5 Social Media Trends To Watch Out For In 2022
Within the last few years, social media has turned our world upside down and for us marketers, it has taken over our lives. With new trends and platforms constantly coming to light, it’s hard to keep up and decide where to not only spend your money but your time and efforts as a business.
Here are just a few social media trends that that we believe you should keep an watch out for in 2022:
Social Commerce
Instagram shopping, Facebook commerce and Marketplace – these are a few of the better known social commerce platforms made available to users where they are able to buy and sell products or services through social media platforms.
Due to the fact that potential customers are already spending so much time on social media platforms, introducing the option of buying the products that their favourite influencers are wearing or using gives brands a very easy stream of visibility, traffic and (hopefully) sales.
Livestream Videos And Shopping
The beauty of live videos is that they allow users to see events or people ‘in action’ even if they are sitting half way around the world. Not only is this a great way for businesses to interact with their ideal audiences live and create brand awareness but with the introduction of livestream shopping, they are able to promote and sell their products live with the help of influencers and celebrities.
According to Forbes and their sources, China is projected to pocket around $480 billion due to livestream selling which means that massive companies/platforms such as Facebook, Amazon, TikTok, Twitter etc. are all jumping on the trend. The world’s constant need for entertainment combined with its everlasting desire to spend money makes this a match made in heaven for any and all brands.
AR/VR Marketing Campaigns And The Metaverse
Augmented and virtual reality in collaboration with the metaverse is quickly on the rise and leaves space for a great variety of marketing opportunities for businesses. With currencies and social media platforms being introduced into the metaverse, companies can increase brand awareness and loyalty through the advertising of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and brand-building assets.
Similar to livestream selling, Forbes states that AR and VR can be used to create social media campaigns where customers can immerse themselves and get a virtual glimpse into brand products in a physical environment while increasing customers’ experience and their engagement with the brand.
Humanization Of Brands
Humanizing brands has become very popular over the last few months. Today’s customers value honesty, trust and transparency over everything else. One way to do so is by using employees as advocates and promoters for your business – customers would be more open to a business and its products if, for example, they can see that the business’s employees are valued and loyal.
In much simpler words, customers today want to know who they’re doing business with. By showing your brand personality and actively pursuing your mission and vision in all business-related activities, they will find your business more relatable and trustworthy.
The Creator Economy
With more than 50 million people (and this number just keeps growing) worldwide considering themselves to be content creators for various platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube etc. creator funds were created as a way to motivate creators by giving them a share of the profits made from the content that they’ve produced.
The influencer industry on its own is expected to generate $13.8 billion which suggests that with them being reimbursed for their work and also rewarded for it will allow for endless possibilities and growth not only for the platforms and the creators but for businesses – increasing brand awareness and sales – benefiting all parties involved.
The most important thing to remember about trends is that they come and go, so it’s up to you and your business to determine not only what works for you in terms of costs and time but also whether it is in line with your brand and the message that you are trying to portray. So do your research and make sure that whatever you end up doing sets you aside from your competitors.
Author: Andrea Botes
Image source: Shutterstock (
