Social Media News: Trends 2021!

Social media is more important than ever, as the ongoing pandemic has shown us. TikTok and Instagram are influencing our daily lives like never before. Everyone stays at home and has time on their hands, so the internet is just too flooded with new videos and posts. Whether it’s dances, recipes, songs or video clips, trends of all kinds are spreading incredibly fast and eventually disappearing just as quickly as they appeared. The website Bolg2 exclusively reports on the latest social media trends, future topics and tips. Read more about it here in our news section.

Social Media: User numbers in comparison

There are 4.4 billion active social media users in the world between now and then – hard to believe, but that’s more than half of the entire population! The Corona pandemic has made a huge mark on the industry and social media has gained tremendous importance. In just one year, from October 2019 to October 2020, the number of social media users increased by 453 million users. An average person spends almost two hours a day on social media – this was unimaginable just a few years ago. The most popular platform among young people today is TikTok, a network based solely on videos. Find out how many downloads TikTok has in the meantime and who the three biggest TikTok stars are here.

TikTok: User numbers in comparison – Germany vs. USA

Here you can see the number of downloads of TikTok via the Google Play Store in Germany from January 2017 to August 2021 (in 1,000).

• Aug 2021: 721,070 downloads (-6.5%)
• Aug 2020: 771,190 downloads
• Aug 2019: 291,910 downloads
• Aug 2018: 1,252.45 downloads

In contrast, in comparison, the number of downloads of TikTok via the Apple App Store worldwide from January 2017 to September 2021 (in millions).

• Aug 2021: 15,330,000 downloads
• Aug 2020: 9,230,000 downloads
• Aug 2019: 6,040,000 downloads
• Aug 2018: 4,570,000 downloads

Regions of the world: who uses social media?

Here you can see the share of active social network users by region worldwide in the respective population in 2021. Here are the top 5 users. At the top is Western and Northern Europe, followed directly by the Americas and Asia. The last to go is Africa.

1. Western Europe: 79%
2. Northern Europe: 79%
3. North America: 74%

Most Popular TikTok Channels

Here you can see the ranking of the most popular TikTok accounts by number of followers worldwide in September 2021 (in millions).

1. Charli D’Amelio
2. Khabane Lame
3. Addison Rae
4. Bella Poarch
5. Zach King
6. Will Smith
7. TikTok
8. Dixi D’Amelio
9. Spencer Polanco Knight
10. Loren Gray

More news: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Co.

Here you will find all the other news of the week, so that you are always up to date on the topic of social media.

All Facebook: Facebook groups stats, here’s how!

This week on All Facebook, it’s “Tweeting is the new officialese: learning from the best authorities” and “Facebook Groups Stats: The Detailed Tour” . More news from this week:

• More transparency: history of page changes visible for admins
• Facebook Group Stats: The detailed tour
• Twitter is the new officialese: learning from the best authorities

Social Hub IO: Instagram algorithm – 7 tips

Social Hub IO’s blog features “Advertising Labeling in Influencer Marketing” and “These Social Media Books You Should Know in 2021!” . More news from the blog:

• The Instagram algorithm: 7 tips on how to get your posts “seen”
• Advertising labelling in influencer marketing
• You should know these social media books in 2021!

Blog 2 Social: Social Media Trends 2021 (Study)

This week on Blog 2 Social among other articles on “How to connect your WordPress website to Facebook for auto-posting” and “Instagram business, creator, or personal account? Why the Instagram business account may be the best solution” . More from the blog:

• Study: Social Media Trends 2021 – Future topics, tips and expert forecasts
• Instagram business, creator, or personal account? Why the Instagram business account can be the best solution
• How to connect your WordPress website with Facebook for auto-posting

Hootsuite: Guide to Facebook Ads

Exciting stuff this week from Hootsuite, such as “The Complete Guide to Facebook Ads in 2022” and “How to Use UTM Parameters to Measure Social Media Success” . More news from this week:

• The complete guide to Facebook ads in 2022
• YouTube Ads for Marketers – The Complete Guide
• How to use UTM parameters to measure social media successes

Brandwatch: 20 Instagram accounts with the most followers

In contrast, Brandwatch reports this week on “Understanding and Engaging Consumers:inside at the Speed of Social” and “Brandwatch + Cision” . More headlines of the week:

