In the next few years, we’ll see the continued growth of video content, Memes, Micro-influencers, Location-based marketing, and Augmented Reality. But what else will we see? What do we need to know to stay on top of these trends? Read on to learn about the top 10 social media marketing trends that marketers should watch in 2022! After all, you never know when a new technology will revolutionize the marketing world!
Memes are Everywhere
Whether it’s a funny cat video or a new product that you’re trying to promote, you can’t ignore the power of memes. The average internet user spends 145 minutes on social media every day, watching cat videos and sharing jokes. These are all great ways to keep your audience’s attention and distract them from real life. But how do you measure the effectiveness of meme marketing?
Memes are a great way to reach an audience, as they are designed to be shared. In fact, 77% of people follow discount and coupon pages on social media. The ability to reach customers that are unaware of a product or brand through a hilarious image can be invaluable. Plus, memes are free, so your audience won’t get tired of seeing them – and they’ll be more likely to engage with your brand if it’s funny.
Video Content Dominates Social Media
By 2022, video content will be the most popular form of social media content. Short-form video will become the preferred type of content. Long-form content will be obsolete. Consumers prefer to watch short-form videos, which are more engaging than long-form content. Facebook is also stepping up its video game, launching Clubhouse in 2020, and podcasts in June 2021. These new platforms will give marketers new opportunities to get their message out there.
In addition to being the most popular type of content today, videos have the greatest potential for growth in the coming years. By 2020, 96% of internet users will watch more video content than they do now. Eight in 10 viewers are likely to watch the entire business video if it is less than 60 seconds long. By 2022, the average person will spend at least 100 minutes per day watching video content. But how can businesses take advantage of this trend?
Micro-Influencers
While celebrities can still play a role in brand promotion, their popularity is waning. According to the ExpertVoice Consumer Trust Panel, only 4% of consumers buy products endorsed by celebrities. Instead, brands are shifting their attention to micro and nano-influencers on social media, who have smaller followings and can deliver meaningful engagement to their audiences. For example, a fast fashion brand recently partnered with plus-size micro-influencer Kristal Heredia to raise awareness of its plus-size line. In this case, authenticity is more valuable than vanity metrics.
In addition, brands will develop more extensive relationships with micro/nano-influencers, instead of only launching influencer campaigns once. Brands will also increasingly turn to influencer houses to facilitate their campaigns, as the trend of collaborative influencer marketing continues to grow. Collaboration between brands and micro-influencers can result in stronger brand partnerships and co-branded marketing efforts.
Location-Based Marketing
The rise of connected devices has created a new marketing opportunity: location-based marketing. By determining a user’s location, marketers can provide highly-targeted messaging and push notifications. For example, the Burger King app sends users a promotion for a cent whopper and directs them to the nearest Burger King location. Location-based marketing has numerous advantages for marketers and consumers, from increased awareness to fewer wasted marketing budgets.
For marketers, location-based marketing provides an opportunity to draw more local users to a business through organic search. It also opens the door for collaborations with other businesses. A neighborhood restaurant may post on-location at a community event, for instance, in order to spread awareness of the event and its menu. This tactic will continue to grow in popularity as brands and organizations begin to use this strategy. It’s likely to play an even larger role in social media marketing in the future, especially as personalization continues to grow in all forms of marketing.
Augmented Reality
By 2022, more brands will utilize AR and VR in their marketing campaigns. Companies such as Ikea already have virtual versions of their stores where customers can explore and choose furniture for their homes. Facebook has also implemented AR, so more brands are likely to follow. AR, or augmented reality, creates a virtual environment by overlaying digital content onto real-world objects. Its potential for interactivity is huge, making it a great tool for marketing.
While brands will not fully embrace AR and VR this year, the trends they use will set the tone for future developments. Facebook’s recent rebranding as Meta, as well as Microsoft’s announcement of a new AR platform, Teams, could change this hesitation. This growing interest in the technology is likely to attract downstream suppliers and developers of AR software and content. For now, Snapchat is experimenting with AR in their platform. The social media platform has launched a virtual pop-up store for brands.
