Welcome to our Monthly Social Media Trends Roundup series. At the end of each month, we’ll be looking back at that month’s social media trends and developments.
Understanding the latest trends happening on social media is very important for any business. It helps to gauge your social media marketing approach and determine if your strategy takes into account the recent developments.
Remember, in the race for engagement, your business cannot afford to fall behind. Take a look at our February rundown and see if you are keeping up.
February is Awareness Month
Often when we think of February, our first thought is of romance and chocolate. However, February also hosts many important dates and milestones such as Black History Month and American Heart Month. These are important month-long observances, as businesses often use this time to inform their followers and customers of their business approach, not to mention a way to keep readers engaged.
Take a look at the following events that are observed each February, throughout the month, and check to see if your business referred to any of these important events.
American Heart Month
American History Month
Black History Month
Deaf History Month
Human Relations Month
International Boost Self-Esteem Month
National Parent Leadership Month
National Time Management Month
Spiritual Wellness Month
National Eating Disorder Week
Valentine’s Day
Around the world, February 14th is known as the day where lovers exchange small gifts, flowers, and chocolates. It is one of the international peak selling days in the year. We are bombarded with emails, newsletters, and website promotions that offer us special deals and Valentine-themed promotions. Businesses should take advantage of this day as it provides a plethora of opportunities for branded content as well as new content ideas.
According to SEM rush, here were the most searched keywords in relation to Valentine’s Day:
Gift
Happy
Ideas
Restaurant
Special
For Her
Best
Valentine’s Day images
Keywords do not only need to be industry-related but can also be based on popular holidays. Understanding what customers are searching for allows your business to create content that creates traction.
Rise of Alternate Social Media Platforms
In 2021, the use of alternate social media platforms like Parler and Clubhouse have skyrocketed. Users are craving the next big app that will compete with social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
Parlor describes itself as a “privacy-focused” platform that offers its individuals the opportunity to speak freely and express themselves openly, without fear of being censored or deplatformed. Its surge in popularity comes as no surprise, as the month of January saw massive crackdowns of hate speech on major social media platforms. Whether good or bad, people are moving to more niche platforms, where they feel their privacy and freedom of expression will be upheld.
Clubhouse is a networking and real-time conversation app. This app is based on voice-only and brings together people globally to talk, listen, and learn from each other in real-time. Currently, the app is still in its early stages and is only available on the iOS platform. Users who want entry into this exclusive app will need an invitation from another existing user.
Social Media Platform Updates
Social media platforms continue to offer users additional features and information regarding privacy and usage. Check out some of the latest updates below:
Instagram launched a “Parents Guide” to help young people stay safe on the platform and inform parents about the platform’s safety features.
According to app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram is rolling out a hashtag feature that will enable users to search for hashtags on certain areas on the map. This can allow businesses and influencers to see which hashtags are trending the most in certain geographical areas
The Biden administration has reversed the Trump administration’s decision to sell-off TikTok to Oracle and Walmart.
TikTok will partner with Universal Music Group. This will allow app users more access to licensed music on the platform.
What social media updates have you been following?