We are wrapping up 2021 and getting ready for 2022. What’s trending for 2022? Let’s dive right in.

 

TikTok is Growing

The prediction is that Tiktok is going to become the most important social media platform in 2022. It surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in September of 2021. For perspective, that’s a 45% increase in a year compared to Instagram which saw only a 6% increase. Reels grew by 22% but TikTok seems unstoppable at this point. If you haven’t embraced TikTok it’s time to take a look at it and maybe get on board. It’s a great organic way to grow your business. 

 

You’ll Be Spending More on Ads for Smaller Platforms

 

Don’t get me wrong. I still love Facebook and you will probably still spend money on Facebook ads. What I’m saying is that Facebook is no longer the only player in the game. You can spend money on YouTube ads or Pinterest ads. You can do LinkedIn or TikTok ads and have success. It doesn’t all have to go through Facebook. 

 

Shoppers Want to Buy Directly from Social Media

When people are scrolling and see a cool gadget or item they want to be able to buy it directly from the platform. The platform wants to retain the user so they are making it as easy as possible for this to happen. This will continue to grow.  

 

Phone Use for Business is on Rapid Decline

 

This probably won’t come as a huge surprise to most people, but phone use is on the decline when it comes to how consumers want to deal with businesses. Based on a survey conducted by Facebook, 64% of people said they would prefer to message rather than call to do business with a company. Another survey found that 60% of all customer service requests will be managed by digital media by 2023. 

 

What does that mean for you? Stop ignoring your notifications. When Facebook Business Suite tells you that you have a message, comment, or other engagement you have to pay attention. Respond. That’s where your audience is going to go so you have to invest the time in monitoring those channels. 

 

Long-Form Video is Only for YouTube

 

Save the long-form video for video. When we say long-form, we mean videos over 3 minutes long. 60% of all videos published across the internet on any platform for 2021 were all under 2 minutes long. If you are doing longer videos, Facebook isn’t the way to go anymore, unless it’s live. Live video is the one exception to this rule. Generally speaking, under 3 minutes is best with under a minute being ideal. 

 

Ads Will be More Critical

 

The average organic reach on Facebook has fallen this year from 11% to 5%. Yikes. That means Facebook ad performance is going to be that much more effective for you. 

 

Niche Facebook Experiences are More Prominent

 

Yes, organic reach on your page has fallen. However, groups, lives, portals, and anything that is a more niche experience through Facebook is seeing a rise in engagement. You can’t advertise inside of a live or a group though so advertising to get people to these spaces will be a big deal this coming year. If you haven’t made a private group to talk to your audience directly yet, you may want to think about integrating that into your marketing plan for 2022.

 

Bigger Focus on Social Listening

Social listening has already been a thing but nowadays you almost can’t post without paying attention to social listening. Things people used to think were ok to say, were never ok to say, but now people will tell you to your face that you can’t say it. It’s never been ok but don’t be surprised now when you get called out. 

 

So many brands in the last year have gotten smacked for being insensitive or being rude. Check out our blog from October about Social Media Horror Stories for some prime examples. You have to listen and be empathetic. You have to be cued in and not try to capitalize on someone else’s tragedy. It’s never been ok to have a tornado sale in Tuscaloosa after a tornado. It’s tacky. It’s always been tacky but now everyone can see it. Social listening tools are up 22%. 

 

Social Audio is on the Rise

 

Podcasts and Twitter Spaces are growing. Twitter has really invested into their audio efforts. Podcasts have continued to get bigger and bigger. Clubhouse may be on the way out but other social audio is on the rise.

 

Reels are Still the Best Form of Instagram

 

With so many ways to engage on Instagram from posts, stories, feed videos, lives, and more, reels are the best for your business. Stories are great for engaging with the audience you already have but nothing beats reels for growth. Your time is best spent investing in reels.

 

Video, Baby

Shocking, I know. Have we mentioned video in the last 5 minutes? Video will continue to be the way to build trust faster with your audience so you can sell more. I predict you’re going to see more video on LinkedIn. I predict they’ll weigh video content higher. I think we will see more video shorts on the platform because how can you avoid the trend? Look at the numbers. They’d be crazy to avoid it. 

 

What Do You Predict?

 

These are the trends we see coming this way for 2022. What trends have you noticed in your industry? We’d love to hear from you. Need some help with your online presence? We’re here to help!