Social Media Trends Forecast for 2022

There are only 2 months left until the new year! It’s not just for ourselves—the start of the year is always a good time to set new goals for your digital marketing and communication strategies. One of the best ways to maintain and improve business performance is by staying up to date with social media trends and staying relevant to your audience. Previously, we discussed Twitter trends that can inspire your campaigns.

Social Media Trend Predictions

Now that we’re still in Q4 2021, let’s take a look at the social media trend predictions to help streamline your digital marketing strategy for next year.

Shopping While Scrolling Through Social Media

This feature is already available on several social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook. In early July 2021, Instagram officially announced that its platform would focus on just four features, including the shopping feature. Most recently, TikTok also introduced a similar feature that became available last September. The TikTok Shop feature also offers products ranging from major brands to those from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Boom in Short-Form Videos

Short videos are nothing new. It all started with Snapchat, then evolved into “Stories,” which were adopted by several platforms, followed by TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts. According to Social Insiders, most users are more likely to skip Instagram Stories that consist of photos rather than videos. This trend holds true for accounts with fewer than 10k, fewer than 100k, and more than 100k followers. Additionally, research by Cisco shows that by 2022, 82% of all online content will be video. So, if you haven’t started investing in this moving-image content yet, you’d better start now.

Augmented Reality (AR) Technology Is Thriving

AR is already deeply integrated into social media, with Snapchat as the pioneer—a trend later adopted by Instagram through its various filters. Facebook has also embraced AR to enhance the user experience with its Facebook AR Studio. Now, AR features are not just for entertainment—they can also be part of a company’s campaigns and branding. Many companies are already relying on AR features as part of their digital marketing strategies. Media Buffet PR has also launched an AR filter on Instagram to celebrate Batik Day.

Facebook Still Dominates

Although it frequently faces issues related to security and ethics, Facebook still remains the #1 social media platform as of 2022. According to Whatstrending, the average user spends up to 58 minutes per session on Facebook. Imagine how many ads can be clicked in nearly an hour. This is a great opportunity for brands to reach a wider audience.

The Rise of User-Generated Content (UGC)

UGC is arguably one of the most effective digital marketing strategies. UGC isn’t new, but this content marketing trend will persist into 2022 because it allows brands to showcase their products or services in an authentic way through customers or users. This approach also conveys that brands value the creativity and contributions of their users.

Those are some social media trend predictions from Social Media Today that you should know, especially if you work at a digital marketing agency or public relations agency. Just a friendly reminder: social media is very dynamic, and every year there will always be new trends emerging.

So, are you ready to create a digital marketing strategy for 2022?