Did you know that there are 45 million active social media users in the UK? This is an impressive number and corresponds to 66% of the UK’s entire population. The report is even more impressive considering that UK adults spend over an hour on social media every day. This demonstrates that social media has become an integral part of people’s lives and daily routines. Some have become so addicted to it that they first check their social media feeds on waking up.
Given social media’s importance in people’s lives, marketers and businesses should have a solid social media presence to connect with their target customers. However, there is somewhat of a content overload on social media, and the competition is very high. This is why, without a compelling strategy, standing out can be challenging.
Below, we have listed the main trends social media marketers should watch and leverage in 2022. So, let’s dive in.
TikTok will become huge
The Chinese platform is no longer a platform just for teenagers. Over the past two years, TikTok has also launched a number of valuable tools, such as ads and business profiles, explicitly aimed at businesses. In addition, short-form video content is becoming more popular. The result? TikTok has seen undeniably fast growth. According to Hubspot, the term saw a 61% increase in mentions year-over-year during the beginning of 2021 and was the first non-Facebook app to reach 3 million global downloads. We can expect continued growth from the platform in 2022
Consumers will try-on products and interact with brands through augmented reality
Augmented Reality (AR) has been around for a few years; now, it’s becoming increasingly common for brands to use it to enable consumers to test products before purchase. AR is a personal and driving result way to reach people. If you’re not sure whether it’s the right fit for your business you could try using snapchat. The social platform provides an excellent opportunity to get your products in front of a large audience and quickly.
Video content will continue to dominate
This trend won’t disappear anytime soon : in 2022, video content will remain one of the most engaging forms of content. According to a Cisco study, by 2022, 82% of all online content will be video content. The success of Stories, Reels and Tik Tok is proof enough that engaging short-form videos are now the preferred choice of consumers. If you do not include them in your social strategy, it’s time to change to avoid being cut off.
We will see a further increase in influencer marketing
Over the pandemic, we have seen a rise of “unfiltered” content, as well as “everyday influencers”. Over the pandemic, we have seen a rise of “unfiltered” content, as well as “everyday influencers”. Many people started to trust influencers more than brands. This is a trend intended to last. That’s why every brand should consider influencer marketing in its social media strategy, even if it’s a small one. With that in mind, consider the micro-influencer (from 10k to 50k followers) and nano-influencers (from 1000 to 10k followers)? Their small but focused audience might suit your business.
We will need to pay to advertise on social media
The decline in organic reach on social media is becoming increasingly evident. That’s particularly clear on Facebook, where, according to Hootsuite’s data, the average organic reach for a Facebook post is just slightly over 5%. In a nutshell: if you want to be seen on social media, you’ll need to pay.
The use of social media for customer service will increase
Over the last years, many brands have started using social media to deliver customer service and more traditional channels like phone numbers and websites. In fact, according to Gartner, 60% of all customer service requests will be sorted out using digital channels by 2023.
Instagram and Twitter will become even more critical for businesses in the B2B
Instagram and Twitter aren’t new to the social scene, but many marketers are still seeing increases in ROI across both. The results? Investing in both platforms in 2022 will be worth it. According to HubSpot’s Blog, 70% of marketing professionals plan to invest more heavily in Twitter in 2022, and 63% plan to invest more heavily in Instagram.
User-generated content will continue to be popular
Motivating customers to create content and tag the brand will still be a good idea in 2022. Some brands, like Airbnb, ultimately rely on user-generated content for their social media content. Like Olay or Dove, some run relevant marketing campaigns that encourage people to submit their entries to be a part of the campaign. The possibilities are infinite, and we are sure that this trend will continue to evolve.
Local targeting will become more prevalent
Geo-targeting on social media will become increasingly crucial for brands to get more people to attend their local conferences and brand events. Brands can use location filters in their social media ads to advertise specifically to a relevant, local audience.
Inclusivity will be the key
Last but not least: in 2022, inclusivity is not an option, especially on social media. Now more than ever, it’s critical for marketers to use inclusive language intentionally. We covered the importance of specifying our pronouns previously. Though some may be prepared to write this off as a passing trend or a post-modern fashion statement, we are convinced it is not. Despite the doubts and resistance, it is essential to recognise that language matters and “we can rewrite the rules of idiom use”.
