Top Social Media Trends To Follow In 2022

Brands can find social media a difficult area to navigate. There are many networks with different marketing tools and products. Online marketing campaigns can’t be applied in a single way by brands.

These challenges are made more difficult by the rapid evolution of social media. Trends change quickly and brands are unable to keep up with them. Social media networks frequently update their algorithms, which means that a strategy that worked for one brand in the past may not work anymore.

Trends are constant, despite the fast pace at which social media landscapes can change. Trends can be short-term, spurred by an event or meme, or they may last months. Trends may also be created by the changes these social media networks make to their products or services on a larger scale.

Marketers must be aware of these changes. New year brings with it the need to revamp strategies to ensure brands get the best value from their campaigns. These are our top five social media trends for 2022.

Top Five Social Media Trends of 2022

1. Social media platforms are gaining popularity for shopping

Over the past decade, a lot has happened in the way that people shop online for goods and services. Online shopping is no longer the only way to sell products. Social media networks have opened up new avenues for brands to reach their target audience.

Social media networks such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook have developed strong features that allow businesses to sell products online. People love the option to shop for goods through social media networks. This trend is expected to grow even further in 2022.

This trend has been fueled by the pandemic. As the world became more closed-in, online shopping was becoming more popular. This was made possible by social media networks that provided new tools that made shopping easier. People could shop for their favorite items from their social media accounts without ever leaving their network.

The number of social commerce buyers in the United States exceeded 80 million in the last year. Particularly the younger generation is more likely to shop through social media. Instagram is still a popular platform for social commerce.

Consider the many shopping options that these social media platforms have created for products you want to sell online. This gives you an amazing opportunity to reach a larger audience for your products.

1. Augmented reality is now mainstream
   

Although augmented reality has been around for a while, it is still a niche product. The early adopters were the ones who first bought into the augmented-reality craze.

Both virtual and augmented reality will likely become mainstream in 2022. A lot of this will be due to the metaverse. The metaverse sounds like the buzzword for 2022. Although the public is still not fully aware of the concept, the phenomenal hype surrounding it is driving more people to become interested in the metaverse.

Both AR and VR tie in to the metaverse. Major companies such as Facebook are creating experiences that allow people to connect with their loved ones in a virtual world. Brands are also lining up for a spot in the metaverse, as more people move to the virtual world.

This trend should be leveraged by brands, especially those tech-forward ones, to give them an advantage. Brands have the chance to be leaders in the AR and VR space.

1. Influencer marketing will continue its growth
   

People love to find content creators online who resonate with them. Influencer marketing is a multi-billion-dollar industry. This was not possible before social media, but it has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past decade.

It’s not surprising that influencer marketing will grow in popularity by 2022. Creators are more sophisticated and have access to a variety of tools and networks to help them grow their following. Keep social media trends like this at the forefront of your strategy.

Large influencers will continue charging top dollar for campaigns. This gives brands access to a highly qualified audience that is open to receiving recommendations from creators they follow.

To reap the maximum benefits of this trend, brands must increase their influencer marketing efforts by 2022. The strategy should not be limited to top influencers. Collaboration with micro-influencers can bring tremendous value.

Influencers with small, but engaged followings can often deliver better results than those who have large numbers but little engagement.

1. Short form video content still reigns supreme

Everyone knows that video content performs better online than any other type of content. Video content is loved by people on mobile devices, and brands have successfully responded to this shift in consumer behavior.

In the last few years, however, short form video content has seen a rise in popularity. It will continue to be a hot social media trend in 2022. Short form video content will be even more popular this year due to TikTok’s explosive growth.

Many companies have attempted to duplicate TikTok’s success. Instagram wants Instagram Stories to have similar content, even though Instagram Stories is more popular and has proven to be more effective.

Short form video support is available on all major social networks. You can use this as often as you like to increase your reach beyond people already connected to your brand, but also to those who might not have heard of it.

1. Use and Share more User Generated Content (UGC)

Although you may not realize it, your followers will likely be open to sharing unique content about your product and service with you on their social media channels. Brands are making User-Generated Content a key pillar of their online marketing strategies. This is definitely one the social media trends to keep your eye on.

Brands that include UGS see a 20% increase of return visitors and a staggering 90% increase on customers’ time spent on their websites. These statistics alone are enough to show why UGC could be the next big social media trend in 2022.

UGC can be a huge benefit to brands. UGC is often cheaper than traditional advertising. It is also more relatable. Customers who are exposed to content that has been shared by existing customers about your product will be more inclined to purchase it. UGC gives your product a unique element of authenticity.

You can fill your social media channels with more UGC. You can encourage your customers to share it with others and increase engagement.

Social Media Trends will change, so be ready to jump on them

This list is not comprehensive and doesn’t include all the social media trends for 2022. Brands should be ready to strike.

Some social media trends may have a limited window of opportunity for maximum benefits. These opportunities often resulted in content becoming viral and creating a lot positive buzz. This is always a good outcome for brands.

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