by conceptalkPost-Pandemic and Social Media
Trends Update and How To Stay Relevant
Over the last few months, we have witnessed social media growth because of the massive impact of the pandemic. Compared to July 2019, there is a 10.5 percent improvement in social media usage in July 2020. This data also follows the changing social media trends, like online-based events and the rising of short-form videos. Along with the prediction of COVID-19 approaching endemic status, there might be another change trend in social media that we should anticipate. What are these trends exactly? Are there any differences between before and after pandemics? Let’s discuss this further!
Short Video Still Holds Its Place
Last year, short-form video is a big hit during the pandemic. Audiences prefer watching to reading and because their time is limited, the personal touch and authenticity of the short-form video also give them what they need. TikTok as social media platform based on short-form videos skyrocketed during the pandemic. In Q1 of 2020, the app was downloaded more than 2 billion times globally, which was the most download for any app ever in a single quarter. Following TikTok success, other social media also update short-form video features for their user, yet this trend is stronger than ever and predicted isn’t going anywhere.
The Sinks of Audio Only Apps & Features
Clubhouse is another app that became popular during the pandemic, with a monthly download as high as 9.6 million back in February 2021. The rising audio-only apps became a new trend and other social media (Facebook, Twitter, Discord, etc) created their own versions. However, Clubhouse’s moment was shortly lived. In April 2022, their app downloaded keeps decreasing. Following the decline in Clubhouse, other audio-only features, like Facebook also closed their podcast service barely a year after its launch. These phenomena show that audio-only features become less attractive because podcasts have to compete with short-form videos and the audiences are limited because it is something you need to specifically listen to.
Is Live Streaming Promising?
Online-based events became the “new normal” as audiences attended from the comfort of their homes during social distancing. This opens up new opportunities for the entertainment sector. According to research by Cisco, video traffic will quadruple by 2022, and video will account for 82 percent of all web traffic. As a result, there has been an increased appetite and demand for new ways to explore content, and live streaming is expanding to meet consumers’ needs.
Along with the easing of social distancing regulations, many people think that live streaming will experience a downward trend. However, the essence of live streaming has provided a new way for brands to connect with users and their target audience. What’s more, the increasing enthusiasm of audiences for gaming, as well as e-commerce sales via live streaming shows that this trend has grown rapidly even though COVID-19 has approached endemic status.
How to Stay Relevant
Having a broad perspective and focusing on helping our audience solve problems will keep our brand relevant. With a touch of value and humanity in our content, audiences will feel a deeper connection with us. The emotional connection will form a long-term engagement that will make our brand stand out from the crowd. Combining a human touch in content while staying on top of trends is a powerful weapon because trends will continue to change and being able to stay relevant is a key to surviving these changes.
Sources:
www.likeable.com
www.readwrite.com
www.kornferry.com
www.business.com