As 2021 is slowly drawing to a close, and we wrap up another successful year for social media there are 5 social media trends you need to know heading into 2022.
Last week, our marketing executive attended a social media trends webinar hosted by Hubspot and Talkwater where guest speakers and content covered gave us insights into what to expect as we head into the new year. Here’s all you need to know about which trends you need to capitalise on in the year ahead.
Tik Tok is taking over social media and brands are having to adapt
First thing on everyone’s mind was TikTok. It came as a shock to us all when we found out that TikTok was the first non-Facebook app to reach 3 billion downloads globally. Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms are slowly making way to this brand new social media giant.
Now I know, for many people, TikTok is their guilty pleasure. The late night visits, long scrolls, uncontrollable laughs and copious hours spent learning new skills. But from a business, and in particular marketing perspective, how can TikTok help you increase your leads and more importantly, how can we can we start implementing it.
1. If your audience is on TikTok, then you should be too.
The first key thing before you consider setting up a TikTok channel is understanding your audience. In short, if your audience is on TikTok, then you should be too. TikTok is about connecting, sharing and engaging with individuals. To make sure you’re succeeding on the platform, you need to get involved in the conversations. The incredibly low barriers to entry opens up the endless opportunities for organic reach and engagement. Brands have now shifted from using ads to a more direct form of consumer interaction. TikTok is driven by consumers, so how a brand engages with them is vital.
The video below, showcases how large brands, who understand the importance of TikTok viral trends, are connecting with members of the TikTok community. The video shows a ‘budding’ graphic designer recreate logos for large brands. This comedy sketch saw brands from McDonald’s to Ryanair get involved and request new logos. But the most iconic was Windows (see below), where they took the logo Emily created, and put it on their store front. Seeing businesses as part of the community rather than being there to sell is what makes TikTok so unique.
@windows##stitch with @emilyzugay we went ahead and updated our store signs, let us know what you think 👍♬ Windows 11 Beat – Windows
2. Throwing out old traditions: make way for video content.
The accelerating change in user-generated content has changed the way industries have been marketing. Thanks to TikTok, repurposing content for your various social media platforms is now a thing of the past. Instead, businesses are encouraged to create new types of content which can help increase overall user engagement. One of the most common forms of creating new content is through the use of videos. It comes as no surprise that video posts on social media get 48% more views than posts without.
A large variety of people across social media find video the most immersive and are more likely to want to consume vast amounts of information through various video content. Users can get lost in videos, become so consumed by the information that they are sharing and before you know it, it’s 1am. What was meant to be a quick 10pm scroll through TikTok, has become a nocturnal desire for more videos. So when creating marketing campaigns in 2022, recognising TikToks potential, will be essential in directly engaging with consumers. It’s time to say goodbye to the standard social media graphic and hello to endless opportunities video content has to offer.
3. The customer journey will be simplified through social selling
Online shopping as we know it is changing. What used to be a marketing campaign that would push people to a specific landing page, has now encouraged people to purchase products directly off their social media page. Yes, that’s right, you can now purchase products without ever leaving the app. With this in mind, it is vital that as we head into 2022, brands should re-evaluate the purchasing paths they offer consumers.
This new concept, spearheaded by Instagram also encourages influencers to endorse brands directly through Reels, Stories and posts. Meaning if you like what an influencer is showing you, then you can buy the products directly. This new wave of influencer marketing, through social selling is encouraging brands to align their products with relevant influencers to help reach new customers.
So here are the key takeaways when considering social selling. If you are using social media to sell, then what you’re promoting needs to be eye catching. It’s crazy to think that 70% of shopping enthusiasts first turn to Instagram when searching for new products. From this statistic, it’s clear that positive customer experience is essential. The faster and easier it is to navigate on your platform, the higher the chances you have of making a sale. So if you’re able to sell your products across your social media channels, then that’s a great win. Who doesn’t love hitting two birds with one stone?
4. Understanding how to market in a post pandemic world
Understand changes to your marketplace
As we slowly crawl our way out into the Post Pandemic world (can we even start calling it post pandemic yet?) there’s one thing marketers have/should have perfected; adapting to content trends. It has been interesting to say the least to see how external pressures like COVID area affecting consumer trends and behavioural patterns
In order to remain visible throughout this on-going economic climate switch, brands will have to make their marketing more targeted. Think about it, as companies used to sell products based on geographical boundaries, brands often had their local customer base they could rely on. As online sales moved online, consumers could find all the products they needed in one place. The Internet. Meaning some businesses were at risk of losing out of this broader geographic reach.
It’s something worth keeping an eye on current trends so when life slowly goes back to normal, as a brand, you are ready to adapt.
Understand changes to your customer
Understanding your customer base, and target audience in great detail means you’re more likely to remain visible to potential customers. How they behave, what their needs are, what they want and their motivations are essential in keeping loyal customers. If you’re able to satisfy their everchanging needs, means you’re more likely to retain/attract new customers.
On top of this, data becomes your new best friend. Understanding your own personal data about location, gender, interests and many more topics can help you narrow down your ideal target audience. You can also create customer personas to help you along the way. Creating an ideal customer from data you already have can mean customers still want what you’re selling because it’s relevant. It’s vital as we move forward in this post pandemic world, that companies remain specific to their customer’s needs. Do you research, and access customer insights because as you create content, you want to be sure you’re reaching your target audience.
One great way of reaching specific audiences who may be interested in your products is through the use of podcasts. Individuals with a thirst for specific content, have started to turn to various audio channels to fulfil their needs. One of these channels being podcasts. So going forward, this may be a new avenue for businesses to explore in 2022.
5. Corporate social responsibility in 2022
With all the global events going on from 2020-2021, it became vital for brands to show their support through the on-going fight for justice and equality. The Black Lives Matter movement is a great example of how brands can show their continued support to reaching racial equality.
But with this in mind, it’s important for consumers to visibly see how you are supporting global issues. They no longer want to see performative allyship, where you maybe put a few social posts together to show your support, change your logo to mould into the LGBTQ+ colours and share a few inspiration quotes. Consumers now have higher expectations of brands to take initiative and bring people together. That’s why their positive actions, deeds and commitments will be vital in 2022.
Showcasing authenticity
In order to do this, businesses need to showcase authenticity. Avoid being someone you’re not. You need to believe, preach and share your values without trying to become something that isn’t related to your company. It’s harder to mould yourself into something you’re not. Instead spend time understanding how your company can help tackle those social issues that match your brands values and beliefs. Customers no longer want to work for brands who don’t have a strong purpose. Some brands may talk the talk, but consumers now want to see them walk the walk. Fulfilling what once were empty promises into movements that can help shape our future. It’s more about what you do behind the scenes rather than a superficial image.
Looking forward into 2022
There’s copious amounts of information out there on social trends as we move into 2022. So understanding them all can take time. That’s why we chose the 5 key takeaways that could impact your brand the most.
You could also spend the time reading up on reports, statistics and blog posts as they offer so much support and guidance.
But if you’d rather come to use for advice, and social media consultation to show how you can implement these changing social media trends then please contact us at info@immedia-creative.com or call us on 01753 206 006.
