Five social networking trends for 2022
he year 2021 is gradually coming to an end and it is time to take stock. It is customary at this time of year to take stock of your digital strategy. Have you achieved the objectives you set for yourself? Did you encounter any difficulties or obstacles?
If your results are not up to your expectations, don’t panic. The famous Apple brand didn’t grow in a day! To help you bounce back and optimise your results, E-Random shares five social media trends to incorporate into your digital strategy in 2022.
Consumers in charge
More than ever, 2022 will be a consumer-driven year. Forget your boss’s directives, your brand is now driven by consumers.
Consumers know what they want, and they’re not shy about making it heard. More personalised content, a better experience, faster service – if your brand is going to hold up, you’ll need to listen and respond to their demands.
NB: All the information in this article comes from a scientific study conducted jointly by Hubspot and Talkwalker, recently published.
TikTok’s success and impact
Launched in 2016, the TikTok app has been on the rise since 2020, a year marked worldwide by widespread lock-ins, so that it is now the go-to app for connecting with current and future consumers.
In 2022, TikTok’s objective will be to develop an e-commerce orientation and introduce a monetisation model. This is something to keep an eye on.
Our advice for integrating TikTok into your strategy
First of all, you need to be present on TikTok. Never been there before? Now is the (high) time to do so! Being active on the app will allow you to interact with your audience, understand their expectations and, most importantly, interact with them.
Then, a perfect knowledge and mastery of the application is required in order to use it wisely. And this also involves monitoring developments and new features in real time.
The growth of social selling
Making purchases directly from social networks? No, you’re not dreaming. Adding items to your shopping cart from a social network will be one of the big trends of 2022. Instagram has already done this by introducing new shopping features that allow users to purchase items without ever leaving the app.
As we enter 2022, brands need to take advantage of social selling opportunities with Instagram posts, Reels, Stories, etc. And don’t forget the influencers! Indeed, influencer marketing is a great opportunity for brands: take advantage of the notoriety of a public figure and his community to increase your sales and your reputation.
Indeed, influencers can reach consumers on a level that is simply unattainable for big brands: almost half of consumers make their purchases based on influencer recommendations.
New content formats
Media consumption trends have been accelerated by containment. With consumers stuck in their homes, they have been using the internet more for information, entertainment and connection.
This has led to an increase in content creation to meet the rising demand. Consumers are waiting for stories that are tailored to them, containing not only the information they want, but also in a style they like to consume.
style they like to consume. This has led to a particular increase in live audio and video – a format that was already popular, but now with added interaction and engagement.
Brands will need to develop their content strategies in 2022, identifying the content and style of content that their consumers need.
These applications are particularly popular because
they bring together both ‘celebrities’ and positive messages. In particular, they allow people to meet to exchange ideas, in similar situations or with whom they can personally identify.
Our tips for integrating new content into your strategy
You should expand your activities to include audio and the creation of podcasts to highlight live conversations with your audience.
The rise of metavers and virtual reality
The metaverse is the amalgam of the physical world, augmented reality and virtual reality.
Are you still following?
Propelled forward shortly after the arrival of the Covid-19, virtual reality has enabled certain companies to maintain their communication with their audience. This is particularly true of the real estate sector, which is increasingly offering virtual visits of properties for sale or rent. Thus, prospective buyers could continue to visit properties from their sofa without ever stopping their search.
Digital reality has exploded with its ability to connect people in a world of limited personal interaction.
Including virtual reality will spearhead this for younger generations.
Developing brand inclusivity
In 2022, companies will need to focus more than ever on their commitments by considering and acting on the social issues that matter to their audiences.
Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused consumers to change their lifestyles and have high expectations of the brands they buy from. This means that companies can no longer create their products and
and services while remaining aloof from the issues that matter to their audience. Therefore, they need to engage with issues such as mental health, sustainability, social justice and ecology.
Example of a successful campaign: LEGO
The LEGO Group recently launched a campaign called « Everyone is Awesome », to celebrate diversity during Pride month.
This campaign clearly shows the brand’s commitment to promoting love and acceptance around the world. The advert was picked up by over 20,000 people over the following weekend, and the company’s official tweet was liked, retweeted and commented on by almost 50,000 users.
Conclusion
As you can see, in 2022, consumers are running the show! In order to engage your audience, you will need to focus your communication strategy on their expectations and consumption habits.