Did you know that this year saw 490 million new social media users? Clearly, we’ve become inseparable from social media. Be it to mindlessly scroll for hours or make a living out of it, socials have become an integral part of our lives. No matter how much we’d like to deny it. As we bid goodbye to the year, we take out our crystal balls and predict marketing trends that will paint the social media landscape in 2020 too (Get it? 2022).
What will social media marketing trends will look like in 2022?
1. Live content will be leading the way
In 2021, Live content and audio-based content has seen the highest return on investment by marketers around the world. No other format can replicate its authenticity, making it more relatable and influential as compared to others.
Since the whole reason behind the growth of social media influencers is relatability, Live sessions will thrive in 2022 and become indispensable to building a community. Coupled with the growth of social commerce, Live shopping will also emerge as a social media trend.
2. Focus stays on 3 to 5 social platforms
The universe of social media is ever-expanding. With the birth of audio-based platforms like Clubhouse, it is even more so. In the coming year, most brands will concentrate their marketing strategy on 3 to 5 major platforms rather than stretching themselves thin on all of them.
By tapping these, they’ll reach a wider audience, from different backgrounds, areas, and interests. Moreover, they won’t have to exhaust their bank of content or lower the quality to keep up.
3. Short-form video content will get longer
Social media is fast-paced. That’s why short videos go viral. With Reels on Facebook and Instagram and YouTube Shorts, short-form video content has grown exponentially. It will be an important driving factor for brands in 2022.
However, we’ll observe a preference for longer and more in-depth video content. The change is already happening, with Instagram increasing the duration of Reels, and Stories and merging IGTV with Feed Video.
4. Permanent content will take over temporary content
Stories became popular because they lived only for 24 hours unless the user chose to add them to the highlights. But in 2021, brands have realised that permanent content is way more effective since users can keep referring to it.
Essentially, you can save content that has a short life. And since “saves” and “bookmarks” have become vital metrics to measure social media marketing content success, ephemeral content will lose its edge. Come 2022, brands will ask for permanent content from influencers during campaigns.
5. Brand will work with audio-based creators
Contrary to what most believe, after the lockdown, the number of podcast listeners has grown. Exponentially. Brands thought that people listened to podcasts only during their commute. The pandemic put paid to it.
There has been a 49% increase in podcast listeners. Looking for a different way to keep themselves entertained while doing daily chores or just taking a break, people around the world turned towards podcasts. Consequently, podcast ad spending is expected to hit a whopping $1.7 billion in the next 3 years.
It’s not just podcasts. All sorts of audio content are on the rise.Think Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. In 2022, audio will float above the hoi polloi of social media marketing, and brands will turn to podcasts and other audio-based creators to target the well-informed, high-income consumers.
6. More inclusive and informed marketing content will be the norm
With people demanding to know the values a brand follows, creators are extremely cautious about what products they promote. They analyse every message, product, and campaign before partnering because they know their fanbase is not afraid to call them out on it.
Next year, expect brands to make all their social media marketing content authentic, informed, and value-driven. Another trend that’s already making waves is inclusivity. Creators are making their content more accessible to a wider audience with practises like including subtitles in the video or giving a detailed description of the image in the caption.
7. Monetization, monetization, monetization
The biggest social media trend in 2022 will be more monetization avenues for creators. From tipping to newsletters to creator funds, platforms are already diversifying the ways users can earn from their apps. Next year, we’ll have more because when creators thrive, the creator economy thrives, and, as a result, brands thrive.