• Brandwatch + Cision
• Ranking: The 20 Instagram accounts with the most followers
• Understand and engage consumers:inside at the speed of social

Thomas Hutter: Pinterest – Updates for shopping functions

Thomas Hutter’s blog looks at “Facebook: Detailed targeting expansion gets partially standardized” and “Pinterest: updates to shopping features” . More news from the blog:

• Pinterest: updates for shopping features
• Facebook: Detailed targeting expansion becomes partially standardized
• Facebook: Estimating potential reach is getting less accurate

Social Media One: TikTok Trends: Songs, Dances, Recipes & Co.

New from Social Media One this week includes “Global: Social Media Agency Worldwide for TikTok, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook & Co.” and “TikTok Trends: Songs, Dances, Recipes, Comedy! Content Examples & Ideas” . More recent news:

• Global: Social Media Agency worldwide for TikTok, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook & Co.
• Disable WordPress Block Widget! How to do it in 5 seconds + instructions
• TikTok Trends: Songs, Dances, Recipes, Comedy! Content examples & ideas

Swat IO: Building a social media team

This week Swat IO has topics such as “The way to the perfect channel mix – how to choose social media channels correctly” and “Seasonal social media marketing – how to successfuly pick up trends” . New topics of the week:

• Building a social media team – here’s how to do it right
• Seasonal social media marketing – how to successfuly pick up on trends
• The way to the perfect channel mix – How to choose social media channels correctly

Social Media Hoffmann: 7 reasons for the company blog

This week’s Social Media Hoffmann blog is all about “Why Community Management is the Beginning of Everything” and “Training Employees for Social Media” . Updates and news from the blog:

• Why community management is the beginning of everything
• 7 reasons for the company blog
• Train employees for social media

T3N: How to optimize your business for the holidays

This week on T3N, among other things, “Live captions for all: YouTube gets new audio features” but also “How to optimize your business for the holidays – and maximize your online sales” . New articles, headlines and trends:

• How to optimize your business for the holidays – and maximize your online sales
• Live captions for all: Youtube gets new audio features
• Centicorn: SpaceX is now worth $100 billion

FutureBiz: The most important update yet for Instagram Reels

New articles and posts from FutureBiz this week include “/article/facebook-pivot-to-audio/” and “A Minute on the Internet & Social Media: Using Discord, TikTok, Instagram, Zoom & Clubhouse” . More Headlines of the Week:

• Pivot to Audio: Facebook Live Audio Rooms Launch in Germany + Podcast Integration & Soundbites Ahead
• Commentary: the most important update yet for Instagram Reels
• A Minute on the Internet & Social Media: With Discord, TikTok, Instagram, Zoom & Clubhouse

Aquamarine price (gram, carat and kilo)

Since aquamarines are also available in large sizes, there is no incremental increase in value per carat for large gemstones. A 50 ct aquamarine is worth the same price per carat as a one carat gemstone of the same quality. The price of precious gemstones depends on clarity, depth of color, and to a lesser extent, purity of color. Aquamarines can be bought in very different price ranges in the market. Depending on the quality, a carat can cost anywhere from $50 to $600.

How much does an aquamarine cost?

What you’ll be most interested in now:

How much does an aquamarine cost?

As described earlier, aquamarines are weighed in carats.

One metric carat equals 0.2 grams

Aquamarines are currently valued at an average of $352.64 per carat.

So one gram costs on average 1,763.20 USD

For one kilogram of aquamarine you pay on average 1.763.200 USD.

Gold price (gram, ounce & kilo) in comparison

How does the price of gold compare? Many investors who buy gold constantly keep an eye on the price. As an investor, you should too, because prices for precious metals are subject to fluctuations – even if the gold price is usually very stable.

Difference per gram currently: +1.702 USD

Gold is currently valued at $61 per gram, compared to aquamarine, which can fetch up to $1,763.20 as described. This big difference makes aquamarines interesting for investors as well!

Gold price current:

• 1 gram 61.14 USD or 52.47 EUR
• 1 ounce 1,901.77 USD or 1,631.90 EUR
• 1 kilogram USD 61,143.33 or EUR 52,466.80

So for one kilogram of gold you get only a fraction of aquamarines!

