Like anything, social media marketing changes with time. With 2022 now upon us, it pays to be ahead of the trends. The last thing you want in a new year is to be behind. Get ahead of the game and read through 2022’s top social media marketing trends.
Long-form content
With the rise of TikTok, it’s no secret that 2021 was the year for short-form content. As with all trends, though, the pendulum is already starting to swing in the other direction. Even the short-form social platforms are moving toward longer-form content, with TikTok expanding its videos to 3 minutes.
Long-form video and audio content is becoming more and more popular. With Twitter introducing Spaces, Facebook with Live Audio Rooms and fully supported podcasting, long-form content is coming back. This and live video can extend the amount of time spent on the platform, which is very important to social media giants, as it should be to you.
LinkedIn Creator Mode
Last year LinkedIn launched a new feature called Creator Mode – a tool that encourages users to create and post more original content. It also converts profiles into Follow accounts and gives access to all the new Creator tools as soon as LinkedIn releases them.
LinkedIn may have discontinued Stories, but that doesn’t mean the platform isn’t evolving. Soon Creator Mode will allow users to create short-form videos similar to Instagram Reels and TikTok. Businesses can use this new feature to create fun and engaging video marketing content – such as how-to videos or behind the scenes tours.
Increased investment in Instagram and Twitter for B2B
Instagram and Twitter are hardly new technology, but many marketers still see an increased return on investment across both. In 2022, consider intelligent ways to increase your investments for more ROI from the platform(s) already serving your audiences. For example, the use of sponsored ads to target your audience, or partnering with social media influencers that align with your business values.
Twitter reached almost 200 million monetizable daily active users in the last quarter of 2020, up 29% year to year. On the other hand, Instagram experienced a nearly 14% jump between 2019 and 2020 in its users’ time spent on the app. This was higher engagement growth than all other social platforms. All this considered, these remain incredibly effective platforms for generating business, so it’s not a good idea to abandon them in favour of other, newer platforms.
Don’t ignore the basics
A more worrying trend to look out for in social media marketing is a tendency to ignore the basics of online marketing. Even though they should, many businesses still won’t embrace video or discuss their products or services’ cost and pricing considerations on their website.
Most websites also won’t offer self-service tools instead of focusing on elements that are not currently in play. This trend should be avoided, as a focus on the basics is an effective way to improve results.
TikTok is here to stay
TikTok is one social media app that is not going anywhere in 2022. Having seen undeniably fast growth with a 61% increase in mentions during the beginning of 2021 and being the first non-Facebook app to reach 3 million global downloads, TikTok is going strong.
As with all social media apps with that kind of growth, it would be easy to dismiss TikTok as a passing fad, but that would undeniably be a mistake. With more and more brands following its content model, companies are just beginning to see how they can leverage this platform.
About Focus SME
Focus SME provides social media marketing services to B2B or service-based businesses. Whether it’s setting up your social media profiles, managing your entire social media presence, or helping you find other ways to engage with your audience, our solutions will support you in growing your business. Contact us here if you’re looking for a reliable and experienced social media team.