Social media is a fast-paced digital environment that is constantly evolving. In 2021, there were different trends and challenges, and many brands jumped right on them. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are new social media trends in 2022, and many businesses are taking advantage of them. As a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of a brand, you must know these trends to enhance your social media marketing strategies for 2022. CMOs are usually under a lot of pressure to deliver results. So we thought to compile these trends into a list of the top 10 social media trends in 2022. Every CMO out there should know to stay abreast with marketing trends.
Key Takeaway
Like it or not, social media is the future of marketing. As a CMO who wants your brand to remain relevant, you need to stay ahead of these trends and incorporate them into your marketing strategies for the business year. The trends listed in this article have been identified as the top social media trends for 2022. We believe every CMO should know them.
Top 10 Social Media Trends 2022
1. Advertising budgets:
Yes, social media advertising budgets are a thing. There has been an exponential increase in money spent on social media ads over the years. While you must spend within a limit, you must also consider your business goals for the year and how social media marketing will help you achieve them. Having a moderate and well-structured social media advertising budget will help your brand build a more robust and lasting relationship with customers and increase online sales. If you don’t have a budget for social media ads, now is the perfect time to set one.
2. Video Content:
TikTok and Instagram Reels took over the world of social media last year. Even YouTube came up with YouTube Shorts. As you must know, many videos went viral through these platforms. They even propelled some businesses and individuals to the limelight. 2022 is definitely the year for you to invest in video content that will speak to your audience and grab their attention. You can also go live and engage with your audience and customers/ clients in real-time.
3. Influencer Marketing:
One social media trend that can’t go out of style is influencing marketing. Collaborations on social media between businesses and influencers have always existed and continue to do so. However, there is a new trend in influencing marketing. Brands now prefer to work with influencers than with small audiences. This is because they have identified influencers whose values align with their brands and know that marketing is more effective.
4. In-app Shopping Capabilities:
Major social media platforms now have in-app shopping capabilities as long as your brand is eligible. This makes digital business easier as customers and clients can make transactions right from their social media accounts without going to the brand’s website or sending messages.
5. Authenticity:
It may sound ironic, but social media users say authenticity is important. People are starting to realize that the glamour of social media is usually fake, and they are leaning towards authentic brands who tell it like it is. Authenticity and transparency are now crucial tools for social media marketing. You should add original, fun, informative, value-rich, and educating content to your social media marketing strategy.
6. Stories:
Of course, social media platforms had to think of a way to make things more fun and engaging. They came up with stories! Snapchat may have pioneered the movement, but now, Instagram is the leading platform for stories. You can engage your audience, go live, do polls, and many more with them. You don’t have to send survey links to your customers anymore.
7. Performance Metrics:
Forget your brand’s follower count. You can actually track your progress on social media and focus on the metric that matters; revenue. Besides the number of likes, you can track the number of website clicks and how well people are actually talking about your brand through shares and saves. You can also use a social media analytics tool for in-depth analysis.
8. All-round Customer Acquisition:
The days of sticking to one social media platform are long gone. At least one person has 2-3 social media platforms they actively use. This means that your target audience is not on one major social media platform but is instead spread across different platforms. If your brand has been focusing on one platform, join the new 360 customer acquisition strategy trend.
9. Educational content:
If your brand’s social media platforms are all about promotional content, you may have noticed a decline in the level of engagement or even sales. The new trend for brands is achieving a thought-leader status in their industries, and to do this, they need to educate their audience. If your brand is a luxury fashion brand, you want people to think “Haute Couture” and think about your brand. That can only happen when you give people something tangible to think about. Educational content can come in different forms and is not restricted to infographics alone.
10. Security:
In 2021, cybercrimes, especially fraud and business scams, were rising. The more we adopt technology solutions, the more vulnerable we are to cyber-attacks. You need to adopt a solid security system for your social media platforms. Also, endure you have an active user-friendly website that can serve as a backup in the event of a virtual shutdown, as happened with Facebook in 2021.
Conclusion
If you are yet to tap into the trends listed above, it is not too late to do so. Combining these trends and integrating them into your marketing strategies will help drive sales and create more awareness. If 2021 was a year of ineffective marketing strategies, make 2022 different with strategic social media marketing.