Social Media Trends for 2022

As we find ourselves in 2022, certain social media trends will be important to implement for the rest of this year.

I think we all could agree that social media is changing every day faster than the speed of light. Are you keeping up with it?

I get it. It can be overwhelming and take a great deal of time to keep up with all the different platforms – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and the list goes on and on.

According to Hubspot, “79 percent of Americans have some type of social media account. At the same time, there are 3.7 billion social media users worldwide, making it a regular part of people’s lives and a critical tool in enhancing any marketing strategy.”

Human beings long for connection, and social media meets that need in one form or another. Social media has teased out influencers, introverts and businesses in ways that we did not believe possible. Who would think that the number of likes and comments would be the yardstick in measuring our marketing success?

I will go out on a limb and say that I believe that social media is not the “cake” in your business strategy, but more like the “flicker” in the candle. It’s important for making your “cake” festive, and it’s important to keep the flame flickering so your clients and customers can grow to know, like and trust you. Once this happens, they are more likely to purchase your product or service.

So what trends do you need to get on board for 2022 – let’s unpack them.

First, it’s important to be consistent, create quality content that resonates with your audience. That will never change.

If you hear crickets, then a new strategy would be warranted. I’ve said it many times before – social media is a living, breathing thing.  You need to adjust your social media to be in alignment with seasons, holidays, special dates and even the current news.  Also, your clients want to be served first with content that resonates with their pain points before they will engage with you and your product or service.

This year will be THE year for VIDEO (again)! Instagram in the fall announced they would be a video platform moving forward, and boy, were they right.

The best way to get traction on social media, especially Instagram, is to post Reels and Stories and have the videos appear on your feed. The short educational, yet entertaining posts capture audiences today.

If you are not into video selfies, try creating videos using Canva, InShot or other popular video creating apps. Canva has upped their game by adding animation elements within their app. It’s super simple to use once you get the hang of it.

A trend forecasted to grow in 2022 is that your followers need to see you, your face, personality, and knowledge in real-time. I know, you’re probably thinking, great, don’t I have enough on my plate. Not to worry, we got you – read on!

While live video is the gold standard in 2022, it doesn’t have to be the only way to reach out to your followers.

Consider batching 5-10 quick 15 second videos of short-form insight you can share with your audience. Then hand it over to a virtual assistant to edit and schedule on your feeds. Batching and delegating is the 2022 hack of the year!

I get it! Recording yourself can be, well, weird, right?

Maybe you don’t know what to say or what to wear, and those crazy voiceovers aren’t for you – you know what, that’s okay! Follower’s like to see you doing you! Be authentic, share your behind the scenes, what makes you tick and your valuable insight.

Video content on social media platforms is evolving into evergreen content and can continue to grow in the future, much more so than a single caption post. Followers tend to come back and view video content several times vs. a single still image caption.

And finally, here’s some music to your ears – you don’t have to be on every social media channel known to the universe. Whew!

Experts suggest honing in on 2-3 platforms – fine tune your message on the channels where your ideal client hangs out and don’t focus on the other various platforms out there.

So now that I have outlined some of the 2022 social media trends, my guess is that you are wondering, sounds great, but where do I find the time and inspiration for all of it?

One of the things I often suggest to my clients is to start repurposing the content you already have created.

Have you produced podcasts in the past?  Great, they are treasure troves for repurposing content – audio snippets, quotes, and long-form captions can easily be teased out of a podcast recording or transcript. A blog or video can also be repurposed similarly to your podcast.

A virtual assistant can be a valuable asset to review the content and break it down into bite-size pieces of information that are perfect for sharing on social media. They can then create graphics, write captions and schedule them to be posted on your platforms at the time of day your ideal customer is interacting, review the analytics and continue to up your game.

Don’t put off using social media for your business – call us today for a free consultation.

Nickey Hollenbach Personal Touch Concierge Service®