Brands can’t argue the effectiveness of social marketing, or the need to cultivate a social presence to connect with their audience. The struggle is in keeping pace with the constant changes of the social landscape, and in choosing business tools to support this important endeavor.

Updated for 2021, this detailed, example-rich report speaks to the state of the social landscape and how to stay ahead of its challenges, including:

• Social media trends—what really matters, and how to know, plus what happens when you miss the mark
• Social channels—which are having the most impact on business and why, plus how to differentiate audiences and engage per channel
• Social influencers—types of influencers, how to identify them, why they’re vital, how to avoid pitfalls
• Real-time content caveats—how audience segmentation and social sentiment keep you from blowing up your brand
• Monitoring brand health—how, why and what’s at stake