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by Manon Im on Jun 15, 2022 9:00:00 AM
Contents
- TikTok Becomes Big
- Small networks for advertising
- Continuous expansion of social commerce
- Discover new prospects
- Domination of video content
- The Popularity of Social Audio
- Paid advertising is mandatory
- Augmented Reality Becomes Mainstream
- Unchanging influencer Marketing Influence
- Increasing use of social media for customer service
- Personalization for customers
- The popularity of user-generated content will continue
- Generalization of regional-based targeting
- The Continuous Popularity of Instagram and Twitter
- Brand Social Responsibility
- Increasing social media communities
It's no exaggeration to say that most people spend much of their day on social media. Social media is now an integral part of people's lives and daily lives. Some are addicted to social media, and when they wake up, they are the first to check their social media feeds. Given the importance of social media in consumers' lives, social platforms are essential for marketers and businesses to communicate with customers. But social media has so much content that it's hard to stand out without a clear social media marketing strategy. Getting up-to-date on social media trends and developing content strategies can help you create noteworthy content. Here are the 16 most important social media trends you should not miss in 2022 and beyond.
1. TikTok Becomes Big
Instagram is still enjoying solid popularity, but TikTok is catching up. TikTok is also an ideal platform for 2022 considering that short-form video content will become more popular.
Over the past two years, TikTok has launched a number of useful tools, such as advertising and business profiles, specifically aimed at the business. So it's no anymore a platform where influencers dance. It's one of the major platforms that brands can use to reach millennials and Gen Z.
2. Small networks for advertising
TikTok isn't the only small platform that grabs the attention of consumers and brands. Pinterest and Snapchat are also gaining popularity. According to data shared by Pinterest Business, advertising on its platform can double the advertising revenue for retail brands compared to other social media channels. Although Snapchat isn't as popular in marketing as Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat ad statistics show that the number of potential ad viewers for Snapchat has increased significantly. Also, given that Apple announced in early 2021 that it would be blocking features that target a significant proportion of Facebook's users, it's key for brands to start looking at other platforms.
3. Continuous expansion of social commerce
Brands have long used social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to sell their products. However, in 2022, social media platforms became common, with the ability to purchase products directly through social media. eMarketer predicts that the social commerce industry will be worth $80 billion by 2025. From shoppable posts to Instagram shop features, social networks are steadily evolving into retail platforms. Brands and marketers must continue to leverage it and incorporate social commerce into their sales strategies in 2022.
4. Discover new prospects
According to Hubspot's research, where previously most marketers' primary social media goals were focused on activating sales and advertising products, by 2022, most marketers' primary social media goals will be reaching new customers, to improve customer service by growing their relationships. So, in the future, it is expected that brands will not only use social media purely for advertising but also as a channel to deepen customer relationships.
5. Domination of video content
Video content is still one of the most attractive content formats. One study predicted that 82% of all online content will be video content by 2022. This clearly demonstrates how important it is to leverage video content to stay relevant in the social media arena. If you're not already creating video content, you can look at the Stories, Reels, and TikTok first.
6. The Popularity of Social Audio
Since the launch of Clubhouse in 2020, social audio has become more and more popular. In June 2021, Facebook officially launched a live audio room and podcast in the US. And in the 2022 Social Media Trends study, more than 74% of businesses said they plan to invest in audio-only content in the next year. It also indicated that having an audio live stream would be the most popular strategy. However, audio content, like video content, requires time and expertise to produce, so it is not the most economical form of content marketing. So it's still difficult for small businesses to get started right away, so it's important to keep building on the expertise you need to create audio content.
7. Paid advertising is mandatory
According to Hootsuite's 2022 Social Media Trends Survey, more than 40% of respondents cite reduced organic reach and the need to spend more on paid advertising as their top challenges. Considering that Hootsuite's data shows that the average organic reach of Facebook posts is just over 5%, it makes sense to say that paid advertising is a must.
8. Augmented Reality Becomes Mainstream
The adoption of technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) on social media will increase. As the platform grows, users will demand a better and more engaging experience, and these technologies will satisfy their needs. Combining VR or AR capabilities on social media is still in its infancy. However, it has already been introduced and widely used to enhance the visual content shared on social media. As an example, AR filters are currently being used on several major platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. Applying AR in social media isn't limited to photo filters for posting funny posts and stories, brands can leverage AR to provide a better shopping experience for their customers. It is becoming more common for brands to use AR to give customers a hands-on experience with their products. In fact, AR capabilities can increase click-through rates on products by up to 33%.
