Social media essentials for 2021

SOCIAL MEDIA
ESSENTIALS
f o r 2 0 2 1

On average, the world’s internet users spend
2 h o u r s a n d 2 4 m i n u t e s
u s i n g s o c i a l m e d i a
across all devices each day,
accounting for more than one-third
of our total internet time.
Spending more time at home, in search for digital ways to
spend their leisure time and to remain informed, people
have used their smartphones more in 2020 than ever
before – a trend that is expected to live in 2021 as well,
as the Coronavirus pandemic continues for at least a few
more months. According to eMarketer estimates, the
average U.S. adult spent in 2020:
2 3 a d d i t i o n a l m i n u t e s o n t h e i r
s m a r t p h o n e
1 1 m o r e m i n u t e s p e r d ay
j u s t o n s o c i a l m e d i a
WELCOME TO 2021
THE POWER OF OUR SMARTPHONES

In 2020, social media became our main source of entertainment, of news
gathering, the way we saw the world instead of travelling and, more
importantly, our main way of communicating with our loved ones.
P i n t e r e s t ‘ s
d a i l y a c t i v e
u s e r b a s e r o s e
+ 3 7 %
T w i t t e r ‘ s b a s e
g r e w b y
+ 2 9 %
S n a p c h a t h a d
+ 1 8 %
m o r e u s e r s
F a c e b o o k u s e r
b a s e g r e w b y
+ 1 2 %
SOCIAL MEDIA GREW IN 2020,
PREPARING THE FIELD FOR A FULLY-SOCIAL 2021

ESSENTIAL TRENDS AND
GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW IN 2021
All about how, when and what to do in 2021 in order to
stay relevant and be a part of the conversation.
Gathered from social media and digital marketing
experts from around the world.

There is no stronger trend when it comes to the second year of
the pandemic than social responsibility. Caring for others, civic
spirit, attention to the environment and a refined sense of
ethics must guide our marketing efforts in 2021.
From racial inequality to environmental sustainability or more
empathy in our speeches, 2 0 2 1 i s t h e y e a r w e
n e e d t o t h i n k t w i c e a b o u t o u r m e s s a g e s
a n d c a m p a i g n s to make sure we are not biased and do
not encourage inappropriate behaviour, either related to those
around us or to the environment.
#1
BE SOCIALLY
RESPONSIBLE

One of the biggest shifts produced in 2020 as a result of
discussions about the marginalization of certain ethnic
categories occurred in the beauty industry, where many
consumers, public figures and influencers said they stop using
certain products until b ra n d s c h a n g e t h e i r
a p p r o a c h , in terms of colour palette, from extremely
light skin to very dark skin.
Similarly, all types of silhouettes are encouraged in fashion
brand campaigns, and the exposure of various aesthetic
problems that need to be normalized is encouraged: scars,
acne, stretch marks, vitiligo, etc.
In 2021, digital marketing should include media and subject
matters that cover a v a r i e t y of races, sexualities,
religions, etc., as well as representation for people with
physical disabilities and learning disabilities.
#2
INCLUSIVITY

Tu r n y o u r b ra n d i n t o a v o i c e and build your
communication around discourses relevant to your business
and products.
I n 2 0 2 1 i t i s n o l o n g e r e n o u g h t o h a v e
a g o o d p r o d u c t o r s e r v i c e , but you must build
an open brand that communicates efficiently and constantly, a
brand that empowers people by trust.
Refine a strong set of values and include them in your
communication as often as possible.
#3
TALK ABOUT
YOUR PURPOSE

Considering the changes imposed in recent years by GDPR
policy, as well as the severe situations caused by
misinformation in areas such as politics or health, brands
must pay more attention in 2021 to:
o s t r i c t e r p o l i c i e s t o p r o t e c t u s e r s ;
o r e l i a b l e i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m t r u s t e d s o u r c e s ;
o s e c u r i t y o f p e r s o n a l d a t a ;
o m o d e r a t i n g c o n t e n t i n t h e o n l i n e
e n v i r o n m e n t .
Any breach of data or promotion of misleading information is
now more serious than ever.
#4
SAFETY ABOVE
EVERYTHING

