The new rules of social media marketing in 2021

Social media has taken on greater significance for consumers and marketers as 2020’s events have forced more digital communication, but the ways of using it are evolving.

The resurgence of social media


One marketing discipline that rose back to prominence in 2020 is social media. It makes sense – as the world was forced to remain physically distanced, social media bridged the gap and kept us connected to family, friends, and the brands we love.


Until earlier this year, most brands knew where they stood on social media. They had the right balance of engagement, listening, content, and advertising. However, once the pandemic hit, the rules of the game changed.



Trend 1: The race to ROI: Social bridges the gap to a new customer experience


Almost three-quarters of marketers surveyed for the report ranked “increased acquisition of new customers” as their top outcome for social media in 2021, a 58% year-over-year increase. However, transactions alone don’t create memorable brands or ensure long-term growth.

In 2021, marketers will continue to use social media to meet two equally urgent imperatives:

  1. Deliver short-term ROI with targeted performance marketing tactics
  2. Building innovative digital experiences to win long-term loyalty



Trend 2: Silence is golden: Brands find their place in the conversation


Many brands made the mistake of trying to capitalise on the increased social media activity during the pandemic, completely overlooking the fact that people primarily wanted to connect with each other, not brands.

For the most part, these brands saw the error of their ways early and pulled back on advertising spend, redirecting focus to crisis response, social customer care and engagement. In 2021, marketers will strive to place more value on content over engagement—passive audiences are still consuming your content.


Trend 3: Way more than OK: A generation ignored by digital marketers booms on social


Marketers have typically targeted baby boomers through traditional TV advertising, which is still one of the most effective ways of reaching them. However, there has been a 66-point increase in baby boomers discovering new brands and products via social media over the past four years, and over a quarter of baby boomers are spending even longer on social platforms as a result of the pandemic. In 2021, social marketers will continue to explore this increasingly digitally savvy audience.


Trend 4: Do I know you? Tying engagement to identity gives advanced marketers new momentum


The pandemic has given executives renewed appreciation for social media, which became the strongest bridge for connecting with customers after so many traditional strategies collapsed.


Hootsuite’s research found 85% of organisations that integrate social data into other systems have confidence in their organisation’s ability to accurately quantify the ROI of social media.


In 2021, marketers will take steps to bridge the gap between engagement and customer identity by connecting more customer data with social data.

Groupe Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs unites social and CRM for a deeper understanding of the customer journey


Trend 5: The perils (and promise) of purpose: Bold brands start in the boardroom, not the front lines of social


In 2020, marketers stumbled under pressure to publicly address issues that their organisations had never focused on. Strong CMOs will use the intelligence gathered by social media teams in 2021 to help the organisation adapt to new buyer beliefs and pave a new path to growth that requires balancing the twin demands of building a better business and a better world.



Source: marketingweek.com


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by Alexandra Stanley 9 June 2025
Instagram is no longer just a place to share pretty pictures—it’s now a full-blown marketing machine for small businesses. But what worked even 12 months ago may already be out of date. If you're a business owner in property, trades, interiors—or any hands-on industry—this blog will walk you through what’s actually working on Instagram in 2025, and how you can update your strategy to grow with confidence. Let’s dive into the 7 biggest shifts you need to know about. 1. 🎥 Raw & Real Reels Are Outperforming Polished Content The days of over-edited, overly curated videos are behind us. Audiences want to see real people doing real things. For interior designers and trades, this is your time to shine. Think: ✔️ A quick "before & after" video ✔️ A timelapse of a space being transformed ✔️ You talking directly to the camera about your process Keep it simple, vertical, and under 30 seconds. Done is better than perfect. 2. 📅 Consistency > Perfection Forget agonising over the perfect grid. In 2025, showing up consistently (even if it’s 3 times a week) wins over perfect visuals. Tip: Use scheduling tools like Metricool to plan ahead and batch your content to stay consistent without the stress. 3. 🔍 SEO-Optimised Captions Are a Must Instagram is now a search engine—yes, really! Your ideal customer might be searching “kitchen fitter in Suffolk” or “luxury butler services London.” Use keywords naturally in your: - Bio - Captions - Alt text (added during post creation) This helps you get discovered by people actively looking for your service. 4. 🧠 Engagement-First Format Choices The algorithm now prioritises posts that get people to pause, click, or comment. What works best? - Carousel posts with tips or transformations - Reels that open with a hook - Questions and polls in Stories - Comment prompts like “Would you choose this colour scheme?” Engagement tells Instagram your content is valuable—and it will show it to more people. 5. 📱 Instagram as Your ‘Mini Website’ Your profile is often the first impression before someone even lands on your site. Make sure yours has: - Clear bio with keywords and location - Professional profile image - Highlights (services, testimonials, FAQs) - Pinned posts showcasing what you do Think of it as a mini landing page that sells you. 6. 🙌 UGC & Testimonials = Trust Builders People trust people. Sharing real reviews, videos from clients, or even screenshots of great feedback builds instant credibility. Ask your clients for short testimonial clips—or turn their WhatsApp praise into an aesthetic quote graphic. 7. 🔁 Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose Work smarter, not harder. 📌 Post your Reels to TikTok 📌 Turn blog tips into carousels 📌 Clip training content into educational Reels 📌 Turn FAQs into Stories This saves time and grows your presence on multiple platforms with minimal extra effort. Ready to Refresh Your Strategy? If you’re feeling a bit stuck or unsure what to post next, you're not alone. 👉 Book a 1:1 strategy call 👉 Join my next Social Media Mastery course 👉 Or DM me for a quick grid audit (it’s free!) Let’s make Instagram work for your business in 2025—without the overwhelm. Written by Alexandra Stanley, Social Media Expert for property, trades & interiors. Follow @alexandrastanleysocialmedia for more real talk on content that converts.
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