Top 5 Social Media Trends for 2022
Where are we now and where are we headed?
A common question amongst digital marketing professionals and social media gurus alike. The digital landscape is a rapidly growing ecosystem with no signs of slowing down. A huge part of the digital ecosystem? Social Media.
With new social platforms launching what seems to be every other week, and thanks to established platforms like TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram leading the charge in innovation, it’s hard to keep up with the trends.
Luckily, this article will aim to provide you with a roadmap of sorts, outlining the top social media trends of today, as well as the top social media trends of tomorrow. 2022 is trending towards being a massive year of disruption when it comes to the tech industry, and the same is expected of social media. In any case, the following are the top social media trends of 2022!
Top 5 Social Media Trends to Follow
It isn’t uncommon knowledge that social media evolves at rapid speeds. With rapid evolution comes ever-evolving trends, some already introduced and others yet to hit market.
With that being said, the following trends about to be discussed aren’t all necessarily brand new (though some certainly are), but rather evolving trends set to make an exponential impact on how we utilize social media and how businesses operate online.
It’d be near impossible to list and discuss every potential trend on the horizon. Instead, we’ve decided to choose what, in our minds, are the top 5 trends to look out for in 2022.
The Rise of Auditory Content & Voice Activation
E-commerce Meets Social
The Arrival of Augmented Reality
Increasing Engagement via Gamification
Scaling Customer Service via Smart AI Chatbots
The Rise of Auditory Content & Voice Activation
While auditory content and consumption are still somewhat of a long-term play for many networks, it’s most certainly within the scope of their short to medium-term goals for development.
Since the launch of Clubhouse and with the rise in popularity of audio-only podcasts & streaming services, it’s apparent that there’s a shift being made.
Although there’s not yet a fully functional use-case for auditory-exclusive content in 2022, there is compelling data to suggest its validity both now and in the years to come.
Similarly, voice activation is a massive priority for social networks and businesses alike. From voice-only chatbots to voice-activation for consumer shopping, for example, the sky is the limit. While you may think that Alexa was the future, it was just the beginning.
The only question is whether or not we’re too early to the trend…
E-commerce Meets Social
Talk about voice activation…
While the shopping feature and swipe-up feature has been a familiar integration in recent years, most notably on Instagram, there’s since been a major push towards making e-commerce a mainstream social component.
What was once an exclusive feature available only to verified and highly followed accounts is now available to the masses. Whether a small business, influencer, or large organization, the ability to link to your website, share products and services, and allow purchase actions can now take place within the confines of your social media platform.
Again, while this isn’t a “new” feature, its evolution is certainly something to keep an eye on. Who knows, before you know it you might just be able to voice what you want, say “purchase” and the action will be complete.
In short, what’s to come is a major shift from separating e-commerce and social, to a cohesive, one-stop-shop approach; consumers will have the ability to shop to their heart’s content, all in the convenience of their social media feeds.
The Arrival of Augmented Reality
Similar to the move towards auditory content as a long-term play, the arrival of AR and VR might too be a longer-term vision of the digital ecosystem; Have you not heard the latest news that broke the internet?! Enter Meta…
With Facebook’s most recent announcement regarding the Metaverse, we now see a realistic use-case of AR and VR and how it might shape the future. While it may still be difficult to comprehend, it’s most certainly a trend to look out for.
Whether in 2022 or beyond, AR will become the preferred way to shop, try on products, and interact with brands. Long-term play or not, there’s no doubt that this trend is on the move and it’s here to stay. We just might need to wait a few years for the technology to catch up.
Increasing Engagement via Gamification
It’s not a surprise that our attention span as a society has decreased drastically since the rise of the internet. Those who have suffered the worst, however, are the young population who grew up during the digital age. Evidently, this has presented several problems on behalf of the businesses eager for our attention.
That’s where gamification comes into play!
By integrating fun, entertaining, and interactive games via social media platforms and mobile apps, for example, businesses can incentivize consumers in exchange for their attention.
Not only has gamification been shown to increase the engagement of consumers but it has been shown to increase information retention, peak interest on topics otherwise uninteresting, and even increase productivity of employees.
Gamification isn’t going anywhere, and in 2022, we believe it will cement its place in social media. A trend to watch, nevertheless…
Scaling Customer Service via Smart AI Chatbots
In today’s digital age, customer service is an around-the-clock, 24/7 operation that requires patience, immediacy of response, ultimately with the need to satisfy all customers.
To alleviate some of the stresses and pressures that accompany such a task, companies are implementing smart AI chatbot funnels throughout operational channels. For the most innovative, voice bots are even being tested.
Notwithstanding the ability to relieve the demands of customer support, chatbots have also been shown to boost conversion rates, increase satisfaction, at boost customer retention rates, ultimately resulting in a win-win solution for both parties involved.
While chatbots aren’t anything new, the fusion between chatbots and social media channels is, with voice bots being even newer. By giving the customer an entry point at every crossroads and phase of their buyer’s journey, chatbots act as the ultimate implementation to both resolve complaints, qualify solutions, and streamline business operations.
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