Published on October 17, 2022
It isnāt enough for a business to simply have a social media presence. To reap the benefits of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook, companies must play the social game by prioritizing what each platform favors at the moment. Algorithms change frequently and unexpectedly Features phase out, while others roll out to select users.
The benefits are immense: 78% of consumers are willing to buy from a company after having a positive experience with them on social media. Here are the current social media trends to quickly incorporate into your strategy.
With the launch of Shopify integrations in the TikTok app in August of 2021, the platform is expanding as a marketplace. According to Statista, As of January 2022, 71% of users reported shopping when they stumbled upon a product while using the app. Even more interesting, users consider the platform as an alternative to Google and search for the products theyāre interested in buying.
As the No. 1 form of content users want to see on TikTok, entertaining videos will take center stage as brands will finally embrace content that provides value and doesnāt prioritize pushing products above all else.
Gen Z is the top user as of 2022. But in line with past social media trends, we predict millennials will finally join the fun in 2023 in large numbers as the late adopters that they are.
YouTube will get a run for its money in 2024: TikTok is predicted to surpass it in ad spend revenue. This isnāt very surprising given the role of the social platform as a search engine and product research platform with Gen Z consumers – a generation with spending power thatās only increasing. TikTok ads will be set up for a win as the content is heavily engaging.
As weāve all seen, Instagram and YouTube are wrestling to keep up with TikTokās short-form video content and attraction to large audiences. The kicker? TikTok is adopting their best features! The social platform has integrated repost functions (similar to Twitter), livestreaming functions, and Stories (Instagram-inspired, no doubt).
Similar to the surge in TikToks using the green screen to include another userās video, we predict 2023 will be the year of Duets and the Stitch feature, with creators relying more on viral content from other accounts than on their own original content. Itās crucial for brands to keep track of trends on TikTok and utilize them for marketing. Participating in trends allows for more brand visibility.
Whether they confront global breaking news or a company crisis, brands must have an action plan for how they’ll react on social media. Thoughtfully mapping out a crisis plan will help companies respond appropriately internally and publicly, and in some cases decide when to pause posting altogether. This is particularly true on a highly conversational platform like Twitter, where content moves fast and news is dominant.
We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and send our condolences to the Royal Family for their loss.
— Unilever (@Unilever) September 9, 2022
We will remember the Queen with great affection and gratitude for her extraordinary dedication and service over the last 70 years. pic.twitter.com/At3dnt9Ev7
Short-form video continues to take over all social platforms, including Twitter. Not only is this being used for organic content, but specifically in ads and marketing. Expect to see more promoted posts from brands that utilize short-form videos. Why are they so useful? As Twitter explains, tweets with video attract 10x more engagements than tweets without. Plus, video ads are more cost-effective.
Brands must now be prepared to receive both praise and grievances from customers on Twitter. Many see social media as a quicker option to receive customer service, and a lack of timely response may reflect poorly on a brand. In fact, according to Sprout Social, 76% of users expect a response from a brand on social media within the first 24 hours.
Not only are several trends jump-started by user-generated content, but it also lends authenticity to brands that help to add an element of public trust. Plus, it is a great way to build relationships with your digital community and engage brand ambassadors. Implement social listening tools like Sprout Social to never miss a tweet from a customer who mentions your brand.
šø Our Trailblazers' stories always strike the right chord.
— Salesforce (@salesforce) September 21, 2022
Want your tweet to be turned into a song and chance to be featured on our channel?Tweet about your Dreamforce excitement using #DF22, and @PresMaxson will work his magic.
Who knows? Tomorrow might be your lucky day. pic.twitter.com/679VAfM5Op
With the growth of platforms like Discord and the prevalence of Twitter Spaces, audio requires less investment than video. This interactive feature creates a platform where people can discuss specific topics in an open forum, which allows for topic-based targeting and community building.
Whether through utilizing hashtags or live tweeting a conference, thoroughly covering critical events will help maximize brand awareness and connect a brand with a targeted audience. Add key guests of an event to a private Twitter list to easily track their updates and engage when appropriate.
Similar to a regular email newsletter, LinkedIn newsletters are a great way to stay in front of an engaged audience. Subscribers receive a notification and an email every time a newsletter is published, and content even appears in Google results. Newsletters are an excellent lead-generation tool. According to AdWeek, Insider and Zoom saw great results when launching newsletters: āThe professional network said Insider tallied nearly 820,000 subscribers within 24 hours, while Zoom saw 10% of its followers subscribe to its newsletter, also within 24 hours.ā
LinkedIn Audio Events were launched earlier this year and are quickly gaining popularity. Think of these events as a competitor of Clubhouse. Whatās unique about LinkedIn Audio Events is that attendees join through their profile, which ensures you can trust the expertise of who you are talking to and streamlines networking. Listening/participating in these events is similar to listening to a podcast in real time while also being able to interact with the hosts. Soon, brands will be able to create a revenue stream from LinkedIn Audio, Events as the platform is expected to roll out ticketed events in the near future.
