What Can We Expect from Social Media in 2021?

2021 is fast approaching and 2020 can’t get behind us soon enough.

Last blogpost, I reviewed social media through the lens of 2020.

This time, I want to look forward to what we might expect from social media in 2021. 

Let’s talk about it!

With any luck, and thanks to vaccines and a quieting political climate, we should hopefully be passing out of the pandemic sometime next year.

(That’s as far as I’m willing to stick my neck out on that call!)

We’ve come to rely on social media and its associated tools a lot during the last year and I don’t see us moving away from these anytime soon. 

There’s the convenience and just being prepared in case another pandemic rolls around sometime soon. 

However, social media itself may change.

The major social media companies seem to have gotten themselves on the wrong side of both political parties.

Which given the current polarization in our political system is quite a feat. 

The U.S. Justice Department is calling for the breakup of Facebook.

Google is facing similar calls here at home and in Europe. 

Nobody seems to like Twitter anymore despite everyone still using it.

New competitors, such as Parler, are springing up.

But, who knows how long they’ll last. 

Then, to top it all off, there’s been a major hack of what appears to be the entire Federal government which is unfolding as I write this. 

Information security is definitely going to be a major theme in 2021.

So, where does all this leave us for the New Year? 

Good question.

The major players are under attack by the U.S. government and the European Union.

Everyone is going to be looking for tighter security and may even be willing to pay for it. 

(What?  We can’t use Windows 95 anymore?)

Meanwhile, we’re all coming out of the long sleep of the COVID pandemic.

It’s definitely going to get messy!

My advice is to stick to the basics.

Good engagement and content will still rule. 

Have your own website/blog and email list.

If anything happens to the major social media players, you’ll be glad you did!

In conclusion, I can’t predict the future.

A few of 2020’s issues seem to be going away, 2021 seems to be having a few of its own starting to appear.

I’ll keep blogging about what I see and what the implications maybe be.

So, please keep coming back!

In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

That’s it for now!

Please check out my 8 step approach for developing a social media program for more ideas on how to use social media.

Also, never forget to reach out to either ask questions or to ask for help from someone like myself!
In the meantime, thank you for following and reading my blog.

I look forward to any and all comments that you may have. I will reply to any comments made to this blog post as promptly as I can.

And, remember!

I do this for a living and if I can be of any assistance to either you or your organization, please feel free to call on me. Our initial discussion will be of no charge to you.

I can also be reached at conpsweeney@someddi.com.

My Twitter handle is @conpsweeney.

Stay well!