On-Trend in 2022.
Written by Allison Cherry
Now we’ve farewelled 2021 with a stiff drink and welcomed 2022 with open arms and renewed hope, you may be wondering after such a tumultuous year what the future holds for social media? Us too! So at Media Sociale, we’ve dusted off the crystal ball to research 5 top trends set to smash 2022, and determine how we’ll be guiding our clients to make the most of these rich opportunities.
Back to the Future
You have to look back before you look forward, so what were some of the positives to come from 2021? What have we learnt and embraced from the fog of the last two years before Covid-19 became vernacular? And what are some trends set to continue after the clock strikes midnight on the 31st?
Though last year wasn’t the fresh start many of us hoped for, it taught us many lessons and forced businesses across the globe to once again reposition themselves and forge new ways to do business. From your local café to big guns like Australia Post and Kmart – pivot became the new norm. Evolve or risk extinction.
Entrepreneurs recognised gaps in the market and successfully rose off the back of the pandemic, cleverly utilising social to launch new brands that thrived in the current climate. Covid created a new playing field. Game on!
The Evolving Face of Social Media in a Post-pandemic World
2020 changed the world – from communication and work habits to shopping and eating, and most importantly; how people used social media. Coronavirus forced an accelerated growth of social as it morphed into the way the world communicated, becoming a vital platform for sharing, informing, discussing and broadcasting crucial health information to the public from government bodies and organisations. It also developed into even more of an essential channel where people could stay connected during lockdowns and uncertainty. Demographics widened as Boomers communicated with Gez Z and consumed greater digital content than ever before.
And this year Covid once again smashed us all for a six (and then some!). Some rode the wave to success and others floundered. While we can all lament the woes of the pandemic, instead we choose to focus on the positives that grew from it. And yes, there are positives! The question is, will you sink or swim heading into 2022?
#1 To Tik or to Tok?
Reels, Stories, TikTok, Snapchat – the many faces of social media and its constantly changing algorithms and trends can be overwhelming. Don’t feel like you need to jump on every trend to keep up with the Jones’s. It can appear thoughtless and pretentious. We work with our clients to add value, not noise and resist the urge to jump on the bandwagon of every shiny new thing just to be like everybody else. Instead, we consider what’s relevant to their business and audience to remain genuine, relevant and on-brand, and look at trends that have longevity.
Wading through the many trends and platforms, we’re highlighting the ones we utilise with our clients. Though there’s lots of exciting new prospects which have their place, they might not always be suitable. No matter how fun and fashionable TikTok is for example, it just may not suit a specific client and who they’re trying to reach. This platform is primarily targeted at Gen Z (think 16 – 24) so if that isn’t your audience perhaps this platform isn’t relevant at this present time. Don’t do it for the sake of it. Sometimes less is more, and a tailored, specific strategy utilising only the tools best suited to your client’s needs is the way to go.
But this can be a double-edged sword. On one side, you need to keep abreast of tools that are new or evolving and embrace them where they will add value, and on the other, you don’t want to invest too much time or dollars into something that isn’t relevant.
Our Take?
When working with our clients, we perform an exploration and a thorough evaluation of their business, competitors, strengths and barriers. We help define their goals and really get into the nuts-and-bolts of their business and audience. It’s only then that we determine which social channels and trends will set them on the path to success. Remember, people usually use multiple platforms so it makes sense to choose the ones your audience frequents the most.
#2 The Rise and Rise of On-Line Shopping
One of the most obvious trends has been the rise of e-commerce and online shopping via social media. It was a given that online shopping would become bigger than Ben Hur as lockdown fatigue gripped the nation. With more time on their hands and bricks and mortar shops gathering dust, people flocked to social in droves to satisfy their consumer cravings.
But online shopping shifted from more than something ‘nice-to-have’ and instead became purchases of real need. Home office, beauty (cover those roots ladies!), grocery and medical supplies – these were now essential online and social media the place to find them. Social converted to a one-stop-shop (pardon the pun!) during stay-at-home mandates. Consumers kept in contact more than ever before, digested important news and health advice, plus they were able to buy (and have delivered) virtually anything, from a practical pen to a shiny new desk. Social became the place to be when there was no place to be.
Online shopping is only going to increase. Early predictions estimate an $80+ billion industry in the next few years. This figure proves this is more than a passing trend, it’s essential for businesses with products to create a seamless online ordering channel via social media. It makes sense for users to complete their user journey in the same platform they’re browsing in, as navigating to a website is an extra step, which can lead to cart abandonment, particularly on mobile devices.
Our Take?
We’re assisting our clients who sell products to people to take the next step in sales by perfecting their online retail experience. It’s something every relevant business should be aware of and this is one ‘trend’ that is not going away, nor should be ignored.
There are loads of ways to implement a seamless user experience with Facebook and Instagram shops the logical place to start. Pinterest is also rising as a viable platform via product pins for advertising and selling wares, and depending on your demographic, TikTok is a relatable way to highlight products in an engaging way.
We’ll guide our clients with optimising their website to complement their social shops and introduce ‘shoppable’ posts and ads. This lets customers view products in context (that desk will look fabulous in my home office!), then easily order in just a few taps.
Watch this space to see how we do it.
