The social media trends you need to know for 2022
As we head into the “new normal” of 2022 we’re also looking at the new norms of social media and what they mean for your brand. If you’ve been thinking about your social strategy, you’re in luck. Hootsuite, the leading social media management platform, recently released their 2022 trend report. And we’re breaking it down for you.
But first, the fine print. The report comes as the result of a global trend survey (200+ countries) with over 18k respondents, and expert interviews from professionals at tech platforms like Twitter, Google, and YouTube. It's a treasure trove of information. Here’s their 5 trends for 2022 and our advice on how to use those trends to nail your own social strategy.
THE TREND: Brands finally get COMMUNITY right (with the help of creators)
“From glossy mega influencers → authentic communities”
According to Hootsuite, (and M.T. Deco for those who have been reading the blog) 2022 is all about community. They suggest that the key to unlocking community engagement is through digital creators. Keep in mind that just as we always recommend that you prioritize your owned platforms, your community strategy should be in your own hands as well. Creators are great for growth and engagement but make sure your community strategy is not entirely reliant on creator engagement!
TAKEAWAY FOR YOUR BRAND: Tap creators to reach new people, collaborate on content, and gain awareness but keep your brand community central. Try to keep creator and user-generated content to less than 50% of your output to keep the brand voice strong.
THE TREND: Marketers get creative as consumers wise up to social ads
“Social media as… secondary advertising → critical to marketing efforts (& budgets)”
It’s no secret that today’s consumers (especially the younger ones) are ad-verse (adverse to ads, aka they hate them.) It’s both the best of times and the worst of times when it comes to reaching your consumer with advertising. On the one hand, platforms like Facebook have advertising tools to hyper-target your customer. On the other hand, that customer is more immune to straightforward advertising than ever before. It’s going to take more than a pretty photo and a snappy caption to capture the attention of today’s social media savvy consumer. Instead, brands are looking to create high quality ads and partner with other brands who can help them reach their business goals. In Hootsuite's survey, they found that 62% of marketers felt that Facebook was the most effective social platform.
That said, don’t let the measly 13% for Pinterest fool you. The platforms' perceived effectiveness among respondents is up 140% over last year. In addition to growing in influence, Pinterst even released their very own report predicting on-platform trends for 2022. We highly recommend you check it out if you haven’t already!
TAKEAWAY FOR YOUR BRAND: Platform-specific ads are no longer enough. They must be high quality content first and foremost to keep potential customers engaged and entertained. Save the selling for the sponcon (sponsored content). When it comes to native content, entertain first, sell second.
THE TREND: Social quietly matures out of the marketing department
“Social media marketing → Social media everything”
If you work in, near, or around social media you’ve probably heard much talk about the “social media intern” reflecting the misconception that behind branded accounts is the least powerful person in the organization. That is not the case and hasn’t been for some time now. Public (and brands’) perception is finally catching up to this new world order as organizations begin to see the benefits of social media beyond ROI as determined by likes, sales, and click throughs. According to Hootsuite, “Bold businesses in 2022 will buff up their employee advocacy programs, get better at using social to gather consumer insights, and strive to deliver the kind of impact they’ve seen social have on their marketing elsewhere in their organizations.”
TAKEAWAY FOR YOUR BRAND: The social media manager is finally being recognized as the essential marketers they are. (Check out Zaria Parvez who is making waves for her work on the iconic Duolingo TikTok account.) What’s more, they’ll expect the resources and salaries to match the worth they’re bringing to the company. AKA if you have a social media manager, might be time to give them a raise.
THE TREND: Social becomes the heart of the post-pandemic shopping experience
Digital window shopping → Digital forward purchasing
Largely accelerated by the pandemic, Hoosuite found that “younger generations now turn to social networks to research brands more than search engines!” This means that your social media pages must serve double duty as a hub of your content and (if you sell products) a place where your consumer can view your catalog of products, pricing, and potentially even purchase directly in the app.
TAKEAWAY FOR YOUR BRAND: While owned platforms are still critical, your social channels (especially ones where people spend large amounts of time like Facebook and Instagram) should act as satellite hubs. Increasingly, customers want to be able to shop, chat, and explore your brand without leaving their favorite app - make this as streamlined (and fun!) as possible for them.
THE TREND: A customer service apocalypse is upon us.
From a side of customer service → a customer service hub
In less good news, Hootsuite is flagging the current challenges with customer service due to myriad issues with the global supply chain, workers demanding better conditions, and the general sentiment that the customer is always right. As one of the most accessible (and public) methods of reaching out to a brand, social media is now a go-to method to achieve customer service. Be transparent about how and when customers can get customer service on or through social media.
TAKEAWAYS FOR YOUR BRAND: Be human. The online experience has replaced the in-store one and that’s everything from the captions you write, the comments you respond to, and what goes down in the DMs! If possible consider splitting the customer service and content duties between two roles as they serve very different functions and skill sets despite being combined into one platform.
The good news is, social is still booming, only getting more creative, and finally receiving the respect it deserves! With the right strategy, this is a huge opportunity to crush your business, sales, and growth goals for 2022. Reset those KPIs and get ready to go viral!