HubSpot’s 2021 social media trends
Leading marketing software provider HubSpot have released their annual social media trends report. We’ve picked out the top trends you should be focusing on for your bridal business.
Remixing
HubSpot: “Remixing is on the rise through apps like TikTok, Koji, and Instagram Reels. Remixing is the art of taking existing formats, templates, or ideas, and recreating them to express a user’s own personality or ideas”.
This trend is a fantastic opportunity for bridal boutiques to gain exposure and truly show your audience who you are. It’s essential that you add remixed content to your social media plan for 2021 as these fun, expressive and informative videos are here to stay. If you aren’t sure where to start, try jumping in and out of wedding dresses in your store or if you are a TikTok pro, why don’t you try creating your own templates for others to use. Now is a great time to create a bank of content, as you can shoot multiple ideas in your store while you are closed to customers.
Top tip – Buy a tripod, so you don’t have to rely on others to film you.
The four Cs of COVID-19
HubSpot: “Even if the pandemic is resolved in 2021, the repercussions will be felt for years to come. The shadow cast by COVID-19 will most likely linger, making it hard for consumers to simply forget its consequences. Brands will need to adapt their communications with this in mind. The tone of 2021 will be shaped by the 4 Cs of COVID-19 content: Community / Contactless / Cleanliness / Compassion”.
You will need to continue to address the four Cs into 2021. These topics are still at the forefront of the consumer’s mind and they need to know that you care about them too. Brainstorm content ideas with your team and then add them to your plan. When shops can open, make sure you have your health & safety/hygiene information available on your social platforms, for example in your IG highlights. Showing compassion can be most easily achieved when the consumer can see who’s behind the brand. If you are comfortable doing so, jump on an IG Live to answer questions from brides who are worried about their in store experience during the pandemic.
Nostalgia marketing
HubSpot: “It’s easy to look back on 2019 and think how much better it was. The positive emotions connected with the “good old days” help boost current emotions. The appeal of nostalgia marketing is clear. It connects strong positive emotions to your brand, and gives it a sentimental boost. During times of uncertainty and economic downturn, it appears more frequently as consumers look to connect with happier times to distract from current situations”.
It’s important to understand what your customer’s are feeling. “Mentions of keywords related to nostalgia or remembering the past, shot up from a baseline of around 13M mentions to 24.4M (+88%)” says HubSpot. To tap into this, share previous happy memories of real weddings as your audience will enjoy seeing the potential for their future. Your content doesn’t always have to be bridal/wedding focused. Try throwing it back to nostalgic childhood memories of your target audience or using music for their teen years on one of your Reels.
Conversational marketing
HubSpot: “Marketing is a two-way street. Brands can no longer shout their messages into the void and hope for the best. Instead, it’s all about conversations and connections—having conversations with consumers to build those relationships and create sales”.
In 2021, you audience will continue to expect one-to-one communication. While it’s time consuming, it will be more important than ever to reply to all DMs in a timely manner. Conversation marketing isn’t just about individual conversations. Your tone across your social media channels needs to be conversational, so people feel comfortable reaching out. People want to know you and trust you, so show your personality and the human side of your brand in 2021.
Socially conscious audiences
HubSpot: “This is the number one trend as defined by our survey. In 2020, it was clear how this socially conscious generation (and the future Generation Alpha) had an impact on brands, politics, and society as a whole. Companies will have to engage more with topics like mental health, inclusivity, and social justice, or face becoming irrelevant and potentially obsolete in 2021”.
Gen Z are quickly moving into their 20s and will shortly becoming your main target audience. This new generation care deeply about social issues and will make buying decisions based on a brand’s views, ethos and partnerships. They see past social trends and want to know brands are actively fighting issues, for example climate change and racial inequality. Your business will need to take an active approach to tackling these issues. Try researching sustainable bridalwear designers and review your use of paper – can you go digital? Representation is important in the fight against racial inequality. In 2021, take a look at your social media imagery and improve upon the diversity of your feed. If your suppliers are not producing diverse imagery, speak to them about this and help improve this within the bridal industry.
Finally, HubSpot suggest that three three biggest social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) will remain leaders in the field. The big platforms will continue to release new features through 2021. Make sure you are aware of the latest updates and features across all platforms to increase reach and improve audience journey.
If you would like to read the full HubSpot report, click here.
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