Identifying the upcoming trends in Polish social media marketing is not a simple task. After all, most of our predictions from 12 months ago were almost completely shaken by the global Covid-19 pandemic. It is impossible to judge what will turn out to be the dominant trend one hundred percent and on what we will lower the veil of silence. Last year, however, we saw at least a few trending phenomena in Polish social media that will most likely continue in 2021.
Table of contents:
- TikTok
- Social media and e-commerce
- Marketing on Instagram
- Eco and zero waste as the main theme
- Virtual and augmented reality
1. TikTok
No matter the negative voices about TikTok, and the number of countries that have blocked this application (in early 2021, the Italian government announced an application block due to the death of one of the users recording one of the trends), one thing is certain – 2020 was the year of TikTok. Last year, it was the most downloaded mobile application from all platforms, ahead of even the previously unrivaled YouTube. Not only were many new influencers born (which you should definitely know if you’re in the marketing industry), but many Polish brands have started to actively use its potential. Even the president of Poland set up an account on TikTok! TikTok will impose many changes on the marketing industry in 2021 – and we either swim with them, or … sink.
If the target group (or one of the target groups) of your brand is the Z generation or even Millennials, it is definitely worth taking a look at this application and thinking about starting advertising activities there. At the moment, classic placement in cooperation with influencers is the leader, but traditional paid advertising is also a method of brand promotion that is growing in popularity quite quickly. You just have to remember one thing – TikTok is all about adapting content to young users! Without it, you become the next “boomers” (those who wanted to be forever young, but … something went wrong along the way and can no longer be undone.)
2. Social media and e-commerce
The pandemic and the nationwide lockdown, which lasted several months, completely revolutionised the way Poles shop. All brands, regardless of the industry in which they operated, simply had to adapt. The closure of stationary stores forced the transfer of budgets to online sales. 2020 was the year of new e-commerce solutions – including sales via social media. More and more ads, bringing users directly to the store, as well as the use of solutions such as the Facebook store feature and “In-App Purchases”, have entered a whole new world for many brands. If your company still has concerns about selling via social media, there is definitely nothing to wait for – in 2021, the shopping habits of Poles will not change. So instead of forcing customers to search the next pages of your Allegro, start with Instagram – marking products in photos and directing them to the store is currently one of the most effective ways to increase online sales. Especially in the clothing, cosmetics, interior design and food industries. In 2021, technology will most likely bring us new solutions.
3. Marketing on Instagram
And speaking of Instagram … Polish Instagram is still growing in strength – it has more and more users in Poland, in addition to different age groups. Many experts even say that currently, advertising on Instagram is more profitable than advertising on Facebook. So what will be the most important marketing trends on Polish Instagram? First of all – Instagram Live, i.e. live coverage. This became especially popular at the height of the pandemic, and by 2021 they will not be a thing of the past. On the contrary, you can already see that more and more brands (especially small businesses) use live broadcasts to answer customer questions and maintain relationships with their audience. The second trend in Polish social media for 2021 will be IGTV, an Instagram-related video application that allows you to publish videos adapted to mobiles, as well as save Instagram stories.
IGTV is expected to take centre stage for advertisers this year. This is important news, especially considering the fact that organic traffic on Instagram may die in 2021 – so you will have to “save” yourself with paid advertising.
4. Eco and zero waste as the main theme
Topics related to ecology, as well as zero and less waste, have become louder and louder in Polish social media for several years. At the beginning, these discussions came from the users themselves, in 2020 they started from the brands. The trend of being eco and talking on its social platforms about what steps the company is taking to improve the environment has become the backbone of communication for many Polish brands. It will be even louder in 2021 – so if you want to go with the flow, it’s worth considering how your brand fits into the eco-narrative and … just start communicating it. However, it is a good idea to Google the term ‘greenwashing’ beforehand (the so-called “eco-friendly”). Greenwashing will always be perceived worse by consumers than not playing the green card in general.
5. Virtual reality and augmented reality
Although we have been mentioning the growing importance and popularity of virtual reality in Polish social media for years, this topic is not developing as fast as we might expect. However, it is definitely worth mentioning that overlays, expanding the reality, are everyday life for Polish teenagers today. In 2021, you may not expect a revolution and VR and AR solutions in every online store, but they definitely help rather than harm sales and communication. Clear movements towards the development of virtual reality can be seen, for example, on Facebook and TikTok (which has a lot of extensions in the style of “check the perfect lipstick colour for you”). More and more brands (especially cosmetics) are starting to quietly test this type of solution.
The total revolution of social media in Poland in 2020 made it difficult to talk about trends that will work 100%. However, looking at what has happened in the last few months, one can make some assumptions about 2021. The growing importance of TikTok, as well as the ongoing pandemic, will be a wakeup call for brands that are still taking root in obsolete marketing solutions. If you are looking for a Polish social media agency that will help you make a revolution in your social media marketing, contact us!