Social media trends in 2021

Among social networks, Instagram occupies a leading position in the world. This site was created not only for posting photos, but also for advertising your business. In this social network, there is a large concentration of people who sell things with the author’s design or have a blog on the relevant topic.Everyone wants to become popular, and get many views because this is a direct way to make easy money on the Internet. But SMM trends often change according to world events and many other factors, so it’s important to follow them to keep users interested and not lose followers.

What is popular on Instagram right now

If we talk about the main Instagram trends that accompanied us throughout 2020, then among the main Instagram features were:

• Profile. In 2020, the user has become even more demanding, therefore, when entering someone’s Instagram page, he should immediately understand what this page is about, who its owner is and how to contact him. Pages with a photo of a cat instead of the main photo with your face (unless it’s an animal shelter profile, etc.) make users suspicious.
• Video format. It was one of the main trends throughout the year. For this, it was enough to shoot short dynamic videos that could interest the audience. However, there is a catch: the claim that videos get more views on Instagram is a myth. Everything is very individual and depends on what content is most interesting to your audience. If your followers primarily respond to videos, they will more likely to search for such content in the interesting section. It was reported in the Creators by Instagram account.
• Minimalism. This SMM trend became relevant in 2019 and consolidated its position in 2020, and minimalistic photos remain at the peak of popularity. People like lightness in everything, especially in video and photo content. In-the-moment photography has especially strengthened its position.
• Single style. Profiles designed in the same style and having something in common in all posts look stylish and attractive. Design in a single style is suitable for a personal profile and a business account, for which attention to detail, unobtrusiveness, and delicacy are important.
• Unprocessed or film photos. 2020 is the year of a complete rejection of bright presets with very saturated colors. Famous bloggers have completely moved away from processing all photos in the same style due to presets with too saturated colors because they distort the shades in the images. All that profile users in 2020 needed was good light and minimal processing, with slight brightness and hue correction. The Lightroom app helped a lot with this.
• Well-thought-out Stories. If we compare Stories on Instagram with the main content, Stories have finally moved away from the in-the-moment format, and trends dictate the rules for a more competent approach to this communication channel. The aesthetic design of even ordinary photos and videos is necessary for high-quality and accessible information transfer, so it is another SMM trend. How to do it, you can take a look at your favorite Ukrainian and Western bloggers.
• What about SMM trends among texts? Research and surveys have shown that posts with a lot of text provide more active feedback. Therefore, in 2020, bloggers increased the amount of text instead of the usual few words under publications. The Instagram format does not allow users to publish long texts, so they move part of the article into the comments or add screenshots in the carousel. You should pay special attention to the formatting, as long solid text is difficult to read.
• Micro- and nano-influencers. Another trend that took hold last year continued to gain strength in 2020 and will be relevant in 2021. More and more brands have begun to cooperate with bloggers with a small number of followers (from 1 to 15 thousand) because they have high engagement rates and audience trust.

SMM trends 2021

When we talk about future social media trends that await us in 2021, then almost all global trends are preserved from previous years, developing due to additional technologies.

• The main format in 2021 will be vertical, short content (Stories, TikTok, Instagram Reels).
• Due to the high employment of people, voice content, namely podcasts, will gain popularity.
• AR and VR (masks, virtual assistants). Many brands and bloggers on Instagram actively started working with AR technologies because these are new trends on Instagram that appeared not so long ago. We expect that in 2021 the use of masks will become more massive and widespread. In 2020, several virtual bloggers, so-called digital avatars, appeared.
• A chatbot will be the best friend of a business. Why? Because marketers in social networks actively use chatbots to automate the stages of working with the client, increase consumer loyalty, and delegate some elementary tasks to virtual sellers for direct conversion.
• Need for apps. The programs where people spend their time during the pandemic receive the most interaction with the audience. For example, new games, shows on YouTube and applications that make life easier in quarantine quickly gained popularity.
• The format of short Stories will continue to be popular, as it allows you to convey information in a minimal amount of time.
• Make a TikTok video. It’s easy! This social network is gaining wide popularity every day, and many global companies have already created their pages, where they share live content that brings them closer to the audience.
• Collaborations and integration of applications or services are a trend of 2021. Brands share their audience, use additional PR in the media, and offer a new product together.
• The real face of the brand. Non-ideality and live real content are gaining more and more popularity. And in 2021, this trend will finally take hold and be reflected in the positioning of brands. Companies will show their flaws and human sides. It will help you to establish trusting and loyal relations with the target audience.
• Opting out of native advertising. This trend is gaining momentum and will lead to advertising with marks. Therefore, if a brand wants to find a blogger with the task of inconspicuously advertising a product — there will be more and more rejections. In 2021, bloggers will stop being ashamed of advertising, and subscribers will understand that this is their work. Instagram/FB/YouTube are already working on tools that make it easier to work with bloggers and point to advertising integration.
• The popularity of online activities will continue to grow. After all the restrictions, the digital format of interaction will become commonplace for people. Even if such a format is not necessary, its convenience will overshadow offline events. Conclusion: live broadcasts and online conferences will stay with us for a long time.

It is also worth paying attention to the visual component of the content. And the main consolidator of all visual trends is Pinterest, which has already published predictions for the trends of 2021. It should be noted that 9 out of 10 predictions published in 2020 have come true. The Pinterest developers announced their forecasts of trends in various industries for 2021:

• Fashion. The new athflow trend combines a sporty style with elegance. It can be wide loose pants and oversized clothes, you can also add classic things.
• Makeup. Skinimalism is a trend for natural and minimalist images that resemble real skin texture.
• Travels. Road trips with your car are gaining popularity. The coronavirus pandemic has affected trends, among them, in particular, traveling by own car.
• Food. Cooking at home becomes the main trend for the next year. People create culinary masterpieces at home, so the popularity of interesting dishes, cozy kitchen trinkets, and appetizing dishes is growing.
• Planet Earth. Taking care of our planet is a new platform for sharing views. The idea of environmental awareness is gaining popularity. In 2021, people propose to save the planet with fun, thus creating a playground for children to understand the importance of eco-awareness through entertaining games.
• Personalization. You can personalize your things — it is the main trend of Generation Z. In 2021, it is planned that personalization will reach a new level.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique conditions for communication between brands and users. The situation in 2020 once again proved the importance of promotion in social networks. We all could notice the situation in which those who have been working online for a long time did not lose their income during quarantine, but rather increased it.Therefore, explore social networks, follow trends, develop your business, and if something does not work out, remember — you can always contact the Lanet CLICK team of specialists for help.