SOCIAL MEDIA: A GUIDE TO UPDATED TRENDS, 2022!

Do you also find it overwhelming to stay tuned to the constantly updated marketing features that social media rolls out now and then?

Consumers are turning tech-savvy with each passing day. Now, they are buying entertainment online more than ever.

This is why e-retail revenues are expected to grow to a whopping 5.4 trillion U.S. dollars by 2022.

91.9% of companies target social media for marketing purposes as of 2021, and the number is expected only to increase.

Social Media can prove to be a goldmine for all you marketers if you keep abreast of the latest trends!

Worried if existing social media marketing strategies will work

for your business in the future?

Stick till the end to discover the latest trends that will help skyrocket your business in 2022.

1. FLEETING CONTENT WILL FLOAT

Ephemeral content is content that disappears after some time.

FOMO is the topmost reason why ephemeral content is gaining popularity!

Works well as an engagement-boosting strategy?

Less attention span, along with excessive distractions, leads to less audience for your brand.

So, yes, it does help in boosting user engagement!

Therefore, with content that is short-lived yet engaging, you can fetch numerous valuable users.

Marketers are adding this feature to their marketing strategies to uplift their business game and expand reach in seconds.

Data reports that nearly 58% of people have become more interested in a brand after viewing a story.

To gear up for 2022, marketers are heavily relying upon the optimum use of short stories.

Leveraging sales through ephemeral content is consistently gaining popularity. And, it will continue to prosper in coming times, as people get busier.

2. VIDEO CONTENT TO GO VIRAL

Will relevant videos drive significant traffic to your website?

Videos prove to be one of the most engrossing forms of content that appeal to most of the audience online.

In addition, Video content will constitute about 82% of the total online content by the end of 2022.

Thus, it is extremely important to create attention-grabbing video content.

Start using video content to stay up to the mark.

  • If we go by stats, 86% of the businesses use videos as a marketing tool.
  • Twitter is also expected to focus on prioritizing video content, as the mania is terrific. Tweets that incorporate videos in them, hold the power to generate 10x more engagement.
  • Almost 85% of videos on Facebook are viewed in muted mode. So, it is advisable to make use of captions on your videos for user convenience.

From short reels on Instagram to long informative videos on YouTube, video content will become more eminent with the times approaching.

It is ruling the online space, making it the future of successful marketing.

3. TikTok OUTSHINING INSTAGRAM

Is TikTok gradually becoming the most influential platform? 

TikTok has now surpassed Instagram for popularity among Gen Z users in the United States, with 37.3 million to Instagram’s 33.3 million.

  • Depending upon the product they wish to promote, marketers can aim to target a large audience.
  • Short videos prove to be more engaging for people to hit the “know more” button. Experimenting with TikTok, reels, and short videos, inserting texts on these short videos can help you grab a lot of attention from potential users.

TikTok shopping – in an extended partnership with Shopify, allows businesses to leverage the power of TikTok commerce.

Kylie Cosmetics, by Kylie Jenner, was one of the first to introduce it to their brand. They allowed their customers to shop directly on TikTok

Marketers are expected to be mindful of the time limits to refrain from making content weary and tedious.

If strategically done, it may help you grow your business, build awareness, drive traffic, generate leads, and convert them to sales.

4. ADAPTING INFLUENCER MARKETING

Can I count on Influencers?

Investing in popular influencers is highly cost-effective. For that reason, more marketers are considering and collaborating with numerous influencers.

Instead of spending exorbitant amounts spent on paid ad campaigns, try influencer marketing to get your brand endorsed or promoted,

The trend has proven to be a fruitful strategy for marketers. And so, they have started to sponsor multiple influencers aligned with their brand to:

  • promote their brand across various platforms
  • increase brand awareness
  • improve brand loyalty.

Will it die Out?

80% of marketers have a firm belief in Influencer Marketing.

Also, 89% say that Influencer marketing ROI is as good or even better than other channels.

Clearly, influencer marketing is one trick that won’t be reduced to glimmer easily and will flourish in the coming years.

In other words, influencers are expected to continue dominating social media.

5. SHOUT OUT TO USER-GENERATED CONTENT

People trust People!

Your customers have the capacity to generate the most convincingly creative content.

Moreover, the reviews or feedback from them will foster transparency.

Your customers will prefer authenticity to empty promises.

