10 Social Media Trends For 2022
Social media has always been a powerful tool for marketing, with around 3.78 billion social media users as of 2021 for businesses to take advantage of. And that’s not it; social media is still growing and is about to become even more important.
But as time goes, the social media marketing landscape is changing, but many people are still stuck in the past, not thinking about using new trends to their advantage. In 2022 we should expect critical changes in the social media sphere that businesses should leverage to stay top of the competition.
Among the trends we should expect in 2022 is new rules and regulations that will change how you use social media for your business. People will also change how they use social media as a shopping platform and to connect.
This blog post covers some of the most significant changes coming our way in 2022 and what they mean for your online marketing strategy.
Social Media Trends For 2022
1. Video Content
There is a rising desire for videos in the ever-changing world of digital marketing! The number of people watching internet videos has increased by 52% in the previous two years, to an average of 16 hours per week.
Compared to articles, infographics, ebooks, and presentations, 68 percent of consumers prefer viewing videos to learn about new products or services. Despite this, the question remains: why video?
Online content consumption has skyrocketed after a year in which millions of “real-world” lives were placed on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the loneliness and social exclusion, internet users were aware of one area they might turn to for a dose of togetherness: social media through videos.
In 2021, 58% of marketers said they would utilize Instagram video marketing. You can expect companies to create live stream videos and short clips for Facebook and Instagram in 2022.
New video tools are some changes you should anticipate going into 2022. For instance, you should expect Twitter to go big into videos by integrating full-screen options into their platform. Users can easily choose the full-screen mode to expand tweeted videos. Also, it allows them to see the entire setting, thereby improving engagement during presentations.
2. Social Media as a Shopping Platform
In 2022, shoppers are expected to have more social media options for shopping. This means that you’ll see the rise of new social media apps with a focus on eCommerce! An example is the YouTube platform.
Over 2.3 billion people log on to YouTube every month. About 90% of these individuals find new companies or items on YouTube, while 70% of these viewers have purchased products after viewing the brand on YouTube.
So expect more investments along these lines, with social media platforms introducing more features to streamline online conversational marketing. Some good examples of these include Facebook shops that allow users to shop from Instagram and Facebook and Instagram checkout to help users visit third-party sites.
3. New Rules and Regulations
As with any industry, companies are constantly trying to make things better for both consumers and themselves. This means new rules and regulations are always coming up.
One significant change you should expect in 2022 is the strict regulations regarding influencer marketing. As it is, most influencers do not comply with advertisements requirements. Going forward, expect stringent measures to penalize such behaviours.
Influencers who do not observe these regulations might be fined or banned from social media altogether. That also means businesses might lose access to their target market that they have taken a long time to build. So to avoid that, companies must be keen on the new emerging laws that govern paid influencers in 2022 and ensure all the influencers they bring on board are compliant with prevailing regulations.
4. Set Goals for Your Business
Setting goals for your business is an excellent first step in developing a plan to ensure the future success of your social media. It is advisable to think and consider how your business could leverage the power of various social media platforms.
Do some research about those platforms you have an established presence on; identify those communities you can engage with, and perhaps set aside time on a schedule that will keep them engaged. All of this work now will surely be rewarded with success in the future.
5. Create a Content Marketing Strategy
If you want to succeed with social media in 2022, your best bet is to create a solid content marketing strategy! It is crucial to think about the type of content that would interest your audience.
Start by observing what your competitors are doing. Find out their activities, web visitors, and what kind of content they’re creating and sharing with their customers.
Next, you’ll want to think about the goals for your business. What do you hope to achieve? How can social media help move things along? Do some research on the demographics of those who use social media.
You can then leverage the competitors to create a unique marketing strategy to help you achieve your business goals.
6. Build a Community
The current social media trends are geared towards live streams and a return to remote linking. In other words, the internet is good for building communities.
People on the internet are constantly looking for ways to feel less alone, and social media has allowed them to do just that! It is a common ground where people can connect freely.
In 2022, businesses will want to consider how they contribute and be part of these communities by giving something in return, whether it’s an item, a service, or an experience.
7. Influencer Marketing Will Become Dominant
The next five years will see influencer marketing come of age. With 0.4 billion followers on Instagram, influencers like Cristiano Ronaldo are game-changers for brands looking to reach their target audiences.
Customers’ trust in these individuals is high. People believe that an influencer they follow would never share content that contradicts their own beliefs or values. As such, businesses that want to succeed must harness the power of influencers in their industry.
Going into 2022 and beyond, expect the social media sphere to become more connected to the real world and influencers taking a more active role in marketing and purchasing products. Brands are likely to allow people to buy products from their favourite influencers through their social media platforms.
8. Inclusion Influencer Will Be Critical for Brands
In 2022, individualized profiles that will tailor information to users’ interests and lifestyle choices will become mainstream. Every person in the business world will be using it. They will have not just to acknowledge but include their customers and potential customers in the conversation.
This allows the brand to cultivate a following with a vested interest in what they do and who they listen to. It’s also essential for agencies to stay relevant in this ever-changing industry by offering more than one type of media-savvy service.
For instance, a company specializing in creating custom content and running paid social media campaigns will be more valuable than one that does not.
9. Audio Social Media
Audio Social Media is one of the biggest social media trends for 2022. Consumers are gradually shifting away from the written word and the fancier and more dynamic imagery channels that have been popular over the past couple of years to turn their attention to audio formats.
Audio Social Media channels are becoming an increasingly popular way for people to spend time, with more people listening to podcasts and music videos.
One example is the audioBoom. It’s a kind of Instagram-meets-YouTube app. The app allows you to make your little show using different soundtracks and voices, much like Snapchat filters but with explicit audio capabilities rather than only visual ones.
10. AR/VR Development
The 2022 social media trends are headed towards AR/VR development, where apps are controlled by voice commands and in-person meetups for connecting people with the same interests.
Given the sudden interest in most things augmented or virtual reality, it’s likely that many popular social media platforms will integrate AR/VR into their platforms.
Currently, a few popular platforms have already begun to implement both AR and VR features. For example, Facebook released a new 360 photo feature while Snapchat unveiled its face filters with effects. This trend is anticipated to continue into 2022 and beyond.
Bottom Line
With social media constantly evolving, brands need to keep up with the latest trends. By 2022, video content will be viral, and influencer marketing will become an even bigger part of the business. Therefore, brands must be ready to shift gears and embrace social media as a new marketing platform.
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