8 priorities for NGOs working with social media in 2021
In 2021, social media has become more important than ever for non-profit organizations. Social media has proven itself as a valuable channel for NGOs to reach supporters and convert that reach into support. Social media marketing requires non-profit organizations to keep up with the latest trends in order to make the most of every available opportunity to reach their audience.
It's no surprise that this year has seen an unprecedented shift in social media use. Highlights from Datareportal's Digital Snapshot from July 2020 confirm that almost half of respondents spent more time on social media because of COVID-19.
What are the social media trends for 2021 that NGOs should know about:
THE CONVERSATION WITH ORGANIZATIONS' AUDIENCES IS EVOLVING
There's a lot to be said about the marketing approach to building trust with our social media audiences. Non-profit organizations can no longer simply broadcast messages and hope for the best. There's a growing need to establish two-way conversations with supporters and beneficiaries, and to connect with them around the issues that matter to them. During a crisis, some donors pull back, and the live connection with target groups weakens. Authentic engagement and relationship-building are the key factors in creating a solid strategy for cultivating support.
The new normal requires every organization to take all aspects of digital marketing seriously. Social media is both the most popular activity people engage in online and the most challenging one for organizations to navigate. Many NGOs still view social media as a promotional and advertising channel rather than as a major arena for collaboration with their target groups. They see their audience as supporters or influencers to be filtered through, in order to spark word-of-mouth marketing for the organization on the relevant social platform.
So-called conversational marketing is also gaining traction, a method of engaging customers and audiences through conversation: chatbots, social messaging, calls, and more. It's about building relationships through personalized, person-to-person content. A relatively new methodology (it began developing around 2018), it's highly adaptable, allowing you to quickly adjust your messaging to fit the context of a conversation and respond to different situations or users.
Conversation is a familiar practice for NGOs, and today they can make the most of existing technologies and the wide range of apps available for direct contact and dialogue with beneficiaries and stakeholders. Facebook itself, in developing its chatbot algorithms, suggests that empathy, knowledge, and human presence will be essential to creating this natural style in conversations.
LIVE STREAMING AND THE RISE OF INFLUENCER CONTENT
Social distancing measures meant canceled public events, cultural gatherings, and private parties. During certain periods, people couldn't even connect with friends and family.
In 2020, this led to a rise in the number of people creating and joining live-streamed online events, whether that meant a product launch, a live stream from a favorite celebrity, or an online workshop or training session.
On Facebook, live viewing increased by 50% during lockdown periods, while Instagram live viewership grew by 70%. TikTok usage exploded in 2020, and there's a strong chance we'll see this upward trajectory continue into 2021.
Personal content created through live streaming builds trust and taps into the "in the moment" connection that users craved throughout 2020.
FOCUSED SOCIAL MEDIA
Two-way communication is the ticket to boosting organic reach and engagement from your target audience. Let's not forget that the algorithm's function is to deliver relevant content to users. In that sense, an engaged online community that interacts with your organization's content through likes (good), comments (very good!), and shares (great!) will help you build a sustainable channel for spreading information, one your supporters trust.
Social media algorithms will always favor people. It's time to accept that fact, and you could be among the pioneers creating fundamentally people-centered nonprofit social media strategies, driven by the voices of your team, your beneficiaries, and your supporters.
PLATFORM DIVERSIFICATION
Different NGO target groups and audiences spend their time on different social media platforms, depending on their personal traits and interests. This shapes how organizations approach and invest across various social media platforms, whether it's a new channel like TikTok, updating their Facebook strategy, or exploring entirely new, unexplored platforms (for example, Kindlink, which blends elements of crowdfunding, social media, and employee engagement within companies).
We can't talk about 2021 social media trends without acknowledging the massive shakeup among social platforms that we witnessed in 2020. TikTok, which peaked in March 2020 with nearly 76 million downloads, introduced a new approach to social engagement. TikTok is a popular short-form video sharing platform where both celebrities and everyday users create and share user-generated content, from dance videos and cooking demos to makeovers, animal clips, and social media challenges! This content has proven hugely popular with TikTok's audience, 41% of whom are between 16 and 24 years old.
