What’s coming next for social media marketing in the coming year is never easy to predict, and disruptions over the past two years have shaken things up more than usual. Stacked with emerging industry behaviors, revolutionary platforms, and new standards, this article provides insights into 5 trends that will continue to reign in the digital universe in 2022.

As social networks evolve at lightning speed, Hootsuite provides insights and advice to help brands grow and stay ahead of the competition. HubSpot Blog surveyed over 1,000 global marketing professionals from B2B and B2C brands and a handful of industry experts to create a guide to 2022 marketing trends, covering privacy and AI to social media and SEO.

  • Short-format Videos – Instagram Reels 

Currently, short content ranks as the second most effective trend used by brands. It aligns perfectly with internet users’ very limited attention spans. More than 31% of marketers are currently investing in short-form content, with 46% of them considering their strategy effective in terms of performance and engagement.

Now, video must become a central element of your strategy, but it’s no longer enough to just record productions and launch simple videos. Content must be creative, innovative, and entertaining to stand out in today’s digital landscape.

Thus, your marketing strategy should meet this need in the most optimized way possible. Among the most viewed and engaging short formats is Instagram’s Reels feature. According to a Twitter post by Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram: “This week, we’ve made some improvements to video on Instagram to make it easier to create and discover. We combined IGTV and feed videos into one format – Instagram Video. We’ve seen an explosion in video, and this is a paradigm shift we’re adopting. More improvements to come!”

Reels prove to be the most effective organic and paid advertising creations, especially those that feel more authentic and less like typical ads. However, it’s essential that all video and Reels content you create adds value to your audience and is strategically linked to your offering. Jumping on random trends without aligning this content with your overall marketing goals will lead you nowhere.

As we head into 2022, another valuable strategy to leverage is that if you have some Reels or feed videos that perform well and generate a lot of engagement, you can turn them into ads by simply downloading the Reel from your Instagram account and then re-uploading it for ad purposes. This allows you to reach new people and build an interactive audience, which can then be targeted or leveraged for similar audiences.

Another advantage of this strategy is that audiences created through engagement in the app, such as video views or engagement with your content or profile, are audiences unaffected by iOS-related opt-outs.

  • Live Content will be in Vogue

Not only is Facebook Live thriving, but other major platforms like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn have also adopted similar features in addition to other platforms whose business model is built around Live like Twitch and Clubhouse. 

Among social media marketers surveyed by HubSpot, 68% said audio chat rooms like Clubhouse are the most effective social media content, while 59% say the same for live video. Moreover, 96% of brands investing in live audio content intend to spend the same amount or more through 2022. Live video, on the other hand, is reported by 9% of those surveyed as the highest ROI driver among all social media formats. 

The whole setup is quick, simple, and easy for the average marketer to use. Many use these spaces to record and share real-time videos, creating endless digital moments with an active audience.

In reality, these formats allow brands to connect directly with their audiences by adopting a spontaneous, authentic, and interactive stance. The authenticity and dynamic nature of this format cannot be matched, as open-hearted conversations can be interspersed with expert opinions, question-and-answer style discussions, information, and entertainment.

  • TikTok will continue to pique Brand Interest

Almost 3 years ago, and more precisely since the start of the pandemic, TikTok began to go viral, triggering a new medium through which brands can connect with the audience without appearing to sell. 

Despite ongoing challenges as well as regulatory issues and even restrictions in some regions, TikTok continues to strengthen. And according to the latest data, the app’s growth momentum will not slow down anytime soon. The social network now boasts 1 billion users worldwide and caters to a wide range of audiences.  Some forecasts indicate that TikTok is expected to surpass 1.5 billion users over the next twelve months, as its cultural influence continues to spread worldwide.

Having recently launched a number of advertising and marketing features for businesses and creators, TikTok has positioned itself at the forefront of the race to secure the highest quality content, the most creators, and users.  Through TikTok, you can enhance your brand awareness by creating engaging content that captures the attention of your audiences. It also enables brands to create engaged communities around specific themes. Communities are an important part of your digital PR – they are essential for boosting word-of-mouth, retaining other users, and establishing a strong online presence.

  • The Boom of Social eCommerce

While online purchases on social platforms have been around for a few years, they have seen significant growth following the pandemic. In 2022, social is poised to become the core of the consumer shopping experience, as it is on track to reach over 100 million buyers by 2023.

Not surprisingly, Facebook was one of the first social platforms to make a significant leap into the world of eCommerce when the pandemic began. With Facebook and Instagram Shops, they seamlessly created a way for retailers to connect with potential consumers. By 2022, their goal is to have shoppable posts, streamline payment processes, and introduce live shopping.

  • Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence

While the term Metaverse was first coined in a 1992 science fiction novel titled Snow Crash, today, the term stands for an ultimate goal, that of creating a whole new virtual world. Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse dream combines games, social networks, entertainment, eCommerce, and workspaces as part of virtual and augmented reality platforms used by everyone. 

However, Facebook isn’t the first to use AR and AI. Several brands have been using AR for some time to help shoppers choose new products. Consider Ikea, which has used AR to help consumers place virtual furniture in their own homes before making a purchase. Maybelline has also used similar technology with its makeup studio, allowing users to virtually try products before making a purchase.