Omnichannel marketing has become popular as a concept in
recent years, when specialists from large companies began to
think of marketing campaigns across multiple platforms (such
as social media, apps, email and blog) in order to connect
with prospects on more touchpoints. The great advantage of
this approach is a cohesive message, with increased power.
Stats show that brands using three or more channels in an
automation workflow can generate great results:
o E n g a g e m e n t r a t e : 18.96% on omnichannel vs. 5.4%
on single-channel
o P u r c h a s e f r e q u e n c y : 250% higher on omnichannel
vs. single-channel
o A v e r a g e o r d e r v a l u e : 13% more per order on
omnichannel vs. single-channel
o C u s t o m e r r e t e n t i o n r a t e s : 90% higher for
omnichannel vs. single-channel
#5
OMNICHANNEL
MARKETING

With the growth of adjacent video content platforms such as
TikTok and the introduction by veteran platforms of new
options for such content, such as Instagram Reels, there is no
doubt that v i d e o c o n t e n t m u s t b e p a r t o f 2 0 2 1 ' s
d i g i t a l m a r k e t i n g s t r a t e g i e s .
Among the strongest trends is to repurpose video content for
your feed, so that the creation efforts are minimal - for
example the same video can be used on TikTok and Instagram
Reels. Equally strong is the tendency to create short-form
video content - memorable, easily digestible and with the
power to create viral movements.
#6
THE KING OF CONTENT:
VIDEO

We can now shop on Instagram via Reels Shopping and
Instagram Live Shopping, while TikTok has recently partnered
with Shopify. We are seeing more and more products
mentioned on feeds and even LinkedIn has introduced the
option for brands to mention their products on their pages.
O n l i n e s h o p p i n g h a s s e e n a m a j o r u p t a k e
d u r i n g t h e p a n d e m i c , which means that the trend of
shoppable posts on all major social media platforms including
Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest has caught the
perfect wave for a rapid soar in popularity.
Customers can easily click on the shopping icon of any product
showcased and either be directed to the eCommerce website
page or go straight to checkout. It’s e a s y , c o n v e n i e n t
a n d h a s s l e f r e e .
Instagram reports that the platform has 1 b i l l i o n u s e r s ,
a n d 9 0 % o f t h e m a l r e a d y f o l l o w a c t i v e
s h o p p i n g b r a n d s .
#7
SOCIAL
SHOPPING

Stories are a perfect example of how social media and the
way we consume content is changing.
Snapchat, Instagram Stories, YouTube Stories, Facebook
Stories, WhatsApp and even Twitter - all platforms seem to
have aligned to this trend which is proving to be popular
precisely because it offers us what we expect to receive
nowadays from social media - s h o r t c o n t e n t , e a s y t o
d i g e s t , m o s t l y i n v i d e o f o r m a t , which disappears
after a short time for something else to take its place.
It is the mirror of the way we consume content today, in a
social media environment saturated with a g r o w i n g n e e d
f o r m o r e , f a s t e r a n d s i m p l e .
#8
STORIES
TAKE BY STORM
ALL PLATFORMS

Influencer marketing is not going anywhere, but is
transforming and d e v e l o p i n g i n a m u l t i c h a n n e l
d i r e c t i o n , attracted like a magnet by platforms like TikTok
and even Pinterest.
Influencer marketing is a type of word-of-mouth marketing
that focuses on using key leaders to amplify your brand
message to a larger market.
6 3 % o f c o n s u m e r s t r u s t i n f l u e n c e r s ’ opinions of
products much more than what brands say about themselves
5 8 % o f p e o p l e h a v e b o u g h t a n e w p r o d u c t in the
past six months because of an influencer’s recommendation
#9
INFLUENCER
MARKETING

P e o p l e t r u s t o t h e r s l i k e t h e m s e l v e s f a r m o r e
t h a n t h e y t r u s t c o m p a n i e s .
In fact, one survey found that 9 0 % o f s h o p p e r s reported
that user-generated content influenced their decision to
purchase more than any other form of advertising, with a
whopping 9 7 % o f 1 8 – 2 9 - y e a r - o l d s saying that it had an
“extreme influence.” User-generated content is the new word
of mouth.
An interesting fact is that, as consumers continue to value
individual recommendations over being marketed at, it’s
going to make sense to invest more in “micro-influencers” -
those social media users who have a much smaller but
dedicated following and can deliver truly authentic marketing
messages to a trusting audience.
#10
USER-GENERATED
CONTENT