  • Use testimonials, snippets, or reels exhibiting the actual usage of your product to gain valuable customer insights.
  • Almost 92% of consumers report that they trust UGC more than any other type of marketing content.
  • Customers are now more actively participating in the digital landscape. Marketers are coming up with storming ideas to incentivize user-generated content for nurturing their brand.
  • Another key point is to ensure permission to use the UGC by encouraging the customers to create content and tag their brand to get featured on their page.
  • More than 86% of companies today are using user-generated content as a part of their marketing strategy. And, a hike is certainly expected in the years to come.

Consider experimenting with UGC if you haven’t already because this is going to be a real buzz for a really long time!

6. GO LIVE TO GO BIG

People are continually switching to online mode with each passing day.

In fact, 7 out of 10 people who claim to watch live streams, tune in to a live stream daily.

  • While streaming major shopping events live, marketers can build a finer relationship with their customers.
  • With digital advancement, people are becoming more comfortable interacting with brands online.
  • Live-streaming can help marketers create striking content for the audience to fall for.

More than 35% of marketers are using live streams to keep their audience engaged.

Evidently, live-streaming tends to hold the viewer’s attention for a longer period of time.

For this reason, it will gradually gain popularity, improving the social media marketing strategies 10x.

Throw a live stream to keep your audience updated!

7. REALM OF AUGMENTED REALITY

Bring your Products to life!

A hot trend in 2022 that will stick around for a foreseeable future, is the integration of augmented reality and social media ads.

All sorts of businesses can use brand filters to stay ahead of time, charm their customers, and use this technology to their advantage.

Sources claim that ‘63% of the online consumers vouch for the enhancement that augmented reality brings into their shopping experience’.

Not just that, AR-based ads are expected to attract $13 billion by this year.

  • AR offers a personalized touch, rendering customers to experience a tailored interaction.
  • Draws more customer engagement. It also encourages impulsive buying and removes the hesitation of buying.
  • Facilitates virtual ‘try-on’ enabling the customers to be sure of their purchases. It caters to customers’ needs by allowing them to feel the product

With young customers coming in age, AR will prove to be a gang-busting trend that all social media marketers will embrace.

8. SPLASHY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

Will the conventional tactics help you optimize your brand’s presence?

Changing customer behavior results in the proliferation of social commerce.

Concurrently, social selling is a testament to the great customer shift. Switching to Online modes is coming off as a blizzard.

No doubt, chatbots are appealing to customers in a profound manner.

But, people are looking for more interactive and relatable content these days. All in all, customer indulgence is something that people swear to.

Feels good to know that you are valued and your outlook counts? Time to shift from your conventional text-based content to a more friendly approach by introducing:

  1. quizzes and polls,
  2. customized marketing,
  3. push notifications,
  4. ask questions,
  5. share feedback,

Focussing on providing consistent customer support may foster a more cordial relationship with your customers.

In times to come, Social media listening will also play its part and evolve as a remarkable marketing strategy.

It helps marketers to remain aware of their standing.

9. Social Commerce Skyrockets:

Everything and everybody is switching to social media these days!

With this, Social Media Platforms are now turning into a mini-mall in our hands.

  • The number of social commerce buyers in the U.S. is reaching over 80 million!
  • Almost 90% of all Instagram users are following at least one business page.
  • Genzers are more actively shopping on these social media platforms. In fact, 60% of genzers in the U.S. have used Instagram to discover new brands and products.
  • With the augment of Instagram shops and Instagram checkout, social media e-commerce is surging to new levels.
  • Brands are also integrating Customer care tools like chatbots and automated messages into their social media strategy.

10. Social Media Post as Currency:

Have you heard about pop-up shops? You just have to post to pay!

Breaking News! You can easily pay for products and services with a social media post.

  • A recent remarkable example is when Bun Burgers allowed customers to trade TikTok currency for the food.

          What was inside it for Bun Burgers? They got an effortless brand promotion and some extra user-generated content.

  • Similarly, Pick-me-ups by milkUp is Ontario’s first-ever post-to-pay popup. All you have to do is follow @milkupontario on TikTok or Instagram. Then, post about it on your social media account.

          TikTok’s videos, reels, Instagram stories, and format static posts, all are accepted as a form of payment.

BINGO! You are through with all the upcoming social media trends along with the ones evolving rapidly.

Summing it up:

In Conclusion, it might get a little stressful to keep up to date with the latest developments that social media keeps dropping in.

2022 has already traveled 3 months.

Unquestionably, it’s time for you to polish your Social Media Marketing Strategy!

This is all that’ll prepare you for 2022 and help you master your marketing game on the most influential landscape _ SOCIAL MEDIA.

Let 2022 be your year, hit targets, and reap benefits.

You’ve got this! Stay Updated and Watch these Strategies work wonders for your business.

Hire Social Media Marketing Experts in case you find it too much to handle.