Aquamarine color variations

Aquamarine is made of beryl, a mineral that can be light blue, light blue-green, or even light green. It is usually clear, but the iron content gives it its blue or green coloration. The green of aquamarine is a watery green without any trace of yellow. In the past, green was the most prized color in aquamarine stones. Today, however, the most prized and therefore most valuable aquamarines have a rich, sky blue color.

It depends on the angle!

Depending on the angle from which you look at an aquamarine, it can appear in shades of blue and green or look almost colorless. This is called the pleachroic effect. Almost all aquamarines on the market have been heat treated to enhance the color. To meet consumer preference for aquamarines in deep blue, the stones are heated at 426 degrees Fahrenheit, which brings out the blue color and makes the yellows and greens disappear. The light shade of aquamarine flatters all skin tones and harmonizes with all common precious metals.

Color variations of aquamarine:

• Depending on the angle of view all shades of blue and green
• This is called pleachroic effect
• Most aquamarines are heat treated
• Flattering for all skin types

Depending on the viewing angle, aquamarines can shimmer in a wide variety of shades of green and blue:

Authenticity: Identifying characteristics

Inclusions are interesting features of this gemstone. Beryl and especially aquamarine are known for having long, hollow tubes. This feature identifies a gemstone as a member of the beryl family. Aquamarines can have transparent and metallic inclusions such as biotite and rutile in skeletal crystals. They may also contain garnet, quartz and tourmaline crystals. Some stones contain what are called snow stars, irregularly shaped droplets of liquid in a star formation. The Martha Rocha aquamarine, for example, one of the largest aquamarines in the world and named after the then Miss Brazil, has notable snow star inclusions.

Key identifiers:

• Long, hollow tube inclusions
• Metallic inclusions like biotite and rutile
• May contain garnet, quartz and tourmaline crystals
• Snow star inclusions also possible

Caution – danger of confusion!

Aquamarines are most likely to be confused with the very rare natural blue topaz or the irradiated sky blue topaz commonly found in the trade. There are 2 other irradiated topaz colors. These are London Blue and Swiss Blue. However, they are too intense to be confused with aquamarine and cannot fool an expert. The identification is ultimately done by the significantly higher weight, because a topaz is much heavier than an aquamarine of the same size.

Also common are aquamarine-colored synthetic spinels, which are often referred to as synthetic aquamarines. However, this is a misstatement! In fact, there are no synthetically produced aquamarines. Identifying those fakes is easy because spinel is single refractive, which can be determined with a dichroscope. Also, synthetic spinel in aquamarine color appears distinctly pink under the Chelsea filter.

The Aquaqmarin can be confused with these stones:

• Rare natural blue topaz
• Irradiated topaz of the color Sky Blue
• Aquamarine synthetic spinels

Mining areas and deposits

Aquamarines are found on all continents. By far the most important mining areas are in Brazil.

Other significant sites include:

• Nigeria
• Mozambique
• Madagascar
• Pakistan

In addition, aquamarines are also found in India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the USA and some other countries of the world. In Madagascar, a special dark blue variety was mined.

Aquamarine in Europe

The European deposits in Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Bulgaria and Switzerland, for example, are of purely mineralogical interest and do not yield material useful for the gemstone trade.

Aquamarine is commonly found in cavities, gravel deposits, and sometimes in stream gravels. Beryl crystals in some coarse-grained rock forms can grow to very large sizes. Aquamarine crystals of up to 20 cm are not uncommon. The best quality stones come from Brazil, where crystals weighing several kilograms have been found.

Aquamarine mining in Pakistan: Video

Different types of grinding

The most common cut for an aquamarine is the emerald type, followed by oval or pear-shaped cuts. It is a relatively easy stone to cut and is often found in innovative shapes as cutters experiment with new shapes. Generally, all cuts used for diamonds are possible for aquamarines. It is rated 7.5 to 8 on the hardness scale, making it a fairly durable stone. Large aquamarine stones, ranging from several carats to more than 10 carats, are relatively common, as mentioned earlier. The great thing about this gemstone is that the wide price range makes it accessible to almost everyone.

