You must be acutely aware of the growing significance of digital marketing in Pakistan if you work in marketing. Since it’s a new aspect of marketing, not everyone is fully aware of how to use it optimally. Therefore, considering a career in digital media, you should be aware that social media holds a sizable portion of the Pakistani market. You should be aware of all the most recent social media trends you want your business to succeed in Pakistan.
Top Social Media Trends in Pakistan for the year 2021
The days when social media was only used for socializing are long gone in Pakistan. Nevertheless, it’s an essential component of any brand’s marketing plan in today’s digital-first era. The social media sphere advances quickly. As a result, Pakistani brands must constantly monitor the newest social media trends if they want to leverage digital platforms efficiently.
By rolling out new features or altering their algorithms, forward-thinking businesses like Facebook and Instagram keep advertisers on their toes all the time. Additionally, the new platform launch every week! While some rapidly vanish into obscurity, others appear and fundamentally alter the situation. Furthermore, according to estimates, Facebook and Instagram are tied for most users and outpaced Facebook in terms of previous downloads. As a result, online Pakistani users search more for authenticity, community, and connection than ever before.
On social media sites, discoverability is no longer solely dependent on hashtags. For example, Instagram recently disclosed that English-speaking users would soon have access to keyword searches. This represents a substantial departure from the typical methods of finding Pakistani brands on Instagram, which include carefully chosen hashtags or a direct search for their brand usernames. Pakistani Brands who wish to rank organically on Facebook’s search results must optimize their content by focusing on keywords because Facebook has its SEO algorithm. Investigate keywords first. Which search terms do you wish to be related to? What search terms are your rivals appearing in?
Once you know the words you want to use, check to see if your profile is optimized for search engines. Include your main keywords in your Instagram bio and name. Instead of just picking and utilizing the appropriate hashtags, ensure your content is relevant to the search terms you want to rank for. Ensure you frequently upload content fitting your niche to enhance the likelihood that social media algorithms will identify your account as relevant to Pakistani users searching for your keywords.
Even though Instagram’s stories feature has been increasingly popular in recent years, the grid was the platform’s original home. As a result, they continue to be a fantastic method to express your distinctive message and physically reflect your business.
Posting attractive photographs should no longer be a Pakistani brand’s only priority, though, as the like count is no longer accessible on Instagram. Now, engagement should be your top priority while posting on the grid. But, of course, that requires original layouts for a text that promotes comments, shares, and saves. The Twitter-inspired design, which combines the “tweet” format with a colored or pattern background, took over our Instagram feed last year. However, the Google search graphic showed a somewhat different approach in 2020.
Social commerce facilitates online sales with Facebook, Instagram, and even Pinterest, permitting in-app purchases. You might also consider using WhatsApp and Snapchat in Pakistan as a social marketplace for your business. Pakistani Customers can abandon their cart depending on how many steps they need to complete before checking out.
Before this, customers had to conduct web research before shopping and deal with several distractions. These days, users don’t even need to leave the app to read through their feeds, tap on what they want, and make a purchase. In addition, social networking sites have evolved into social markets. Pakistani Marketers must make the most of these qualities to considerably decrease (or eliminate) any friction in the buyer’s journey. Retargeting campaigns could be one of the most effective social media trends of 2021 in Pakistan because it allows you to display shoppable content to followers who have already shown an interest in purchasing your products.
Consumers now consider this while deciding whether or not to do business with a Pakistan-based company. Even though taking a statement, especially on contentious issues, may worry brands, doing so is more profitable than being silent. Consumers who make this statement make up more than half of the market. Show the social responsibility of your brand via your social media channels. This will assure your Pakistani clients that you are more concerned with your bottom line. Lip service is insufficient, though, since millennial customers demand more from brands than simply social media statements of support. Relate what your Pakistani business does to help the cause if your brand decides to endorse it. For example, work with a pertinent nonprofit, give generously and use content creation to demonstrate your brand’s genuineness.
Although IGTV, Instagram’s video feature, took some time to catch on, it has been growing in popularity in 2021 in Pakistan. Moreover, with the recent inclusion of sponsored partnership features, it’s sure to only increase in popularity as more and more Pakistani brands use the tool to create long-form video series on the app. To improve IGTV’s consumer appeal, Instagram recently implemented a few changes. First, according to who each user follows and whose material the app believes could interest them, they changed the site to display a personalized creator at the top for each Pakistani user. Make sure to shoot your material in vertical mode to ensure the proper dimension and to make the most of IGTV for your brand. Finally, add subtitles to your fabric to make it more suitable for mute feeds.
It’s hardly surprising that Pakistani consumers want more one-on-one contact with brands, given the country’s emphasis on connection and authenticity. The popularity of direct communication is one way this is showing itself on social media. This can be observed in the rise of Pakistani firms adopting messaging apps like Telegram and Discord to interact with their customers and introducing the “DM” me sticker on Instagram. It’s an intriguing new trend that enables businesses to engage with their customers in a way that seems more personal to Pakistanis by cutting past social media noise.
This might be a direct outcome of the lockdown brought on by COVID in Pakistan. This is because everyone was confined to their homes or rooms during lockdown so that they could practice quarantining. There are more live streams now than ever because of the lack of human interaction. People today do it to express their talent or to interact with the Pakistani audience. In addition to being a safety precaution, the live streams enforce social distancing. However, live broadcasting has become quite popular among users outside of Instagram. Several Pakistani brands have used this tool on Facebook, inside groups, and pages. LinkedIn has joined the live stream as well! The ‘LinkedIn Live function of the career networking app was only released last year; according to the company, broadcasts produce 23 times more comments and six more reactions per post than native video.
People in Pakistan began their blogs and vlogs as they spent more time at home. Even those already on the platform became more consistent in their content publication. As a result, in 2021, there will be many Pakistani influencers online and more than typical influencer material. Influencer content is an excellent approach to launching a new business or promoting an existing struggling or established company in Pakistan. In addition, influencer content encourages followers or viewers to recommend a product or service.
2021 And Later
In Pakistan, The social media tendencies that emerged during the pandemic will not disappear once the limitations are lifted. Therefore, brands will continue to rely on these methods in the new normal. While SEO methods, live streaming, and social marketplace features will help your firm get a competitive advantage in social media marketing, customers ultimately respond to our openness, authenticity, and social responsibility. Your marketing efforts will undoubtedly succeed in 2021 and beyond if you build a Pakistani brand identity that prioritizes people and use social media to communicate this to your viewers.
About the Author: Alishba