9. Unchanging influencer Marketing Influence
Influencer marketing is not a new trend, but it is a trend that will remain popular for the time being. Today, social media is dominated by influencers who receive huge sums of money to promote their brand. Not only is the number of influencers on social media skyrocketing, but companies are also increasing their marketing spending on influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is a lot cheaper than running a paid advertising campaign, but it can yield great results. Influencers can also help marketers achieve a variety of marketing goals, rather than generating leads.
10. Increasing use of social media for customer service
Social media has traditionally been a platform for people to connect to social networks and share photos and videos. But now social media has become a retail platform, a product discovery platform, and now a customer service channel. Many brands are starting to recognize social media networks as platforms for providing customer service. This shift happened gradually as brands started noticing that many of their customers were reaching out to them on social media.
Social media has become an important customer service channel for brands to recognize as one because it's not just a one-time thing when customers post questions or complaints on social media and brands respond. In fact, according to Gartner, by 2023, 60% of all customer service requests will be resolved through digital channels.
11. Personalization for customers
Personalization is a global consumer trend that has been around for several years. But on social media, it is now becoming commonplace. Some might argue that brands cannot precisely personalize social media content for different consumer segments. But you can customize your social media ads as much as you want.
A key aspect where businesses and marketers are applying personalization is social media advertising. Social media platforms are starting to offer advanced targeting and personalization options for marketers. This allows you to show the right ads to the right people at the right time. Even social media platforms have reached a point where they can understand the types of products you like and show you ads for similar products from other brands. When you see ads on Instagram, you'll see ads for similar products throughout your feed within minutes. The more you click on your ad, the better you can understand your online behavior and preferences. Not only that but all of your Instagram ads will be personalized and curated to suit your tastes.
12. The popularity of user-generated content will continue
The trend of leveraging user-generated content remains strong and will continue to do so. Some brands, such as Daniel Wellington, motivate their customers to create content, highlight the opportunity to be uploaded to their brand page, and motivate them to tag their brand. Brands like Olay and Dove run marketing campaigns that encourage customers to submit entries for use as part of their campaigns.
Some brands, such as Airbnb, rely entirely on user-generated content for their social media content. User-Generated Content(UGC) considers content to be much more authentic than content produced by the brand itself. Thus, it increases brand credibility and helps to improve brand image. Therefore, publishing social media content utilizing user-generated content is also a good attempt.
13. Generalization of regional-based targeting
Many brands use location-based targeting to attract people to a specific geographic location. A common way for brands to attract a local audience is by tagging posts and stories, adding a location to your social media content can automatically attract local audiences. Social platforms like Instagram give you the option to search for posts from nearby places or specific locations. When you add a location to your content, it appears in those search results, helping local people find your brand and content. It also helps you target the right customers. For example, Facebook can use geo-targeting to get more people to attend local conferences and brand events. Alternatively, you can use location filters in your social media ads to advertise only to relevant local users. Location-based targeting on social media has many benefits, and how to use it should be done appropriately.
14. The Continuous Popularity of Instagram and Twitter
A lot has been said about TikTok and smaller channels like Pinterest and Snapchat, but Instagram and Twitter will continue to have a steady impact in 2022. Hubspot asked its B2B business target which platforms it plans to increase investment in 2022. 70% of respondents said they plan to increase their investment on Twitter, and 63% of B2B businesses say they plan to increase their investment on Instagram. Taking this into account, it can be seen that 49% of B2B brands plan to increase their investment in Facebook.
15. Brand Social Responsibility
In the past two years, corporate social responsibility has been a frequent topic of discussion. In 2022, brands must strive for social responsibility. You need to know which social issues are most important to your target customers and put them into practice. Consumers have set high standards for the social responsibility of brands and will no longer be satisfied with one-off actions.
16. Increasing social media communities
Social media communities generally refer to social groups created by brands to provide a networking platform to their customers. A private gathering where like-minded people can join to talk about their common interests. Facebook groups are a great example of a social community. Diverse brands are leveraging communities to bring existing and prospective customers together, and to engage with customers in meaningful ways. Group members can discuss different topics and come up with different solutions by sharing their experiences. Brands can also launch new products, solicit customer input, and gain valuable customer insights based on ideas from social media communities. So, it's smart to create content that can help build an engaging community.
The aforementioned are just a few of the trends that will dominate social media in 2022 and beyond. If you understand trends and use content suitable for various platforms to market, you can achieve higher efficiency. After all, it's important to remember that social media is a fast-changing, competitive space. Just because it worked in the past does not guarantee that it will produce the same results today. So, quickly catch up on the latest trend information and use it for social media marketing.
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