Like it or not, 2022 is here — and with every new year comes new trends in social media to watch for. Your marketing strategies should evolve as technology, culture, and the social media landscape change. If you can’t stay ahead of the curve, your brand will fall behind. That’s why it’s crucial to start preparing for these changes now. IMPORTANT TRENDS TO LOOK FOR Video content will continue to grow in popularity Focus on short-form video content The popularity of augmented reality will increase Micro-influencers will become more popular Social commerce will continue its growth curve LinkedIn will become a popular destination for creators Live audio chat spaces will become a way for your brand to connect with your audience User-generated content will still be a key success factor You can’t avoid paid advertising Video content will continue to grow in popularity Videos are a great way to engage and connect with your audience. Not only that, they also tend to be more memorable than text-based content. Video content will make up 82% of all internet traffic this year. Using video can help grow your revenues by 49%. Staying ahead of the curve, means creating more video content for your brand! YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, among the top 3 media channels, for posting your video content. Focus on short-form video content While long-form videos will still be popular in 2022, short-form video content will grow even more. This is because short-form videos are easier to consume and don’t require as much of your audience’s time. TikTok was the most downloaded app in both 2021 and 2020. YouTube Shorts receives 15 billion daily views. The popularity of augmented reality will increase AR has been on the rise for a few years now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. This means that brands need to prepare themselves for Augmented reality (AR). This is where designers enhance parts of a users’ physical world with computer-generated input. There will be 1.73 billion mobile AR users by 2024. Interest in the metaverse is at an all-time high. 3/4 Snapchat users engage with Snapchat AR every day. Consult with an AR agency to see how you can incorporate things like Snapchat filters into your marketing campaigns. Micro-influencers will become more popular In 2022, micro-influencers will be one of the most important demographics for brands. They have a high level of trust among their followers and are seen as more authentic than celebrities. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, TikTok: micro-influencers engagement rate (ER) is 18%, mega-influencer ER is around 5%. YouTube: micro-influencer ER is 1.64%, mega-influencer ER is 0.37%. Instagram: micro-influencer ER is 3.86%, mega-influencer ER is 1.21%. If you want to connect with your target audience in 2022, micro-influencer marketing is a high-leverage channel. Many brands offer influencers merchandise instead of payment, so try to differentiate yourself. Social commerce will continue its growth curve In 2025, social commerce will be a $1.2 trillion industry. No doubt accelerated by the past two years, more and more people are choosing to buy products and services through social media platforms. Let’s focus on an Instagram marketing strategy. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, Over 55% of social media users between 18 and 24 made purchases through social channels. 60% of Instagram users find out about new products via the platform. 200 million Instagram users will visit at least one business profile every day. If you want to take advantage of this trend, ensure your social media brand profile takes advantage of every social commerce feature available — or at least converts back to your business with ease. LinkedIn will become a popular destination for creators LinkedIn is expected to become a hotspot for creators in 2022. The platform has grown beyond networking in the work-from-home era because it offers a great way to connect with other professionals and share your work. LinkedIn launched a Creator Accelerator last year. LinkedInCreator Mode is slowly rolling out. About 800 million people are on the site as of 2021. Most social platforms are intensely competitive. But with LinkedIn coming into its own this year, you have a chance to get ahead of the curve. If you’re looking for a place to share your content in 2022, LinkedIn is the platform for you! Live audio chat spaces will become a way for your brand to connect with your audience Social audio spaces, such as Twitch and Discord, will become a popular way for brands to connect with their audience in 2022. As we’ve learned from Clubhouse, they offer a more personal connection than text or video chat platforms. 74% of brands plan on investing in audio-only content this year. Facebook (Meta) launched Live Audio Rooms. If you want to connect with your audience more deeply, consider using live audio chat spaces! A popular format is a thought leader hosting a discussion, but do what feels right for your brand. User-generated content will still be a key success factor UGC is seen as more trustworthy than other forms of advertising and can help connect your brand with new audiences. Consumers find UGC nearly 10x more impactful than content from influencers. Over60% of consumers are more likely to buy a product if they see UGC around it. Many marketers’ social media strategies favor influencer content over UGC despite these numbers. If you’re looking for a way to increase trust among your audience, consider using user-generated content in your marketing campaigns! It’s an effective way to connect with new people and build loyalty among your current followers. You can’t avoid paid advertising Paid advertising will still be a necessary part of any marketing strategy in 2022. The platforms and approach may change, but the need for paid ad spend won’t disappear. An average Facebook post gets an organic reach of just 5%. The average ER was around 25%. Don’t give up on content marketing — but you’ll need to supplement it with paid ad spend to achieve any kind of marketing