The social media trends for charities to watch in 2021

Lo-fi is working well

The trend towards home-made content is set to continue. Brands and influencers have embraced the spirit of lockdown, making do with images and videos without the usual polished look. Far from a creative compromise, the homemade look adds to the sense of authenticity.

This is great news for social media marketers on shoestring charity budgets.

Snackable content vs long-reads

Snackable, shareable content is still a major driver of engagement on social media. Photos and other image-led posts still tend to receive the highest engagement rates, followed closely by video. Keep your feed well-fed, by sharing a variety of quote graphics, memes, gifs, and infographics.

That said, long-form content still has its place. Even TikTok is reportedly looking at extending its maximum video length from 60 seconds up to three minutes.

Where the content is compelling, there’s an opportunity to disrupt the scroll and engage with users on a much deeper level. Those who do engage will be like gold dust for charities.

TikTok is clocking up the users

Speaking of TikTok – one of the big successes of 2020 – it’s likely to keep growing, both in user volumes and in importance for charities this year. With the platform still in its infancy, there’s a massive opportunity to experiment with the format and engage with a younger demographic.

Macmillan Cancer Support began experimenting with TikTok as recently as November 2020. They have taken an influencer-driven approach, teaming up with cancer survivor and amputee Bernadette Hagans, to take a hilarious look at a very serious subject. Meanwhile British Red Cross has launched a second TikTok channel dedicated to sharing quick, simple first aid tips.

TikTok is a brilliant platform for ‘remixing’ and user generated content. Most charities would love to be at the centre of the next viral sensation, and if there’s ever another success on the scale of the “Ice Bucket Challenge”, the smart money says it will originate on TikTok.

E-commerce is big business

The leading social media brands are increasing their focus on e-commerce, enabling in-app purchases to keep audiences on their platforms for longer.

We know that posts linking to external URLs are penalised on Facebook and actively discouraged by Instagram. So, as support for in-app selling improves, that’s an opportunity for charities with products to sell.

Nostalgia is having a comeback

During the Coronavirus pandemic, people have been looking for comforting, cosy content. One of the most memorable ads of Christmas 2020 was a nostalgic look at Christmases past from Sainsbury’s and social media has been full of wistful looks back at times gone by. Nostalgia typically makes a comeback in times of recession, so it’s a trend that’s set to continue in 2021.

If charities can press the nostalgic buttons of their target audiences, you can capture the imagination and tug at the heartstrings.