Executive summary
Based on our annual survey of 11,189 marketers, interviews with
industry experts, and exhaustive research, we’ve identied
ve key social media trends for 2021.
TREND 1
|
page 10
The race to ROI: Social bridges the gap to a new
customer experience
As businesses struggle to recoup lost sales in the wake of the
pandemic, marketers turn to social to meet two equally urgent
imperatives: deliver short-term ROI with targeted performance
marketing tactics while building innovative digital experiences
that win long-term loyalty by bringing discovery, connection,
and fun back to the customer experience.
TREND 2 | page 18
Silence is golden: Brands find their place in the conversation
A dramatic uptick in social media use presented a huge
number of new opportunities for brands this year—but many
missed the mark by jumping in too soon. Smart brands sat
back and listened, then won with creative, original ways of
tting into the social conversation to break through the wall
of indierence.
TREND 3 | page 26
Way more than OK: A generation ignored by digital marketers
booms on social
Stereotypes, ageism, and a yearslong habit of chasing newness
over eectiveness have left marketers underestimating—
and underrepresenting—an increasingly digitally savvy and
lucrative demographic: baby boomers. By using smart
segmentation and thoughtful representation, marketers that
include baby boomers in their digital strategies can leapfrog
those still stuck in stereotypes.
4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