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have truly
entered the spotlight during the pandemic, allowing
marketers to bring experiences to life. We experienced AR
and VR as 3D environments in which we visited museums,
walked on the beach and traveled digitally to far corners of
the world.
Experts say that t h e n e x t ‘ b i g t h i n g ’ t h a t w i l l h a v e
a m a j o r i m p a c t i n 2 0 2 1 i s t h e u s e o f A R a n d
V R to create 3D environments that strengthen the emotional
bonds between a brand, its products and the customers.
A u g m e n t e d R e a l i t y ( A R ) & I m m e r s i v e
Te c h n o l o g i e s
Gartner predicts that by 2022, 7 0 % o f e n t e r p r i s e s w i l l
b e e x p e r i m e n t i n g with immersive technologies, and
2 5 % w i l l h a v e d e p l o y e d to production.
#11
INTEGRATION
OF AR AND VR

In an attempt to remain relevant and make their voices heard
in the most ethical way possible, brands will rely in 2021 on
the p o w e r t o i n f o r m , t o e d u c a t e , t o o f f e r
s o l u t i o n s a n d s o u r c e s o f i n s p i r a t i o n .
Instagram carousel posts, for example, are the perfect tool for
easily shareable and educational content based on the mix of
text and images or symbols. Instagram Guides are also a brand
new way to share and consume content on Instagram.
In 2021, meme or challenge posts are no less important, but
they must be designed and kept in line with the brand, so as
not to easily turn into an action that disadvantages the brand
instead of helping it.
#12
ENGAGING &
EDUCATIONAL
CONTENT

Especially on platforms like LinkedIn, marketers will want to
focus on b u i l d i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p s r a t h e r t h a n
c o l l e c t i n g c o n n e c t i o n s whose sole purpose is to drop
a sales pitch after two interactions. While outreach spam
ruins relationships and reputations, real relationships build
them.
T r a n s p a r e n c y a n d t h e h u m a n c o n n e c t i o n (all the
more important as with the pandemic many relationships
have moved into the digital environment) are the main
reasons why brands need to rethink, in 2021, their
approaches, proposals and ways of negotiating and solving
problems.
#13
BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS

WHERE
TO START?
In digital marketing, now is actually yesterday. Keeping
abreast of trends is essential to stay relevant and achieve
your goals. With the right strategy, trends merge seamlessly
as your brand grows in value.
Getting started is the first step, but you always have to move
forward, as the digital world never stops changing. We are
surfing the waves, so let our Purple Kites guide you as well.

In 2021, social media is not just about fun anymore. It
brings us together, helps us face our isolation times and
find communities that share our interests and values.
The SOCIAL part of social media has been more
relevant than ever, in 2020. And the growth continues.
IN ORDER TO BE A RELEVANT
SOCIAL MEDIA BRAND, BE
MOBILE, CREATE STORIES, BE
RESPONSIBLE, BE DYNAMIC
AND OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE
REALITIES OF YOUR AUDIENCE.
Their lives should matter to you. Their struggles should
matter to you. Be their supporter, be their motivator, be
their inspiration.“
- I o a n a , C o F o u n d e r &
M a r k e t i n g S t r a t e g i s t o f
K I T E
“

KEY STATS &
TRENDS
TO GUIDE YOUR
2021 PLANNING

DAILY TIME SPENT WITH MEDIA
THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIME EACH DAY THAT INTERNET USERS AGED 16 TO 64*
SPEND WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF MEDIA AND DEVICES
USING THE
INTERNET
USING SOCIAL
MEDIA
WATCHING
TELEVISION*
LISTENING TO
MUSIC STREAMING
SERVICES
6H 55M 2H 29M 3H 29M 1H 34M
USING A GAMES
CONSOLE
1H 14M
* SOURCE: GLOBALWEINDEX (Q2 2020). Figures represent the findings of a broad survey of internet users aged 16 to 64. See GLOBALWEBINDEX.COM for more details.
NOTE: Television time includes broadcast (linear) television and content delivered via straming and video-on-demand services. Use of different devices and consumption of different media may occur concurrently.

