Social Media Trends to Look Out For in 2022 – Our Top 5 Predictions

Being in the know about the social media trends and innovations can help drive your digital strategy further and stand out from the crowd. However, with the rate at which social media develops, it can be difficult to stay on top of the latest information! In this Marla Academy article, we give out Top 5 areas to keep an eye on in 2022.

1. TikTok Will Continue To Grow

Globally, TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2021. While Facebook and Instagram continued to be the two largest platforms in Ireland, at 2.7 million and 2.2 million users respectively, TikTok is gaining on them. This is particularly true for Gen Z, who Facebook struggling to resonate with. TikTok currently has somewhere between 1.5 and 1.8 million Irish users. The exact figure is hard to determine as the platform does not reveal numbers of users under the age of 18.

TikTok is fast becoming the go-to entertainment app. It has higher engagements rates than any other social media platform, and the average user spends 89 minutes a day browsing the app. Perceptions of TikTok have been moving away as space for only teens. In fact, 78% of Irish TikTok users were between the ages of 18-34 in 2021.

It’s safe to say that TikTok is not showing any signs of slowing down. With its business features becoming more refined as the app matures, 2022 could be a good year for your business to finally establish itself on the app, particularly if you are targeting a younger audience.

Want to learn more about TikTok for business? You might be interested in this article.

– What You Need To Know About TikTok Before You Dismiss It

2. Audio Content

Since the launch of audio-only platform Clubhouse in 2020, social media has started to veer more and more into the realm of audio. In 2021, Facebook released their own “Live Audio” and podcasting features in the US. Reddit similarly has added their own Clubhouse clone “Reddit Talks” for moderators. It is likely that this trend will continue to grow in the year ahead, with other social media platforms to follow suit and more features to be rolled out globally.

Podcasts also continued to reign supreme in 2021, despite the easing of pandemic restrictions. According to research by IAB Ireland, 71% of Irish adults claimed to have listened to digital audio on a weekly basis last year. 60% also said they listened to more podcasts than they did in 2020, and 1 in 3 expect their consumption to increase.

It may be worthwhile for your business to experiment with audio year. Despite the growing popularity, it generally remains an untouched pasture for many businesses. This could be an opportunity for you to get a head start on your competitors. Audio can also be a great method of showing off your industry expertise, even if you are too camera shy for video! If you have existing content could work well in audio form, why not repurpose it as a podcast or a soundbite? This is what we have done with our own Digital and Branding Podcast!

3. Customer Support

With staff shortages and global supply chain issues, many businesses were inundated with customer service enquires on social media last year. By 2023, it is expected that 60% of all customer support will be carried out on digital channels. This can be an intimating scenario for many businesses. After all. their reputation is on the line and how they handle their response will be in the public eye. However, when complaints are handled well, this can help mend your relationship with disgruntled customers and build rapport with your audience as a whole. We recommend responding promptly to these requests to make sure your customer feels seen and heard.

Want manage communication with your customers in a more effective way? You might be interested in learning more about developing digital personas:

– Developing Digital Personas

4. Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) has blown up on social media in past decade. AR filters have become a staple feature of platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. The power of AR on social media doesn’t stop at amusing filters to add to your stories though. AR can also be used to create a better shopping experience for their customers on social media, enabling them to virtually “try on” your products without ever having to visit a bricks and mortar store. According to recent research by The Drum, incorporating AR into your e-commerce strategy can boost click through rates by up to 33%. With AR technologies only becoming more sophisticated and applications such as Spark AR Studio making it as easy as ever for businesses to create their own AR experiences, this is definitely one to keep tabs on.

5. Influencer Marketing Renaissance

Influencer marketing is nothing new to social media, but has seen a new lease of life over the course of the pandemic. Many consumers have put their faith in “Nano-Influencers” or “Micro-Influencers”, while becoming more suspicious of brands. These accounts have less than 100K followers in more niche communities. What they lack in numbers, they make up for with a loyal audience. Their followers generally trust their brand recommendations as if they are coming from a friend or confidante.

In the B2B Sphere, 2021 has seen the rise of the “LinkedIn-fluencer”. Working from home has made many professionals realise the importance of creating their own personal brand outside of their employer, and have begun to position themselves as thought leaders in their industry.

How will you make the most of your social media in 2022?

Well, there you have it – our Top 5 Social Media trends to look out for in the year ahead. We hope you found this article insightful. If you have any of your own social media predictions for 2022, we would love to hear them!

Looking for some further guidance with your social media strategy for this year? Feel free to get in touch, and we can point you in the right direction.