Read any report on 2021 social media trends and it’s guaranteed to say this: showcasing the human side of your brand is a must. To do this, you need to follow your consumers’ conversations on social media and get involved.
Reactive content for Gen Z audiences
For Gen Z audiences, it’s less about talking and more about creating. You should produce reactive video content that entertains audiences while emphasising your brand’s personality. According to a recent report by McKinsey, Gen Z in APAC opt for brands who show off their personality through video content. While a Think with Google report reveals that 71% of surveyed Gen Zs mainly use mobile devices to watch videos.
When it comes to finding the latest video trends, TikTok is the obvious place to start. After all, it’s arguably the most popular social channel for Gen Zs. In 2020 the number of Gen Zs using TikTok daily increased by 250%+ across Europe – a figure that’s set to keep on rising (source: Global Web Index). By staying up to date with the latest TikTok trends, brands can quickly generate reactive content, become part of the craze and engage Gen Z audiences.
Louis Vuitton did just that. In a bid to win over younger customers, they took on the TikTok “slow motion phone drop transition trend” (apologies for that mouthful) where users use slow motion to showcase their best outfits. Instead of sharing their videos on TikTok, Louis Vuitton took the trend to Instagram Reels. A clever move since Gen Z audiences are more likely to follow and engage with a brand on Instagram than any other platform (source: Wibbitz). Louis Vuitton’s phone drop Reel achieved an impressive 8.6M views proving that TikTok trends are not to be underestimated.
Reactive content for wider demographics
Of course it’s not just about getting creative on TikTok and Reels. If you want to engage a wider net of consumers, there are so many channels at your disposal, and so many formats to try. For example:
- Make it a meme
In 2020, the world went under lockdown together, and sending memes became a way of sharing a long-distance laugh with friends. 55% of 13-35 year olds were sharing memes with each other every week during lockdown (source: Talkwalker). Meme culture isn’t going anywhere fast, and the brands who can create funny, relevant memes are set to win in 2021.
But be wary – it’s all too easy to get memes wrong. Even the biggest global brands, including McDonald’s and Gucci, have fallen into the cringe-trap, jumping onto the latest meme trend without understanding what it means.
As well as being slated for producing cringe-worthy memes, brands often discover that they’ve become the unwanted punchline of a meme. So, when it comes to memes – whether you’re creating them or desperately trying to avoid featuring in them – carrying out social listening and staying on top of trends will be essential in the coming year.
- Unleash your live-tweets
If memes are not your thing, getting involved in a global event by live-tweeting along is a powerful way to create instant connections with audiences. For example, Pantone provided ‘Color Commentary’ to 2020’s Super Bowl on Twitter after spotting that the competing teams playing were both sporting the colour red. Their quirky take on the events brightened up Twitter and certainly got people talking.
@jessicawohl To celebrate the first time both teams share the same primary color, we’ll be doing live “Color Commentary” of today’s Big Game and the commercials. Let’s compare notes? #BigGameColorCommentary. pic.twitter.com/8oZvAETheW
— PANTONE (@pantone) February 2, 2020