning digital marketing strategy this year.

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