If your non-profit organization wants to reach this demographic, understanding TikTok will be key.
In August 2020, Instagram rolled out Reels, giving influencers, brands, and fans the ability to create short 15-second videos. Unlike TikTok, Instagram already has a massive existing following, with over a billion users. The platform's largest demographic is between 25 and 34 years old, making up nearly 34% of Instagram's user base, though Instagram's presence is certainly felt across many age groups.
USER-GENERATED CONTENT - UGC
This is becoming an increasingly reliable tactic for social media marketing. Both brands and users find this kind of content more authentic and trustworthy. The majority of users trust UGC (User Generated Content) when it comes to influencing their purchasing or support decisions, and people want to see real-life experience. This year, we'll see UGC content continue to grow on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
When it comes to content that connects people, user-generated content (UGC):
Builds and strengthens communities
Has a unifying, uplifting tone
Allows organizations to meet their audiences where they already are
Helps brands generate far more content against the backdrop of staying home and restrictive measures
UGC has long been an effective way to build relationships and gather authentic stories, and this will continue to be a common theme throughout 2021.
THE REVIVAL AND RISE OF PRIVATE (CLOSED) GROUPS AND PLATFORMS
As noise on social media keeps increasing, many people are looking to personalize their experience by joining private groups and forums based on causes and personal interests. Facebook groups and their membership numbers are growing, and Instagram is already seeing the effects of features like threads or sharing stories with specific friends. Many people are visiting or returning to closed, restricted-access online forums for education, entertainment, networking, and shared interests.
EASY-TO-CONSUME CONTENT
In 2020, people leaned on easy-to-consume content, things like podcasts that can be listened to on the go, or newsletters delivered straight to a subscriber's inbox. US consumer research shows that 55% of Americans now listen to podcasts, while interest in organizational newsletters grew by 14% during lockdowns. Here in Bulgaria too, interest in these formats is growing, and more and more NGOs see them as a necessary part of their digital communications strategy.
Convenient, easily accessible content like podcasts and newsletters helps organizations connect more deeply with their audiences and offers a more intimate way to stay in touch.
"Old school" communication methods tied to voice calls are also on the rise. Voice used to be central to communication, with calls significantly outweighing messaging. And yet, currently, 68% of users text more than they talk on their smartphones. Now we're seeing a return of voice, through voice search, voice notes, and, more recently, voice tweets, a method of sharing your stories with voice add-ons. This "new" method of communication will keep growing in the years ahead.
But voice search won't be the only trend in 2021. We can also expect other creative search methods to gain traction, such as visual search. Tools like Google Lens let users search for whatever they see. This means that images and visual storytelling will be extremely important in 2021, and over the coming year, visual imagery will play an increasingly important role in SEO optimization..
THE INFLUENCE OF THE SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS AUDIENCE
This is the number one trend identified by Talkwalker's research. In 2020, it became clear how this socially conscious generation (and the upcoming Generation Alpha) is shaping brands, politics, and society as a whole. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, politics, equality, education, mental health, finances, shifting food trends, and climate are critical issues, and social media is their way of addressing and discussing them. The COVID-19 health crisis has also hit Gen Z hard: 50% either lost a job themselves or had someone in their household lose one due to the pandemic. In the years ahead, they'll have plenty to fight for and are likely to become more active around the issues that matter most to them, which means more citizens taking an interest in NGO work, and it's time for us to connect with them.
But what does all of this mean for NGOs' communication marketing strategy? This year, the target points are shifting, which means it's worth taking a good look at your social media strategy. COVID has affected every audience's life, every age group, and users are spending more time online than ever, particularly on social media. Opportunities for personal connection with supporters and communities have become severely limited, so every channel matters and needs to be put to use.
If you're unsure how to approach this, or you're just starting to build your online communication plan, Impact Drive's experts and consultants can help. Get in touch with us!
Sources used:
Talkwalker's "Social Media Trends 2021" report
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