Digital – The Luxi Look

By Amy Zhang March 4, 2021 in Digital 3 Comments

Social Media Apps to Watch in 2021

Whether you’re a casual or avid social media user, you’ve probably noticed some new apps everyone is talking about lately. As someone who works in digital marketing and is always trying to be up on the latest trends in social media, it feels like 2021 has brought with it the rise of several previously new to me platforms. From a user perspective, it’s scary to make the leap to a new platform and tough to learn a new format for creating and sharing content. (Remember when you were convinced to sign up for Facebook?) As a creator, there’s a lot of pressure to be omnipresent on social media. For small business owners, it’s all of the above and more. Time and money are limited resources. And I feel like I’m having weekly conversations with creator/small business owner friends on where they should be focusing their efforts and ad budgets.

My general rule of thumb is, I will give anything a shot once. I also think from a content creator or business perspective. It is 100% in your favor to jump on new platforms and test them out. The reason for this is, established players such as Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube are SO saturated at this point. It can be really hard to cut through the “noise” and it oftentimes feels like the algorithm is working against you. New platforms are generally more focused on customer acquisition (vs. continued engagement/retention/optimizing for ad dollars). So it can be much easier for your content to break through and go viral. Below are my favorite new social media apps to watch in 2021 – whether you’re a casual user, content creator, or small business.

Social Media Apps to Watch in 2021

Clubhouse

A cool concept – audio only (hello, Zoom fatigue) social media that elevates raw, in the moment, and authentic conversations. I’ve heard people get really vulnerable and transparent on Clubhouse in a way they don’t on any other medium. Maybe it’s because it’s still growing. Maybe because there’s no recording or monetization mechanism (yet). I’ve also heard that some of the rooms are full of… a lot of words and not a lot of substance. Anyway, your experience and mileage may vary. I feel like Clubhouse is all anyone talks about right now. But I haven’t been able to get into it personally.

I think if I spend a little more time looking for rooms that interest me and put them on in the background while cooking, cleaning, or taking a walk, I might get more sucked in. Give me a few weeks on this one… and in the meantime, does anyone need an invite?

TikTok

Technically not new, but hear me out. I feel like millennials and older have flooded the app over the past year. And the content is becoming more information and tutorial oriented. But in a very fun way – TikTok feels a lot more organic and authentic than Instagram, which can feel highly curated at times. TikTok feels a little chaotic and messy, but in a good way. The algorithm is on point (somehow mine figured out my age, relationship status, dog mom status, profession, and interests within a week), which is probably a little more creepy than it feels in execution. So far I’ve been mostly a lurker on TikTok. But I’m really interested in pushing my creativity and learning more about content distribution and virality in a new (and scary) to me medium: video. Luckily, your iPhone makes it insanely easy to be a creator now.

Dispo

My personal new favorite, Dispo is social media that doesn’t feel anything like social media. The premise of the app is based on a disposable camera. You take photos through the lens, and the next day they are “developed” at 9am. You can then add them to albums and even create shared albums with your friends. By taking away the instant gratification of posting, the anxiety over having a perfectly curated feed, and the immediate response of getting likes and comments, it feels casual and unedited (in a good way). I can’t wait for a post-COVID world where I can use this on a group trip with friends.

Instagram Reels

Instagram is pushing reels, hard. Right now, one of the easiest ways to grow on Instagram is to post reels consistently (they recommend 3-4x a week, however I have seen a lot of success stories from creators who post daily). It’s meant to compete directly with TikTok, but I’m sure any avid TikTok user will tell you, the experiences feel completely different. Reels still feels more edited and polished, but that may just be because of my personal demographics and interests. Either way, it will be interesting to see how this surface evolves over the year.

What are your favorite social platforms at the moment?

By Amy Zhang January 28, 2021 in Digital 1 Comment

5 Social Media Trends to Watch For in 2021

So much has happened in 2021, and we’re still only in January. There is so much activity happening on the internet right now, it’s hard to keep up. Between blogging and my corporate job, I try to stay afloat on current trends and happenings in social media and digital marketing. Since I started blogging years ago, social media and influencer marketing has drastically transformed. It’s a massive industry and an accepted part of any brand marketing strategy now! Part of my day job is to stay on top of all of the trends in social media and digital marketing. It’s important in order to work with our clients on digital strategy and transformation. 2021 will be a year of continued growth and change in the social media and influencer marketing space. See below for some of the key social media trends to watch for in 2021,

5 Social Media Trends to Watch For in 2021

1. Influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere.

I’ll admit, when COVID-19 hit, I was certain it would be the end of influencers. However a year into the pandemic, and I’ve been proven completely wrong. While there certainly has been a massive shift towards authenticity and relatable content, consumers are still looking to influencers. We aren’t getting dressed up and traveling as much as before.