SOCIAL MEDIA USE AROUND THE WORLD
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ACTIVELY USE SOCIAL NETWORKS AND MESSENGER SERVICES
SOCIAL MEDIA
PENETRATION
(USERS vs. TOTAL
POPULATION*)
53%
TOTAL NUMBER
OF ACTIVE
SOCIAL USERS
4.14
BILLION
#
TOTAL NUMBER OF
SOCIAL MEDIA USERS
ACCESING VIA MOBILE
PHONES
4.08
BILLION
#
PERCENTAGE OF
TOTAL SOCIAL
MEDIA USERS
ACCESING VIA
MOBILE
99%
ANNUAL GROWTH IN
THE TOTAL NUMBER
OF SOCIAL MEDIA
USERS
+12.3%
+453
MILLION
* SOURCE: KEPIOS ANALYSIS; social media company statements and earnings announcements; social media platforms’ self-service advertising tools; CNNIC; MEDIASCOPE; CAFEBAZAAR (all latest data available in oct 2020)
NOTE: Penetration figures are for total population, regardless of age.

SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOURS
PERSPECTIVES ON HOW INTERNET USERS AGED 16 TO 64 ENGAGE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
ACTIVELY ENGAGED
WITH OR CONTRIBUTED
TO SOCIAL MEDIA IN
THE PAST MONTH
90%
VISITED OR USED A
SOCIAL MEDIA
NETWORK OR A
MESSAGING SERVICE
IN THE PAST MONTH
98%
AVERAGE
NUMBER OF
SOCIAL MEDIA
ACCOUNTS PER
INTERNET USER*
8.3
PERCENTAGE OF
INTERNET USERS
WHO USE SOCIAL
MEDIA FOR WORK
PURPOSES
41%
AVERAGE AMOUNT
OF TIME PER DAY
SPENT USING
SOCIAL MEDIA
2H 29M
* SOURCE: GLOBALWEINDEX (Q2 2020). Figures represent the findings of a broad survey of internet users aged 16 to 64. See GLOBALWEBINDEX.COM for more details.
NOTE: Figure for social media accounts may not include active use of all accounts every month.

FACEBOOK POST ENGAGEMENT BENCHMARKS
THE NUMBER OF FACEBOOK PAGE POST ENGAGEMENTS (REACTIONS, COMMENTS AND SHARES)
COMPARED TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGE FANS
AVERAGE TOTAL POST
ENGAGEMENTS* vs. PAGE
FANS: PHOTO POSTS
0.21%
AVERAGE TOTAL POST
FANS: ALL POST TYPES
0.18%
AVERAGE TOTAL POST
ENGAGEMENTS* vs.
PAGE FANS: LINK POSTS
0. 05%
AVERAGE TOTAL POST
FANS: STATUS POSTS
0.21%
AVERAGE TOTAL POST
ENGAGEMENTS* vs.
PAGE FANS: VIDEO
POSTS
0.26%
*SOURCE: LOCOWISE (oct 2020). Fogures represent averages for Q3 2020.
NOTE: Percentages compare the combined total of reactions, comments and shares to the total number of page fans. Figures are averages based on a wide variety of different kinds of page, with different audience sizes, in various
countries around the world.

INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT BENCHMARKS
AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT RATES* FOR POSTS PUBLISHED BY INSTAGRAM BUSINESS ACCOUNTS
AVERAGE
ENGAGEMENT
RATE FOR ALL
POST TYPES
AVERAGE
ENGAGEMENT RATE
FOR PHOTO POSTS
AVERAGE
ENGAGEMENT
RATE FOR VIDEO
POSTS
AVERAGE
ENGAGEMENT
RATE FOR
CAROUSEL POSTS
0.96% 1.03% 0.75% 0.86%
*SOURCE: LOCOWISE (oct 2020). Figures represent averages for Q3 2020.
NOTE: Engagement rate as used here refers to the combined number of likes and comments on a post compared to the number of account followers at the time of post publication. ADVISORY: Figures represent averages for a broad range
of different accounts and accounts with a larger following will typically experience significantly lower levels of engagement vs. the averages cited here.

