Are you ready for 2022 social media predictions?

How are we even talking about 2022? At the beginning of 2021, I had a dream and never thought that this would be where I am in my journey!

There is no denying the fact that there has been a vast growth in social media users, and I don't think that the recent incident with Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp leaving 3.8 Billion users in the dark will drop their growth.

And now is the best time to start putting together your social media strategies for your own business and those of your clients.

Let's dive into the social media trends for 2022!

1. Social Media emerges as a shopping platform...

We have all seen the increase in virtual shopping from the start of the pandemic, and social media platforms have become an increasingly popular shopping outlet.

Stats show that younger users are more likely to click the buy now button. And if this stat alone is not clear as to where shopping trends are going...70%of consumers look at Instagram to discover new products.

2. Short-form video content...

Now, I think we are starting to sound like a broken record but you need to start creating reels!

You do not need to overthink the process, I send my clients 2 reel ideas, with music, video inspo, actions to take each month to help me with reel creation (this helps if you are not around the corner from your clients). If you do have a client that does not feel comfortable with showing their face...create text-style reels.

3. Social media becomes part of our daily lives...

There is an annual increase of 4.3% in annual users! Not only is there a growth in new users but users are also starting to spend more time on social media.

With this pickup we have seen so many businesses wanting to be on the platforms to market their businesses, creating opportunities for ambitious social media managers to build their own empires.

4. Facebook remains on top...

Facebook remains the most used social media platform in the world, followed closely by YouTube.

Instagram and TikTok were the fourth and seventh most popular platforms in the world!

Did you know that the average user spends 58min a day on Facebook...as a social media manager there is nothing average about the amount of time we spend on social media! 🤓

5. Create more bite-sized content...

You know people are spending more time on social media but you also know from your own engagement that people are spending less time actually engaging with content.

Studies suggest that the attention span of the average person today is 8 seconds. mmm...with that being said have a look at your reels that are performing really well...how long are they?

6. Utilisation of user-generated content...

This one is not entirely new!

Businesses are increasingly incorporating user-generated content (UGC) into their social media marketing strategies.

Brands that incorporate UGC have a 20% increase in return visitors and a 90% increase in the time that consumers spend on their websites.

7. The "unbundling" of Reddit...

The subreddits that are most ripe are those that can benefit from custom features geared towards those specific users.

Another important factor is when a community is boosted by accountability, rather than the anonymity provided by Reddit.

12k users flock to this online community made up of people that are “building online projects that can generate revenue” in public.

8. MORE augmented reality options...

Still in its infancy, but is projected to gain momentum in the coming years.

Approximately 48% of consumers are projected to use AR in some form by the end of 2021. AR and VR are expected to become more mainstream as cell networks become stronger and faster.

Social media usage is expected to remain on an upward trajectory and social media giants (like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat) probably aren't going anywhere, despite emerging competition.

Growing engagement is projected to continue to fuel social commerce and generate revenue for businesses.

As a result, companies are expected to look for more ways to tailor their social media strategy around the changes that these platforms roll out.

What are you doing to keep your strategies relevant?