There may be a lot that remains uncertain about the upcoming year, but we all know there’s one thing that isn’t going anywhere: social media.
Indeed, 2021 has been a busy and important year for many social media platforms, and this trend is likely to continue right into 2022. This industry has been moving so fast the past few years that if you haven’t been thinking about your social media marketing plan for 2022 yet, you may already be behind the competition.
To help you stay ahead of the game, we’ve compiled a list of the 2022 social media trends that you should be prepared for in the upcoming year (you can thank us later!).
The Rise of Social Customer Care
These days people don’t have the time or the patience to sit on hold while they wait to connect with a brand’s customer service representative about a question or concern. They prefer the convenience of messaging them directly if given the option. In fact, one survey found that a whole 64% of consumers would much rather message a business than speak with them over the phone.
In spite of this, many organizations are still unprepared to handle these types of requests, as another recent survey found that nearly 71% have yet to invest in social customer care or aren’t planning on putting any money into it in the first place. Considering that by 2023, around 60% of all customer service requests are predicted to be handled by digital channels, it wouldn’t hurt to get a jump start on this in 2022.
…And Social Commerce
Consumers don’t only want to speak with a brand’s customer service reps through social media – they want to be able to buy their products there too. In fact, it’s predicted that the demand for social commerce is only going to increase throughout 2022 and beyond, making it a nearly $80 billion industry by 2025.
The most popular social media apps out there, such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, have already been making it easier for businesses to take advantage of this trend by allowing them to set up branded storefronts right on the platform. This means that customers can purchase their products without ever having to leave the app, which may help increase your number of conversions. It’s all about making things easier and more convenient for the customer in 2022, so it’s a good idea to start setting up your social media storefront as soon as possible.
TikTok is Taking Over
TikTok has already reached over 1 billion users in 2021, so if your brand doesn’t already have an account then you may be missing out on connecting with a rather large audience. TikTok has already spent the last couple of years making it easier for businesses to get on board, introducing tools like ads, a creator marketplace, and business profiles, so it’s ready for brands to start taking advantage of its increasingly popular platform in 2022.
Livestreaming, social commerce, and user-generated content via TikTok are expected to be especially trendy for brands in 2022, so it may be worth working it into your marketing plan now.
