Social Media Trends worth leaving behind in 2021

Social Media Trends worth leaving behind in 2021: Part 2

This is part two in our series where we share what 2021 social media trends we’re keeping, which ones we’re leaving behind, and what we can expect to see on social media in 2022. See part one here.

 

Long-Form Video Content

If you didn’t see this one coming, you may want to take a glance at the 2021 growth statistics released by TikTok.  The extended long-form video simply can’t compete. Aside from the king of video Youtube—which has created their very own version of a short-form video platform “Youtube Shorts” to stay in the race.  ​According to Vidyard (video hosting software company), 60% of all videos published on the internet in 2020 were under 2 minutes long. 

Instagram IGTV and Facebook Watch Parties are also staying put in the 2021 calendar year. Don’t expect to see any top social sites investing big development budgets into this now digitally archaic content style.

24HR Social Stories

“Disappearing content” may be beginning to live up to its name. Twitter Fleets and LinkedIn Stories fell flat in comparison to users’ expectations. Now with Instagram’s investment of $1 billion towards creators and a heavy push towards Reels content success, Reels ads may be right around the corner. This may be the first sign of a gradual fade from disappearing content and further focus towards brand investment in short-form. Google search trends show “Instagram Stories” has dropped by 33% in popularity and search interest in the last year. In a digital land where content is key- content that lives past a 24hr lifespan may be seen as a more worthwhile of time and energy for brands.

Quick note: for those including a 10k goal in their current Instagram growth strategy—Instagram’s beloved “swipe-up” feature within Stories will be left behind in 2021. No more striving for that 10k follows for access to share links with your followers.

Will Reels Survive the TikTok spike?

Instagram Reels still seems slightly out of place for those used to the photo-centric days of Instagram yet as Instagram announced itself to be a video-first platform in 2021, it’s beginning to serve as an addictive substitute for those still holding off hitting that TikTok download button. Google search demand for Instagram Reels has grown by 22%. In comparison, search demand for TikTok has grown by 173% in the last year alone and is still on the rise. Simply put, if you’re looking for new followers and new engagement—TikTok is the place you need to invest short-form content energy. Look to Reels for re-engagement with your current audience and existing followers.

Audio Social Spaces

Collab rooms such as Clubhouse have reached their peak in 2021. Expect a decline in popularity moving forward. With 10.6 million installs in February 2021 led to a drastic drop the following month with 2.9 million installs, which followed suit with only 873,000 downloads globally in April.  In July of 2021, the “invite-only” app tossed invitations out the window in a free-for-all download spree that shot user downloads back up to 10 million. Though the allure of exclusive authentic conversations still draws users, we don’t see Clubhouse integrating enough true in-app functionality to hold its own against the social media giants claiming digital space in 2022.   

 

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