• The most common cut for an aquamarine is the emerald type
• Followed by oval or pear-shaped cuts
• Easy to cut stone
• 7.5 to 8 on the hardness scale
• Durable stone

When cutting aquamarine, the primary consideration should be depth of color. Deep designs, such as barions and emerald cuts, are usually preferred. Low crown angles result in higher brilliance, but higher crowns are often used to deepen the color.

High brilliance due to polishing

The beryl family, including aquamarines, are among the easiest gemstones to polish. Diamond polishing is the most common method. A high quality polish can give bright aquamarines such brilliance that they could be mistaken for higher refractive index (RI) gemstones. Even with a moderate scatter of 0.014, bright stones with high crown angles will show off their spectral colors well. This makes them a standout gemstone. While the highest values are with the richer colors, a well-cut bright aquamarine can be one of the most spectacular examples of gemstone faceting in the world.

• The easiest gemstones to polish
• Most common method: Diamond polishing
• Can be mistaken for gemstones with a higher refractive index
• Spectral colours are brought to the fore

Aquamarine jewellery care

The best way to clean your aquamarine jewelry is with plain warm soapy water (with mild liquid soap) and a small brush. Once you have washed the stone, be sure to rinse it well with clean water. Be sure to use warm water instead of hot water to reduce the risk of thermal shock.

Detergents containing enzymes and detergents should be avoided as they can cause allergic reactions. It is also not advisable to clean aquamarine in an ultrasonic tank. Sudden temperature changes, steam formation and contact with cosmetics, hairspray, perfume or household chemicals should also be avoided if possible.

• Cleaning with simple warm soapy water
• Rinse thoroughly with clean water
• Avoid detergents containing enzymes and detergents

Biggest aquamarine find ever

The largest aquamarine was found in 1910 in Brazil, near the village of Marambaia. It weighed around 110 kg, was almost half a meter long and 38 cm wide. It was then cut into smaller stones, which together yielded over 200,000 carats!

Here lies the mine where the largest aquamarine of all time was found:

Investing in aquamarine: yes or no?

As already mentioned above, aquamarines come in very different price ranges. This makes investing in aquamarines interesting even for investors with a smaller budget. A negative factor is the lack of a global reference price, as it is available to potential gold investors with the London gold price. The market can therefore be subject to strong price fluctuations in general.

These thoughts should not be understood as a fundamental recommendation against the aquamarine purchase, but rather as an invitation to critically reflect on a potential purchase decision.

• Instagram: Bookonin
• Blog: Book on Luxury

FIV: Hi Naomi, you are a wonderful London-based luxury, travel, fashion and lifestyle founder. But how did you develop an interest in each of these categories?

Naomi: I’ve worked in travel and PR for over 20 years so it’s always been a part of me! I’m a very creative person who sewed and made things from a young age and like most people naturally have an interest in fashion and all things feminine, lifestyle and beauty like everyone else before Instagram flicking through the fashion magazines.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo2rvJMlP7X/

How to build a meaningful social media?

FIV: In just a few short years, you’ve built sponsorships with luxury travel brands, traveled all over the world, and built a significant social media following. What’s your secret?

Naomi: It wasn’t just a few years ago. I started working with various Greek properties, Sailing Resorts and the Greek Tourism Board 10 years ago, mainly with Face Book Pages and writing blogs for the various outlets. I started the account on Instagram as soon as it opened to share that content, but at that point the focus was mainly on Facebook. I had already built a strong following on my Facebook page. I was lucky enough to get some advice from the owner of one of the biggest advertising agencies in Israel who suggested what I did, the name for me was a “social influencer”, this was about 5 years ago, and I should focus more on Instagram in the future. So I did….. Of course I was working full time for the Daily Mail and General Trust Group, so my travel was just within my annual leave, so my content up until 2017 was all about those trips and weekends and day trips or restaurants. I started exploring areas on my feed from my country and also shared other places I visited. Very quickly, hotels and tour operators and tourism boards contacted me to post on my feed. I wanted to share the world as I see it, I wanted each photo to make you feel like you could be the person standing there….

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqSiL4wlIdG/

FIV: If we were to sum up your feed universe in one word, it would be this: paradise. What’s your favorite of all your Instagram account posts? And where do you get your inspiration from?

