Speaking of the changing social media trends, Kami Huyse has very accurately said
“The first rule of social media is that everything changes all the time. What won’t change is the community’s desire to network.”
Working in an industry and amidst people who are constantly keeping tabs on these changes that transforms quicker than the seasons of the universe speaks a lot about the diversity of social media and the trends that change under it.
But don’t worry, we’re here to spare you a lot of late nights by providing answers on what’s going to trend majorly on social media in 2022 and what all can you expect. Let’s dive into it already!
Trends That Would Dominate 2022
Without sparing a single extra second, let’s get straight into the social media marketing trends popular in 2022
The popularity of TIKTOK is going to be immense!
Right from the pandemic back in 2020, if there’s one particular social media site that has gained constant momentum, then that indeed is TikTok. TikTok’s rise has been undoubtedly rapid. In fact, the phrase ‘TikTok’ witnessed a 61% year-over-year rise in mentions at the start of 2021, and it was the first non-Facebook app to exceed 3 million global downloads.
TikTok will exceed 1 billion users in September 2021. As a result, it is now the world’s seventh most popular social network. Source. TikTok has also lately become Instagram’s successor in terms of its popularity. It is currently the fourth most popular platform after Instagram.
Therefore, if you haven’t made an account on TikTok, you must go and do so instantly as popularity would be inevitable!
Social commerce has been simplified
Social commerce is an e-commerce subcategory in which everything takes place on social media — product discovery, click-to-purchase and post-purchase service.
And it’s changing the way we shop
- In the United States, 60% of Gen-Zs use Instagram to find new companies and goods.
- By 2025, social commerce in the United States is expected to reach about $80 billion.
- 71% of small companies want to sell on social media.
Social media has evolved into a type of virtual mall in the palm of our palms. Within a few clicks, we may browse items, get inspiration and make purchases. As a response, platforms have begun to roll out new social commerce capabilities, such as
- Instagram Shops facilitate the creation of online storefronts for enterprises.
- Instagram Checkout has been pushed out to brands in the United States, allowing users to make direct transactions.
- Pinterest launched a shop feature, allowing users to explore and shop through product Pins.
- TikTok is piloting TikTok Shopping, after their extended cooperation with Shopify.
- Chatbots and automated direct messages are becoming more popular as an extra social media customer service strategy tool for interacting with consumers and answering frequently asked questions.
Considering all the facts stated above, it can be thus predicted and anticipate a doubling-down on social commerce in 2022, as each platform competes to make their shopping capabilities the best-in-class for both consumers and companies.
Memes, memes and tons of memes!
Isn’t it true that everyone enjoys a good meme? We believe that memes (both static and video) will have an even greater moment in 2022. Memes are an excellent method for companies and creators to interact with their target audiences and participate in topical topics. And the greatest thing is… They don’t have to be elaborate.
Memes increasingly dominate online culture, with prominent meme pages on social media attracting tens of millions of followers. People all across the world are addicted to the daily release of dopamine in their brains that comes from laughing at their favorite meme website. Memes, however, are much more than simply a source of amusement in everyday life: they serve as a platform for political speech, societal discontent and business promotion. Memes suit this urge for quick and efficient media: a few lines strewn over an interesting visual. Memes, on the other hand, do not need the use of headphones or a larger screen to be viewed.
In summary? Memes are here to stay. And the more inventive or quick-thinking you are, the better.
Long-form video content is resurrecting
Do you believe that long-form video is a thing of the past? Consider it again.
While short, bite-sized Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts were popular in 2021, the New Year is expected to see a return to a lengthier form of entertainment. Consider the following examples: TikTok now allows producers to upload three-minute movies and Instagram Reels for marketing have been stretched to 60 seconds. So, in 2022, think about how your brand and business can use video content to communicate longer-form tales (rather than simply bite-sized tidbits).
On social media, augmented reality will enter the mainstream
Augmented Reality (AR) has been around for a few years, but it is poised to become a far more common content format in 2022. More consumers want to “test before they buy” as social commerce and internet purchasing become more popular. That’s where augmented reality comes in: it allows buyers to digitally test and try on things, speeding up the sales process. Already, 200 million Snapchat users engage with augmented reality on a regular basis. In addition, Facebook has begun using augmented reality to assist customers in making purchases.
So, in 2022, think about how you can use AR to improve your consumer experience on social media.
The effectiveness of Facebook ads has increased
Have you observed anything out of the ordinary with many of the on-platform Facebook ad experiences (lead generation advertising, Messenger ads and so on)? They are more powerful than ever before. With the big pixel issue of 2021, it appears that Facebook marketing has done some nifty dancing to make some of its simpler-to-use products a lot more effective.
With the debut of Reels for Facebook in 2022, short video content on the most popular social media network is expected to rise. Aside from that, its Live function and Audio Room, where producers may host audiences, are expected to expand in popularity this year. It will introduce new technologies to better engage its younger consumers.
Let’s hope this trend continues!
The creator sphere will expand (and succeed!)
The person in charge of supplying information on social networks is known as the social media creator. The social media post creator handles general material, creates posts in accordance with a brand’s voice and social strategy and further reacts to users and followers.
Social media content developers are conversant with the most prominent social media sites that including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. There are other additional platforms, but these are some of the most popular. TikTok has recently become an extremely popular site- for example.
The Bottom Line
The world around us is continually changing nowadays. And, while we believe we know what to expect from social media, this list of trends is unlikely to be all-inclusive of what we’ll see in 2022.
The greatest thing you can do for social media marketing is to continue researching trends, online consumer habits and your team’s social media data to understand which trends or methods to lean into or how to manage unexpected online circumstances.
