The codes of marketing and communication have been overturned by the health crisis. New uses have emerged in the face of social distancing, and social networks are taking on an ever greater role. Here are the major trends observed for the coming year.
The social selling boom
Social selling is not new, but it has taken on a particular dimension in the second half of 2020. After the confinement, we saw the offers of social networks getting stronger. Facebook’s shop’inApp is an example. The health crisis has changed user behavior and accelerated the maturity of buying on social networks.
Social distancing and the closing of stores are pushing consumers to make their purchases from their sofa, with an emphasis on digital. Another trend is expected to emerge in 2021: social selling driven by employees, who are becoming sales animators in both physical and digital environments. For the moment, this is especially noticeable in the United States, where the Neiman Marcus retail chain commissions its employees on sales made on social networks, for example.
Social networks are reinventing themselves
How not to talk about TikTok, the social network that exploded in 2020 and should confirm its explosion in 2021? The Chinese giant has clearly benefited from containment. Its audience has grown rapidly, in volume of course, but also in terms of diversification of age groups. The network has managed to find its audience and create its own codes. TikTok’s media offer has been strengthened to accommodate the brands that will be arriving more and more in the coming months.
In the major social media trends of 2021, we also see the rise of corporate social networks. Maintaining the link and corporate culture has never been more important in this period of health crisis. Corporate social networks should therefore continue to play an increasingly important role.
At last, there is an acceleration of audio formats on social networks. The trend is accelerating as social networks begin to release native audio formats. The new 100% voice-based social network “Clubhouse”, launched in the United States in March 2020, illustrates this dynamic. Brands and content creators are increasingly using the audio format even on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Podcasting is emancipating itself from platforms to arrive natively on social network publications.