FACEBOOK POST ENGAGEMENT RATE BY PAGE SIZE
COMPARING THE AVERAGE FACEBOOK PAGE POST ENGAGEMENT RATE ACROSS PAGES
WITH DIFFERENT NUMBERS OF FANS
* SOURCE: LOCOWISE (oct 2020). Figures represent averages for Q3 2020.
NOTE: Engagement rate as used here compares the combined total of a post’s reactions, comments and shares to the total number of page fans. Figures are averages based on a wide variety of different kinds of page, with different
audience sizes, in various countries around the world
AVERAGE FACEBOOK PAGE
POST ENGAGEMENT RATE*:
PAGES WITH FEWER THAN
10,000 FANS
0.52%
< 10K
PAGES WITH 10,000 -
100,000 FANS
0.28%
10K – 100K
0.10%
PAGES WITH MORE THAN
100,000 FANS
> 100K

INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT RATES BY FOLLOWERS
COMPARING THE AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT RATE OF INSTAGRAM POSTS PUBLISHED
BY BUSINESS ACCOUNTS WITH DIFFERENT NUMBERS OF FOLLOWERS
* SOURCE: LOCOWISE (oct 2020). Figures represent averages for Q3 2020.
NOTE: Engagement rate as used here refers to the combined number of likes and comments on a post compared to the number of account followers at the time of post publication. Figures represent averages for business accounts across
a variety of different categories and countries.
AVERAGE INSTAGRAM
ENGAGEMENT RATE*: BUSINESS
ACCOUNTS WITH FEWER THAN
10,000 FOLLOWERS
1.55%
< 10K
AVERAGE INSTAGRAM
ENGAGEMENT RATE*:
BUSINESS ACCOUNTS WITH
10,000 - 100,000 FOLLOWERS
0.99%
10K – 100K
0.62%
AVERAGE INSTAGRAM
ENGAGEMENT RATE*: BUSINESS
ACCOUNTS WITH MORE THAN
100,000 FOLLOWERS
> 100K

USER OVERLAPS BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
PERCENTAGE OF USERS AGED 16 TO 64* OF EACH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM WHO ALSO USE A SELECTION
OF OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
* SOURCE: GLOBALWEINDEX (Q2 2020)
NOTE:Only includes users between the ages of 16 and 64. DOES NOT INCLUDE USERS IN CHINA. Figures represent the percentage of users of the platform identified in the lesf-hand column who also use the platform identified in the row
at the top of each column. The “who do not use other platforms” column identifies the percentage of users who do not use any of the platforms identified in the table. See GLOBALWEBINDEX.COM for more details.
WHO DO NOT USE
OTHER PLATFORMS
WHO ALSO USE
FACEBOOK
WHO ALSO USE
YOUTUBE
WHO ALSO USE
INSTAGRAM
WHO ALSO USE
REDDIT
WHO ALSO USE
SNAPCHAT
WHO ALSO USE
TWITTER
WHO ALSO USE
TIKTOK
WHO ALSO USE
PINTEREST
FACEBOOK USERS 3.7% 100% 90% 73% 16% 30% 52% 38% 33%
YOUTUBE USERS 5.1% 82% 100% 72% 16% 30% 51% 37% 32%
INSTAGRAM USERS 1.0% 86% 92% 100% 19% 36% 59% 43% 37%
REDDIT USERS 1.0% 82% 90% 83% 100% 61% 74% 60% 62%
SNAPCHAT USERS 1.1% 83% 91% 87% 33% 100% 66% 60% 50%
TWITTER USERS 1.0% 87% 93% 84% 24% 39% 100% 45% 40%
TIKTOK USERS 1.5% 85% 90% 82% 26% 48% 60% 100% 43%
PINTEREST USERS 1.0% 85% 92% 82% 31% 46% 62% 50% 100%

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