Social Media Predictions for 2022

Are you already thinking about your 2022 social media strategy? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered!

Live Stream and Stories

Users are always in search of authentic content. Brands and creators have jumped on the live stream wagon as it allows them to connect on a personal level with their audience. Trends such as behind-the-scenes business operations are really popular among the public.

Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and even Pinterest have released their version of live streaming in their apps and are focusing more and more on video-related content.

Pinterest does not have the live streaming feature yet but it’s something that can be expected on the app as they have already tested it - it's called live Pinterest TV and it’s mainly used for live shopping.

TikTok has been promoting all the accounts that regularly use the live feature. When scrolling on TikTok you can see that a lot of live pop up in your ‘for you’ feed. 

Live streaming commerce will be predominant in the next few years. It won't be uncommon to see brands live streamings often.

Social Media Shopping

Due to covid social media shopping has become more prominent. This is why it's not shocking to see that many social media platforms are introducing in-app shopping features to ease this process. Instagram checkout, Facebook shop...etc. Social media platforms are becoming a lot more focused on e-commerce which provides another way for retailers to connect with their target audience.

In 2022 you can expect Facebook to push shoppable posts even more and even potentially a sort of Facebook Pay, with its own digital currency. Instagram wants every post to be shoppable, they are currently working on object identification tools in still images and videos to facilitate product discovery.

Twitter is also developing an e-commerce feature. Next year, you will be able to shop via tweets directly.

TikTok’s new e-commerce feature is similar to Facebook and Instagram. They want their users to buy on the app. Right now this feature is only available for the USA, UK and Canada for now. This is called TikTok for business. TikTok is trying to make it easy for brands and creators to get partnerships with the creator marketplace. This is to increase their earning potential.

Short Video Content

The average attention span of social media users is only 2s. Creators now have 2s to get our attention before we scroll past their content. So naturally, apps such as TikTok have been dominating in the social media industry. Instagram released reels which have become even more popular than IGTV in such a short amount of time. 

Long videos may contain more value, but users are more inclined to watch short content videos. 

Instagram is expected to remove the normal picture feed when you open the app to replace it with reels or stories.

Twitter, and Pinterest will also make videos a bigger focus next year. We can expect a rise of short-duration videos in 2022.

Snapchat created a TikTok-like feature called spotlight, it isn't as competition to TikTok, but more of a collaboration with TikTok.  They are partnering with famous TikTokers to turn them into bigger legitimate mainstream stars. They are doing special shows on the discover page featuring those TikTokers which is creating a lot of traffic for snapchat and TikTok.

Pinterest is also introducing stories, in 2022 we expect Pinterest  to expand its TikTok-like feature. Things such as the ‘take’ option which allow users to respond to idea pins with their own variation or attempt are going to be a new norm on the app. We also expect Pinterest to add to their AR placement option which will allow users to see how a product will look in their home.

AR/VR

With the latest facebook news of a Metaverse shift we can expect AR glasses or even wristband control for AR overlays to become a new thing in the years to come. It wouldn't be surprising to find tools such as VR headsets used in the workplace too. 

Another feature that will happen on facebook is digital identity building linking facebook profiles and your VR/Metaverse presence. Expect to see a lot more 3D characters around facebook of your friends and family members. Instagram will be connected to AR glasses and facebook will use instagram as the social media platform to showcase your videos while still being connected to facebook’s AR experience.

Twitter and snapchat are also going to be using AR technology. Twitter is making payment via cryptocurrency available for its users in the app.

More Focus on Micro-Influencing

Influencer marketing has risen and with the creation of platforms like TikTok it keeps on rising. Communities of influencers have become larger and they have taken an important place in the digital marketing world. Finding the right influencer for your strategy matters a lot. A macro influencer is amazing for visibility however a micro-influencer will easily engage with the brand

Podcasts 

During the pandemic there's been a rise in social media daily users, by 12%, we are now more than 2 billion. One new social media that benefited from this are podcasts. They are an amazing way of connecting with your audience on a more personal level. There's no “zapping” option like you would find on other platforms. Your listeners will use your podcast as an escape just like music.

Podcasts will definitely grow a lot more next year.

To keep up to date with the latest Social Media News, follow us on them all. Our handle is always @ThisIsGoho ;)