However, there’s still plenty of space for home decor, beauty, skincare, fitness, cooking, and other lifestyle content. Moreover, brands have come to rely on influencers to create user generated content in the current environment. Influencer marketing has also become completely normalized and standardized across marketing budgets. This means more money is being poured into it than ever before.

With that said, the nature of being an influencer has changed dramatically in recent years. It’s no longer enough to focus only on one platform – the days of the “Insta influencer” are coming to an end. Many influencers have realized that in order continue growing their followings (and income), they will need to diversify across platforms. Between Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tik Tok, YouTube, podcasting, and blogging, being a digital content creator is a full time job many times over.

2. Increased competition online in every category.

The rise of the digital economy means there has never been so much competition for attention online. The new currency is your attention – and everyone from influencers to brands to platforms is competing for your precious attention. More people are trying to become influencers than ever, hoping to break through on any platform. Brands are vying for advertising space, strategic relationships with influencers, and consumer’s dollars. Now that every platform from Facebook to Pinterest to Spotify is offering advertising units, there’s more competition for marketing dollars. All this is to say, there’s never been a better time to be a part of the digital economy. But no matter what part you play in it, you’ll see increased competition.

With the increase in competition for attention, comes changes to algorithms around content creation. One example to highlight how competitive social media has become is on Instagram. The platform alone recommends its creators post an aggressive amount of content every week. The recommended cadence is 1 IGTV video, 3-4 reels, 3-4 static posts, and 5-8 stories per week. For the average micro or part time influencer, or small brand, this amount of content is incredibly overwhelming (and oftentimes not feasible). On the plus side, it creates ample opportunity for small scale social media managers and content creators.

3. Proliferation of short form video.

With the rise of Tik Tok and Instagram Reels on its heels, we’re seeing a huge shift in how people consume short form content. I feel like a total millennial saying this, but a year ago I had no idea how Tik Tok worked. I think I literally said, “I don’t get this.” Well, it’s now 2021, and Tik Tok has officially become my favorite social media app. The content is light, funny, and authentic and is one of social media trends to watch for in 2021.

The app feels completely addictive, from its easy user interface to an algorithm that serves up eerily relevant content. In many ways, it’s a breath of fresh air from Instagram, which has begun to feel too curated and stiff. I receive a lot of questions from new or small business owners on social media strategy and which platform to prioritize. I tell many of them to try Tik Tok. Because the app is newer, you have a better chance of being rewarded by the algorithm (aka it can be easier to grow a following on Tik Tok). 2020 bred a new generation of social media influencers through Tik Tok, and this year will be no different.

Although Instagram is determined not to lose to Tik Tok in the battle of creators and attention, it’s still too early to tell who will come out on top. One thing is for sure though, short form video content isn’t going anywhere.

4. More ads and shopping on social media.

2021 will see a big rise in adoption of social commerce across platforms. Instagram is aggressively pushing their shopping feature. It has been on the roadmap for a long time and opens up an opportunity for Facebook to compete against other e-commerce giants. Pinterest is also following with shoppable pins. The problem with Instagram is the app is starting to become cluttered – between all of the different surfaces and types of content (in feed posts, stories, IGTV, reels, lives, shopping), there are more placements for ads than ever. Subsequently, as consumers we are seeing more ads than ever on our social media apps. It will be interesting to see how brands and consumers adopt social commerce through their social media apps and how consumers react to more and more advertisements.

5. Mission and values driven brand marketing.

2020 ushered in a new era of social media marketing. There have been a larger emphasis than ever on brand mission and values. Today’s customers are looking for brands that have messages that speak to inclusivity, diversity, sustainability, and standing up for a cause. Expect this trend to continue into the future. These have long reaching implications on where and how advertising dollars are spent and the types of content creation that are elevated.

I’ve received SO many questions around social media marketing and requests for advice, and it’s an area that I’m super passionate about. One of my goals for 2021 was to create more – so I’m looking into posting more frequently about social media trends and digital marketing. If you have specific questions, I’d love to help – send me an email at [email protected] and we can chat. Stay tuned for more digital marketing related content! xx