Hello, 2020…too? Not here!
Just because Taylor Swift used our tips and repurposed her content, doesn’t mean the year is doomed! Get that superstition out of your head and let’s dive into this 2022 preview of all things Social Media. Here we’ll discuss the latest trends and what to look out for so you can stay ahead of the game this year.
Wait, Can I Get That On Camera?
No surprise here, but video content will continue to dominate in 2022 meaning, Reels, TikToks, Lives, Stories - USE THEM!
There are so many pros to video content, it’s SO easy to create, and new to 2022: longer videos are now trending. No, we don’t mean YouTube-long (even though those are also quite effective), but Reels and TikToks can now be up to 60 seconds long as opposed to the previous 15-30 seconds. If you're one of those people that needs the extra 10 seconds to really make your video pop, you're in luck for 2022!
Not sure what to film? Try breaking down and repurposing your content from some old (or even new) blogs. You can dissect your content to create a tips series on TikTok or Reels and entice your audience to “follow for more tips like these”! Show people what you’re up to in your stories with a “day in the life” of you or your brand/business. Go live and connect with your followers in real-time. The possibilities are endless!
Instagram Re-Vamp
Over the past year, Instagram has been playing around with quite a few new features, one of which, is testing out bringing back that chronological feed we’ve all been praying for. So how will it work? Later predicts something similar to what TikTok offers with “Suggested For You” and chronological “Following” options on your feed.
Reels Reels and more Reels! If you aren’t already using and abusing Instagram Reels, what are you waiting for? You can now even respond to Reels comments with, you guessed it, more Reels AND change your cover photo in the edit option to match that gorgeous grid you’ve worked so hard for!
Link stickers have become a big win for small businesses everywhere with under 10K followers. Formerly known as the ‘Swipe Up’ feature, Instagram has now added the ability to add a link to your Instagram Stories as a CTA button making it significantly easier for users, creators, and businesses to lead traffic to their sites.
What’s next? We’re not 100% sure - but we’re rooting for clickable URLs in posts!
If You Don’t Have TikTok, You’re Doing it Wrong!
Instagram may still be leading in this popularity war for now, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket too soon! In September of 2021, TikTok surpassed its 1 billion user mark and continues to increase month over month, so if you want to stay ahead of the game, start utilizing TikTok for all of its glory now!
Social commerce is also exponentially growing, forcing social platforms like TikTok to start experimenting by mixing its ability for viral content with a business aspect. It’s genius in our opinion. No better way to promote to Millennials and Gen Z than by monetizing a platform that’s already reaching them! Plus, now that TikTok has partnered with Shopify it allows them to offer in-app shopping features as well as campaigns that can be optimized and managed directly through Shopify.
Now just because you download the app and create an account, doesn’t guarantee your success on the platform, but the biggest mistake you’re making as a business and a content creator, is not posting your content. So grab that phone, pick a trending sound, and start posting!
Social Media + PPC = A Well Balanced Social Cocktail
Did you know that the organic reach for a Facebook post is roughly 5.2%? It’s no surprise that when Hootsuite conducted a survey asking what their respondent’s biggest hurdles were on social media, the majority of smaller businesses voted the decline of organic reach. Keeping that in mind, consider setting a New Year’s resolution of mixing your organic social strategies with a dash of PPC to create a well-balanced social cocktail.
Since social commerce (purchasing products through social platforms) is becoming a popular concept and is predicted to become an 80 billion dollar industry by 2025, paid advertising is a necessity in your social strategies. More than 25% of consumers are using social media platforms in search of new products. Although this may not look like much, when you realize that 4.55 billion people are plugged into social platforms worldwide, it starts to get exciting.
So if you haven't already dipped your toes in paid advertising, we suggest testing the waters ASAP!
I Want What She’s Having!
We’ve all heard the term “influencer” before, it’s not new to us. However, the boom in these creators over the pandemic has been hard to ignore, since over 50 million people now consider themselves creators/influencers in the social world. Social platforms now even started encouraging their creators to keep influencing the markets by actually paying them to keep posting.
Influencer marketing was set to grow to around $13.8 Billion in 2021, and since social media is the new source for online shopping, what better way to promote your products than with everyone’s favorite influencer using them?!
So whatever your niche is, consider diving into a collab with an influencer. Not only can influencers reach a wide audience and promote your products, but they’ve already built a connection with their audience, they’ve become personable, relatable, and trustworthy leaving your customers thinking, “I want what she’s having!”
What’s Next in 2022?
So now you know the gossip, and you may be wondering what to do next with all of this juicy information, right? Well, as much as we wish we had a crystal ball to tell you for sure, social media and the digital marketing world is so fast paced and it changes in the blink of an eye.
Luckily, at TechWyse we have a fun and knowledgeable staff that stays up-to-date and is ready to assist in all of your social media and digital marketing needs. If you’re not sure about yours, contact us for a 20-minute FREE consultation, and we’ll show you how to take your business to the top!
