Whether you’re a large, multi-national company or a small indie creator, social networks provide the perfect opportunity to promote your brand. People spend the majority of their time on these platforms, so it makes sense to establish a solid presence there.
However, social media changes constantly. For your advertising to be effective, learn about current social media trends to ensure you’re optimizing your content effectively.
1. The Metaverse
As soon as Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook would transition to “Meta,” the concept of a digital Metaverse created a lot of buzz and controversy. Some people think the Metaverse to replace the internet as we know it, but that won’t happen anytime soon. However, we can expect to see social networks implement new features to support Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.
This kind of technology will allow users to interact with each other and their surroundings in a virtual environment. Major brands already developed new ways to interact with their customers in 3D spaces. As with any emerging tech, user engagement thrives on the sheer novelty offered by new platforms. If you want to stay relevant in the future, start developing a marketing strategy with the Metaverse in mind.
2. Brand Value/Sustainability
Although new trends emerge and fade away over time, most brands aren’t content with five minutes in the spotlight. While it’s perfectly fine to ride on the coattails of a new trend, your success shouldn’t simmer with a fading trend. Create a plan that will grow the value of your brand over time. The best way to follow the top social media marketing trends in 2022 and achieve long-term brand growth is by partnering with digital marketing specialists who can help you implement the best strategies. How you appear on social media can significantly impact your brand.
We’ve seen more and more users hold brands accountable for what they post and the promises they make on social networks. Creating a sustainability program that coincides with your company values is a great way to grow your brand. You can then use that sustainability program in your marketing on social media.
3. Short-form vertical video
Due to the increase in video consumption on mobile devices, vertical video is becoming increasingly popular. Most large companies caught onto this trend. They’ve started to leverage talented professionals who have experience with those formats.
It can be difficult to find programmers and video editors who are versed in working with a vertical format. Social networks that didn’t have a specialized form of posts for vertical video are now experiencing growing pains from trying to quickly find solutions for this new trend. Even major video-sharing platforms, like YouTube, put in great efforts to stay relevant by introducing YT Shorts. This new format is especially suited for short-form vertical videos.
Keep in mind different types of content require specialized marketing approaches. While the traditional horizontal video is better suited to guides, tutorials, and long-form content, the opposite can be said for vertical videos. This type of social video content is particularly suitable for short, entertaining options – which can effectively be used for marketing purposes across social networks.
4. Influencer Marketing
One of the main benefits of advertising on social media is reaching new audiences. The best way to boost your following with ease is to reach out to someone who already has a large fanbase. As it turns out, audiences are more inclined to trust influencers when picking brands rather than the brands themselves. Partnering with influencers will be one of the top social media marketing trends in 2022.
Although social media influencers aren’t an entirely new trend, we’ve recently seen content creators emerge for every possible niche. These are also known as micro-influencers. This allows brands to find the perfect e-celebrity which caters to their target audience. The stage is already set, and there are even dedicated websites to help you find the best influencers for your brand. Do your research and make sure you avoid common influencer marketing mistakes to get the most from your campaigns.
5. Social Commerce
It’s no secret that, since the pandemic started, online shopping grew significantly. Social platforms tried to embrace this trend, and some of them have succeeded in creating built-in shopping tools. This way, users don’t have to leave social media platforms to purchase. This trend led e-commerce businesses to develop effective ecommcerce SEO strategies to bring in more traffic. Customers experience easier shopping, and businesses are closing more sales. What’s not to love?
6. TikTok Dominates the Social Media Space
Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has shown enormous growth. Although initially started as a hip platform for a younger crowd, it now appeals to large audiences from different age groups and demographics. Short-form videos that are easy to edit set a relatively low barrier of entry, allowing anyone with a phone to become an instant content creator. This was especially interesting for the younger demographic, which embraced the platform and gave it enough momentum to grow into today’s largest social media network. From monitoring TikTok trends to learning to optimizing hashtags on TikTok, there are a variety of ways to tap into this marketing goldmine.
If your demographics include a younger audience, ignoring TikTok would be a horrible mistake. However, to make your content stand out among others on social media, we recommend working with a marketing agency specializing in social networks. Since TikTok isn’t going anywhere, we can expect it to dominate the social media space in the future.
In conclusion
Your company needs to keep up with top social media marketing trends in 2022. Following the current trends is the best way to stay relevant and make your marketing effective.