It should come as no surprise that Statista reported a 21% increase in monthly social media usage this year.

Due to the global pandemic, people turned to social media to connect with loved ones, follow the latest news coverage, shop and find new products, and mindlessly scroll for entertainment.

With more than 3.6 billion people using social media worldwide, and that number expected to continue to increase, brands are now wondering how to continue to engage with their audiences on social, as well as what to plan for in 2021.

With some research, I’ve gathered eight social media trends for marketers to watch in 2021.

1. Less quantity, more quality

In 2020, you may have noticed many brands posted less often, but created more thoughtful, engaging content. This trend will likely continue in 2021.

Brands had to ask themselves “Do my followers even want to hear from me? Do they care about this content right now?” I’d venture to guess a lot of times, the answers were no. Creating and providing value for your audiences will be key. Focus on producing quality content that your audience cares about and can gain value from instead of posting just to post.

This trend will hold true to paid advertising as well. 2021 will see more thoughtful ad buys, more valued partnerships, and more informed targeting.

2. Real content

Did you notice an uptick in your favorite brands posting live streams, lower production value images and videos, and more real content? That’s because as teams transitioned to a primarily work-from-home structure, many brands had to adjust how they were creating content.

Posting real, thoughtful and honest content has always been important. Your audiences want to see who you are as a brand, and get to know you beyond your advertising and products, and in 2021 this trend will be more important than ever.

People are being more choosy and selective about how and where they spend their dollars, and what brands they choose to support during these difficult times. Make it easier for them – don’t shy away from live streams and content made from your home office. People want to see that.

3. Selling vs. helping

A lot of brands use social media as another avenue to sell their product or service. And with access to essentially limitless prospective customers, it’s easy to forget the purpose of social – connection and engagement.

Over the past couple of years, consumers are wising up and engaging less with the brands and companies who are constantly pushing a product. They aren’t offering anything of value or importance to the consumer, other than brand recognition. And in the long run, you may be annoying those customers enough that they will avoid you when it comes time to purchase your product.

Instead of selling, follow the trend of helping. Use your social media presence to help customers, answer questions, have conversations and provide value. Be more thoughtful and empathetic in your nurturing through the funnel. Be human and engaging.

4. Tik Tok, Instagram Reels, and Stories

Short, snack-able and eye-catching content will reign in 2021. With the rise of Tok Tok, Instagram Reels, and the continued popularity of Stories (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat), brands should focus on content that doesn’t break the attention span.

Graphics, memes, infographics and gifs continue to prove popularity. Additionally, short videos (10-20 seconds) will become increasingly important. Tell stories about your products/services, brand or employees. Go behind the scenes, engage with current events, or simply entertain.

5. Go live

I touched on it in #1, but I’ll say it again. Live video is key this year. In addition to video content being more popular and engaging than ever, live video gives you the opportunity to stream events, marketing experiences, Q&As, tutorials, and other content for your consumers. It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s something positive that came out of 2020.

Live videos keep your followers engaged with your brand by showing them something they might not be able to experience elsewhere. It gives them a new and different way to learn from and engage with your brand.

And, thanks to the struggles of last year, you aren’t expected to film in a production-quality screening room. Your home office can do the trick just as well.

6. In-app shopping

This is something Pinterest mastered years ago, but other platforms like Facebook and Instagram are jumping on the bandwagon.

With new capabilities, consumers can buy a product they see in a post without even leaving the app they are on. This adds convenience for both the user and the company, because you don’t have to build a whole e-commerce store to sell your products.

This is great for small business owners who turned to crafting as a side-hustle during the pandemic and furloughs, as well as for larger brands who are looking to conveniently and effectively continue to sell products.

7. Authenticity and trust

This has always been important, and in my opinion, one of the keys to success on social media.

However, it may be more important now than ever before.

Unfortunately, the pandemic hasn’t gone away. And people are still scared, lonely, frustrated and financially uncertain. It’s especially critical for brands to build trust with their audiences in order for consumers to identify with and invest in them.

Producing and posting authentic content, either from your employees, brand or customers, can help prospects (and existing customers) relate to you, while showing them you care about them… not just your sales.

I know your sales are important. It’s what will keep your business afloat. But, you can still improve your sales without pushing your product on your consumers. Keep existing customers coming back, and show your authenticity as a brand to build trust with prospects. They will appreciate it, connect with you, and come to you first.

8. Prepare to pivot

If you didn’t learn this in 2020, you might have been living under a rock. Or not on Earth at all.

Last year, brands were forced to almost constantly pivot to stay afloat. Whether that was in their marketing, product offerings, or other facets of the business, COVID-19 showed us you can’t get comfortable with what you know.

Whether you had to furlough employees, transition to work from home, turn off your marketing, change your tone and how you market, create new content (everyone has to wear masks!), or something else, the trend of being able to quickly pivot your strategy won’t go away this year.

Prepare to change. Prepare for the unexpected. Be ready to pivot on both large and small scales, whether it’s your posting schedule, what you’re posting, or your paid ads.