6 social media trends you need to know in 2022
How retailers and merchants can stay ahead, socially, this year.
There’s little doubt that COVID-19 has transformed the way we live, work and connect. As humans, we crave social connection, and when lockdowns prevented us from meeting in person, many people gravitated to social media. And it seems our thirst for social media extends beyond lockdown.
In the past year, total social media users increased by 13.1 per cent.
That’s 4.48 billion people, spending two hours and 25 minutes on average on social media, every day.
As consumers spend more time on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, understanding new social media trends has never been more important for brands and businesses. So, as we enter a new year, we asked experts to identify the biggest trends to be aware of in 2022.
TikTok continues to grow
TikTok users doubled in the past year, and in September 2021 the social media platform clocked up 1 billion users for the first time.
It's important brands get on TikTok now before it becomes much harder to grow in 2023.
This makes TikTok the seventh largest social media platform in the world (after Facebook, YouTube, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WeChat) – and one that brands increasingly need to factor into their marketing plans (especially if reaching Gen Z is a priority).
The good news is that, as a relatively new social media platform, TikTok offers opportunities that more established platforms do not.
“I predict we'll see a continued rise in live shopping on TikTok, where brands host videos showing their products on a live stream, and have easy integrations with Shopify to allow consumers to easily shop within the app.”
Tips:
Don’t have a TikTok handle or account? Now’s the time to get one.
2022 should also be the year that brands and marketers get fluent in TikTok, so even if your brand doesn’t yet have a presence on the platform, it’s worth logging in to understand how it works.
Influencer partnerships go long-term
In 2022, there’s no slowing down when it comes to influencer domination, although in 2022, get used to the term ‘creator’, which is increasingly overtaking the title ‘influencer’.
However, experts say there is a noticeable shift in the way that creators and brand partnerships are formed, with businesses moving away from one-off, transactional collaborations to instead focus on longer-term, more strategic partnerships and co-creation/ co-branded experiences.
“This creates a more authentic and ongoing relationship with both the brand and influencer's audience,” says Taryn Williams, founder and CEO of TheRightFit.co and Theinfluencers.com.au.
Most influencers provide discounts for ongoing work.
“We are seeing more brands shifting to this style of engagement as it also locks influencers out of working with competitors, and can be financially more beneficial for a brand than paying for individual one-off posts [as] most influencers provide discounts for ongoing work.”
Williams adds that 2022 will see an increased focus on diversity and inclusivity, with brands moving towards influencers and creators who are truly representative of their customer base in terms of age, ability, body shape, size, lifestyle, ethnicity, race, religion, sexuality, gender and more.
“It’s becoming much less of a ‘token’ gesture or afterthought with leading brands, and something that is now prioritized in all aspects of a brand’s marketing strategy,” she adds.
Tips:
Can’t afford the macro/ celebrity influencers? It’s OK to think small. Smaller, niche influencers can often have much more actual influence over their audiences because they have a closer connection with their engagement, says Shepherd.
Influencer content is a powerful way to get high-quality user-generated content [UGC] and can often be achieved through gifting (not just paid campaigns). Contra or gifting campaigns are a very low-cost way for a brand to collect a broad range of UGC.
Video continues to lead the way
Video content will continue to dominate in 2022, with the focus on short-form content that is easy-to-digest and highly engaging. Think: Instagram Reels and TikTok videos (which are increasingly repurposed and posted to other platforms like Instagram).
If you didn’t have a social media video strategy in 2021, now’s the time to correct that. And it’s important that video is created with social media in mind, believes Shepherd.
“Too many brands create video content and throw it up on social media as an afterthought,” says Shepherd. “With the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, recently announcing that Instagram is focusing on pushing video content, it's important brands take this seriously. We've seen the rise of TikTok and short-form video content, and now Instagram doesn't want to get left behind.”
“As creators hone their craft in this area, I think we will see more innovative, easy-to-consume, highly engaging short-form content next year,” says Williams. “We’ll continue to see a shift towards ‘lo-fi’ video – which feels more authentic and less overly produced – created for the platform, [rather] than repurposed content that can feel more ‘advertising’ than native. I think the growth of TikTok has expedited this change.”
Tips:
When planning your video strategy, you should have both a social-first and a platform-first approach, says Shepherd. Don’t just throw your video on social media as an afterthought and don’t just repurpose it across all platforms.
Video doesn’t have to blow the budget – the quality doesn’t have to be award-winning, but the content should always be engaging and authentic.
Social commerce gains momentum
Bricks-and-mortar shopping might be back after months of lockdowns, but social commerce isn’t going anywhere. Social commerce – aka shopping directly via social media – is a seamless way for brands to connect directly with their customer and convert content directly into sales.
Over the past 18 months, most social networks have begun offering in-app shopping solutions, from Instagram to Facebook and Pinterest. And shoppers are spending billions of dollars via social media; in 2020, for example, worldwide social commerce was worth $115.5billion.
Tips:
Set up Facebook shops if you haven't done so already.
Test out shoppable pins and posts to get a sense of what sells on social media.
Augmented reality gets real
Instagram and Snapchat filters have been around for a while, but augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are becoming more sophisticated as users demand more engaging experiences.
Experts say that AR also offers the potential to remove some of the pain points from online shopping.
“We'll be able to try on items or see them in our home on our phone in an instant,” says Karyn Parkinson, director at Unstoppable eCommerce.
“This will give the buyer a more hands-on experience and will overcome a huge barrier that currently exists with online shopping (that is, not being able to touch, feel and try on the product).”
Plus, she adds, “as software becomes cheaper and more accessible, we'll see more businesses start to use augmented reality for e-commerce”.
Tips:
Not sure where to start? Most of the major platforms are making it simple and easy for small businesses with no coding experience required.
- Facebook: Spark AR
- Shopify: AR Quicklook
- Instagram: Shop with AR]
- Snapchat: Lens Studio
- TikTok: AR Filters
The AR space is relatively new and quickly evolving, with TikTok launching its own AR development platform, so keep a close eye on this space.
Increased focus on UGC
Customers are demanding authentic, real-time and real-life reviews of products before they will buy, with research out of EmbedSocial showing that UGC content has a 35 per cent higher engagement rate on social media than branded content. Brands will utilize this to drive brand awareness, trust and sales, with UGC as a major part of their marketing strategy.
“UGC is a fantastic way to build trust and social proof and is very cost-effective, so I think we will be seeing more brands embedded UGC throughout their e-commerce experience and in more marketing touchpoints (retargeting ads, drip-feed emails etc),” says Williams.
Tips:
Reviews are the easiest and simplest way to enter the UGC space and are essential for driving trust, credibility and sales.
A branded hashtag is a great way to garner UGC without having to spend any money – but don’t forget to ask permission before sharing it on your platform.
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