Influencer marketing is a very effective marketing strategy – mainly utilized on other platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. This is a fairly new strategy used on LinkedIn in which brands connect with and work with LinkedIn Influencers to reach their followers. LinkedIn Influencers are often known as thought leaders in their industry. Often, these members are CEOs, founders or board members. Brands can work with influencers through webinars, LinkedIn Live, and blog posts versus a feed post with a discount code or story with a product plug. The goal is often not sales but to make a household name out of a company.
Recruiting talent is often a significant goal of companies on LinkedIn, and implementing an employee advocacy program helps achieve that goal. Brands are consistently finding value in setting up employee advocacy campaigns, which empower users to share messages about their company on social media. In fact, programs like Hootsuiteās Amplify allow employees to share content that companies pre-write and upload into a database. According to LinkedIn, while only 3% of employees share content about their company, those shares are responsible for driving a 30% increase in the total engagement a company sees.
LinkedIn Live Events are a great marketing tool to present and interact with the audience in real time. Salesforce recently saw great success by streaming an 11-part LinkedIn Live series. It earned over 600,000 organic viewers, with a 3% engagement. Live videos can be as informal as āfireside chatsā or more formal announcements such as a launch or demo of a new product, service or interviews. Consistency is vital when it comes to successful LinkedIn Live streams. Promoting the event with LinkedIn events and cross-promotion can also help create awareness and increase views.
Just like all other platforms right now, algorithms are favoring original content. For any LinkedIn user who regularly publishes posts, switching to Creator mode is a no brainer. According to Prominence Global, the professional networking platform saw a 30% increase in engagement on content created by users with Creator mode turned on. Not only does it replace connections with followers and features content more prominently, it also provides users access to newsletters, events and more.
If you want to be successful on Instagram, you canāt avoid Reels. Itās as simple as that. The 60-second (maximum) video clips are heavily favored in Instagramās algorithm and receive 22% more engagement than regular Instagram video posts. Plus, theyāre excellent for advertising, offering more editing features than typical image posts. Nike averages 4.6 million views per reel.
Itās no secret that influencer marketing is heavily prevalent on Instagram. The platform has consistently offered ways for influencers and brands to be transparent about their partnership, such as partnership tags. However, their latest application of affiliate marketing features has taken partnerships between a creator and a brand to the next level. Now, users can tag products and receive commission when someone shops through their post. The global affiliate marketing industry is worth over $17 billion – making this a very lucrative feature for both brands and affiliates.
Social platforms are increasingly becoming more and more pay-to-play, and Instagram is no exception. Instagramās organic reach continues to decline — to 16% in 2022, compared to a 25% share in 2020. How can brands combat it? A well-rounded strategy that utilizes Reels, Stories, hashtags and engagement for starters. However, a little ad spend might be necessary to be competitive.
With Instagramās streamlined shopping platform, users can browse a brandās inventory, add to cart and check out without leaving Instagram. This efficient process has led to nearly 130 million users tapping on shopping posts each month. Brands can also tag products within videos or image posts. As 2022 holiday shopping approaches, brands would be smart to integrate shoppable posts into their strategy soon – 87% of Gen Z uses Instagram for holiday shopping.
Did you know that everyone – not just large accounts – now have the ability to add clickable links in Instagram Stories? This feature allows small businesses and brands to promote assorted links they want to drive traffic to – from shopping pages, lead generation forms and purpose statements. Plus, Stories can be promoted with ad spend, placing your links strategically in front of a target audience.
Half the content users watch on Facebook is video. The growth of video and how people consume video is further reinforced in Sprout’s trend report, with the preference being short-form video. It’s no surprise that Facebook is looking to continue prioritizing Reels, which are now available in over 150 countries, and working with creators to better support them.
Implementing Innovative Facebook Groups
Since launching in 2010, Facebook Groups have been a great way for brands to connect with and build a community – for just about any topic, industry or cause. 1.8 billion people use Facebook Groups every month. National Geographic, for example, created their Women of Impact group as āa space for everyone who is invested in and passionate about women breaking barriers in their fields, changing their communities, and exploring the world.ā This practicing what you preach approach provides marginalized groups a safe space to encourage and learn from one another.
Since Facebook introduced paid advertising in 2012, it has exploded. Companies and brands were once able to easily grow a page organically, but this has become hard without allocating a reasonable paid budget. According to Insider Intelligence’s estimates, advertisers in the United States will spend over $58.11 billion on Facebook Ads in 2022 and 65.21% in 2023.
Facebook Live events are an excellent way to connect with users, entertain them and share critical messaging about your brand. However, a Facebook Liveās main goal must be to create value. Brands should be wary of going live ājust to go liveā. 25% of users watch live videos to stay informed. Aim to go live for 20 minutes, and reap the benefits of 6 times as many interactions as traditional videos.
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