Naomi: Of course like everyone I see on Instagram and Pinterest that give me inspo, but I stay away from recreating it. It’s hard not to take a photo in the same spot when it gives you the best vantage point, but you won’t find Mr. in the same dress and hairstyle completely imitating someone else. Honestly, when I arrive, I move around and take lots of photos, I see what works…. I know what areas a hotel wants to highlight, the room, the social spaces like the pool, the food in the spa, so I work to create content around those areas for food and stories. When you see the camera roll, you know that’s what I want to share with my audience.

Usually there has to be a centerpiece, whether it’s an amazing view, a beautiful platter of food, there has to be something that makes someone think I have to visit this place, it’s an experience for me!

Top most popular luxury travel destinations

FIV: You’re part of the Top 8 Luxury Travel Instagram Page of 2017, out of all the places you’ve been around the world, what are your top 5 favorite luxury travel destinations?

Naomi: For luxury;

• Santorini & Mýkonos in Greece
• Seychelles
• Maldives
• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxAIDECFXux/

FIV: Naomi, you have more than 750,000 followers today. What is the biggest challenge for you to be an influencer?

Naomi: Working in travel is very short notice, my paid jobs can come in 1 week to 4 weeks before so it’s hard for me to plan anything outside of 4 weeks which is difficult when travel needs to be planned and trying to plan and chat with clients when you’re on a trip with another client can be exhausting (which is why many travel influencers only get a few hours of sleep a night when they’re on the job).

You can’t guarantee what income will come in each month unless you have a monthly brand ambassador partnership and if you get paid (brands withholding money for 6 months, agencies closing so they don’t get paid at all) it’s the same as anyone working independently, you don’t have a guaranteed income and all the work from negotiation, offers going on and producing the work, to finishing talking to your audience and then invoicing, it’s all on you!

The trolls are obviously something everyone just has to deal with, it’s part of the job! I’ve had times where it’s gotten so bad and some of them are professionals who know how to get into you, then they can contact anyone who sends emails to your customers who send a lot of spam to your account if you don’t give them a response. But after some time you have to try, I know it’s hard, but really try not to respond.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxJyozolzZ0/

Influencer tips: sponsored content, branded messaging, feed inspiration and followers.

FIV: As influencers and businesswomen, how do you decide which brands to work with and how do you make sure your followers are open to sponsored content?

Naomi: I promote Luxury Travel, so it’s all Luxury Travel, aside from the fact that it’s everything I use. You’ve probably heard every influencer say I only promote things that I think are authentic, and then you see 20 watches, 20 granola bars, different phone apps going down the list, on their page.

For me, there will be mote fashion collabs, anything that I wear and use obviously, like swimwear and travel products and of course all beauty and lifestyle products. The question you have to ask is if your only audience was your mother, would you sell this to her?

FIV: You have an unreadable feed! How do you make sure branded messaging is a good fit for your feed?

Naomi: I’ve always tried to do it my way! I lose a lot of paying jobs or get offered money if I change my image and I just say no. If it’s not a good fit for me, then we’re just not a good fit. Brand partnerships always work well when the brand lets the influencer share their take on how the product is presented and used. No one knows their audience better than the influencer, but the influencer and the brand also need to see if that audience is someone who wants to listen. This is where a brand should know that this is the wrong influencer for my product and also an influencer should not take the job because the product has no relevance to you or your audience.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtW2jNKlK4V/

Must have list to go on a trip

FIV: As a traveler, how do you organize your trips? And what is your must have list to go on a trip?

Naomi: A lot of them are very short notice. Nowadays, most of my trips are because someone, a hotel, an airline, a travel PR, a tourism board has contacted me and they want to work with me and then it’s a standard negotiation of dates, services, itineraries and so on, which also coincides with all the other brand work that I have to shoot on location.

I take all the standard stuff like everyone else, all my gear, cameras, chargers, etc, all the name brand shooting products, toiletries, clothes, but outside of that I always take a huge blanket when I’m on the plane! I fly a lot, too much, and it’s just something to help me sleep (like a comfort blanket from home and I can use it to wrap up if you’re going to a destination where it’s hot, but then there are those cold nights, I’ve been on a lot of flights and even with the little blanket that gives you I was freezing, so I always have my warm blanket with me in my carry-on!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfloCD5FmYG/

• Instagram: Bookonin
• Blog: Book on Luxury