In 2020, the world as we know it has changed which means that so have peoples’ priorities and preferences. Important changes in consumer behaviour can be observed through emerging social media trends.
The one thing every brand desires is to understand their consumers. If you know what your consumers want, you have the formula for success. But people are fickle. Our preferences keep changing and we’re constantly influenced by the world around us. In this world of uncertainty, one thing is for sure: we are using social media now more than ever before.
Social media is the Pierian Spring of the world today: it is the source for unlimited information. The challenge is to make sense of this information.
In taking up this challenge, I made a list of the most important changes in consumer behavior that can be seen through changing social media trends:
People Care About Social Issues
Social conscientiousness has amplified throughout the world. In 2020, 33% of people indicated that they are striving to avoid posts that others might perceive as tone-deaf. Issues like religious tolerance, racial equality, and climate change are not limited to any one part of the world – they are sought after globally. Thus, a brand needs to be aware of and sensitive to social issues prevalent throughout the world.
People Share More Posts With A Purpose
The new social media trend is that people are engaging more with posts that share content with a purpose. Consumers favor brands that actively work towards building a more fair and equitable society. Millennials have the highest expectations that brands should engage proactively with society, set an example and guide the change.
People Are Drawn to Creativity
As more content is created than ever before, usage of creative platforms like Tiktok has exploded. This has been a result of people exploring their creative instincts as the pandemic has kept people in their houses. People have shorter attention spans and a more voracious appetite for creative, new content. With this is a golden opportunity for brands to try out and experiment with new marketing strategies and push out more creative content.
People Want to Feel Connected
Covid 19 has made 2020 the loneliest year in most peoples’ lifetimes. As people cannot gather freely, isolation has sunk in deep, driving people to find connections online. Brands have a unique opportunity to promote themselves by creating shared media consumption experiences such as watch parties and online community engagement events.
Positivity is Key
In a year that has been a blow of one bad news after another, people are seeking positivity on social media. Consumers want to feel good in a world where there is little good news and constant insecurity. This means that users are trending towards uplifting content.
People Are Buying More Online
As people have gravitated towards online shopping, a vast majority (82%) of them say that they get their information from social media. Before they buy a product, they assess a brand’s overall social media presence to determine whether or not they will buy something. This shows that it is even more important for brands to maintain an attractive social media presence. Brands have to push out exciting, engaging content constantly to market their products and services.
Millennials Grow Stronger
Millennials are the fastest-growing consumers today. India has the world’s largest millennial population in absolute numbers, over 440 million people. They are more social media savvy which means that they hold the highest potential for outreach. This also means that a majority of your consumers are likely to be concerned with issues such as the long term impacts of a brand on their wellness and community.
Social Media Influencers
The final trend that has emerged is the growth of online influencers. People buy a product that is endorsed by someone they trust. Influencers not only reassure existing consumers but have the ability to attract a whole new audience of users that look to them for inspiration in their own lives.
As social media becomes more prevalent in people’s lives, platforms such as Locobuzz provide brands with a unique opportunity to understand who their consumers are and what they want. All of these trends are only possible to monitor through sophisticated AI technology that has the power and intelligence to make the most of the information that is out there on social media.