# 3 Say Good-bye to 9 – 5: The New Way to Communicate with Consumers
Long gone are the traditional 9 – 5 days where customers could only connect with a company during standard business hours. Post-Covid many consumers still picked up the good ‘ol dog and bone to call a company. However, during lockdowns, store closures, goods shortages, supply chain and delivery interruptions, people have cottoned on to the fact that they can get answers and resolutions to their queries much faster, and easier using social media. It’s the convenient way to communicate.
In a recent Facebook survey, almost 70% of consumers stated they’d find it more convenient to message instead of calling. This is particularly relevant to the Gen Z demographic. Gartner – the world's leading research and advisory company – flagged that in just two years over 60% of customer service requests are set to be managed digitally. There’s some crazy stats out there – for starters, did you know over 1 billion messages are exchanged world-wide over Facebook Messenger every month!
Our Take
It’s vital to invest in effective social customer care and support so people can reach you on the platforms they already use and follow you on.
We’ve recently guided our clients to adopt a social media customer service strategy. We assist with monitoring business conversations and help identify channels where our client’s audience spends their time. At its core, communication is all about managing expectations and prompt response times, something we’re experts at! So if you need guidance to help manage your online audience you know who to call (or should we say message!).
#4 Video Killed the Radio Star
If you’re an 80s child, this phrase from a famous song will hit home. And the rise of video continues on social. There’s a plethora of platforms from YouTube to TikTok, and in the two years since IGTV (Instagram TV) was born, video via social has rapidly evolved to include reels as well as stories, with reels now outperforming stories.
Long form video was the golden child but in 2021 (and beyond) it’s videos under 2 minutes that perform best. ITGV has amalgamated with Feed videos to one format: Instagram video. This year (like there weren’t enough changes already!) Instagram announced they’re no longer a photo sharing platform but as the place for storytelling, were now primarily a video sharing platform. But users aren’t content with any short-form videos. As Robbie Williams once belted “Let Me Entertain You”, they need to entertain, educate, inspire and engage.
Our take
While this may seem overwhelming, and that you need to create nothing but video, fear not. This beast can be tamed. We work with all our clients to incorporate a strategy that involves video and imagery that is relevant to your followers. We also explore audiences and what would resonate with them. Short-form videos can help sell products and services, and work in conjunction with on-line stores.
Think of video as exciting, evolving and we’re at the helm to help you embrace all that it can be and any form that it may take. From big budget brands like Omega appliances, to local artisan speciality stores, we create video that people want to watch, whether it’s reels or recipes, we’ve got you covered.
#5 Pay Up: The Benefits of Paid Advertising
Yes, paid advertising has been around for what seems like eons but it is a fundamental part of our client’s successes and it is something we highly recommend. While there is absolutely a place for organic, it has been declining over a number of years with the average organic reach just over 5%, translating to only 5% of followers seeing your posts. However, with paid, you can really grow and reach your audience by targeting them specifically. Integrating paid strategy is an excellent way to grow your audience, while adding credibility. Together with organic, this approach can really grow your brand.
While our friend Covid affected ad spend in 2021, with some businesses reducing their paid social advertising altogether, and those that did advertise often encountering an over-saturated market. This, coupled with Apple announcing that users could opt-out of Facebook tracking, has resulted in a re-think of paid strategy.
Our Take
We recommend our clients continue to post organically as it helps to increase brand awareness, improve traffic, and encourage audience engagement. Integrating paid will help reach a larger audience, specifically target customers and demographics, ultimately leading to leads and conversions.
At Media Sociale, we also invest in a social scheduling tool that allows us to easily schedule and publish paid advertising and track each ad’s performance within the same dashboard. We’ll help you set objectives and make paid advertising work for you!
#6 Bonus Tip – The Benefit of Creative
We understand that every social media channel is different and resonates with a various audiences. Tweets are ideal for short term content, Instagram is a visual paradise, Facebook is still the big man on campus, LinkedIn is numero uno for networking professionals and TikTok is the place for Zoomers to interact. The list goes on. We appreciate and embrace them all, and it’s our job to formulate what works best for you and to make them engaging!
Sometimes people forget that there is a also fun side to social media and by using strong creative, we can make anything come alive. Why is creative so important? Because it bring brands to life and helps turn ideas into reality. No matter how good the strategy is or how it’s executed, without strong creative it’s hollow. Social media without creativity at its core is like a door without a key, it won’t work with just the key.
Even when sharing important news, it can be done in a tasteful, engaging manner. Love him or hate him, Dan Andrews’s social game is strong. While his posts might make you see red depending on your beliefs, they perfectly capture the art of entertaining while being informative.
Strong creative helps with brand recognition and it tells a story, taking customers on a journey. Despite the all the advancements in technology, without good creative, you simply won’t connect.
Cheers to 2022
If the last two years have taught us more than ever to expect the unexpected and that no matter how meretriciously we plan, something will always come along and try to blow it up. But it’s how we handle it that matters. There’s always a solution. There’s always something we can try in the pipeline. With a clear head, expert guidance (that’s us BTW!) and a little luck you’re going to shine in 2022. And that’s what makes social media so exciting.
So to borrow from an overused 2021 buzzword. Pivot. It’s the only way forward.