Social Media Trends To Look Out For in 2022

The beginning of a new year ushers in new beginnings for many. Year planners have been purchased and planning has began, iIt is important to have insights to inform your goals. The social media landscape is one of constant change, keeping up with trends is the only way to stay afloat

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased the amount of time that people spend on social media. With more people creating content, it’s not only marketers who need to know social media trends, it has become important to the average joe too. Lets have a look at some forecasted social media trends for 2022.

tik tok logo witth airpods and laptop

TikTok is the place to be

TikTok has taken content creation by storm. The platform went from being ‘an app for kids’ to the next best social media app. According to an article published by Tech Crunch, TikTok is predicted to reach 775.0 Million monthly users in 2022. The increasing number of active users means more eye balls, and that is good for business and advertising. Businesses, marketers and content creators need to keep that in mind when trying to reach more people. Tick ock, the time is ticking… you better get on TikTok.

Drawing of a computer

The use of social media for meaningful customer connections

As the world is getting more and more open to the use of social media by businesses and brands, things begin to shift. We are used to brands using social media as just another form of advertising, and that’s set to change. Stricter privacy rules mean that it will be harder to get information on customer behavior. This means that the best way to connect and get to know the customer is by creating meaningful connections via social media. This year, marketers will be using social media to get to know the customer better.

Phone on a selfie stick

Video content is king

Video content keeps people glued to their screens for longer, its the best way to grab your audience’s attention. According to Pop Up Smart, video content is predicted to take up 82.5% of all web traffic. This comes as no surprise, we have seen a high introduction of video features on most platforms. Its time to hit those record buttons in order for your content to reach more eyeballs.

Phone open on photo galary

Influencers continue to influence

The rise and rise of influencer marketing continues. We have seen a lot of brands going the influencer route and this year will be no different. The reason for this growth is that influencer marketing costs less than running paid ad campaigns. Working with influencers also allows brands to work with more people, reach more consumers and thus getting a higher return on investment. I guess we can safely say that influencers are not just a trend, but a type of marketing that is here to stay.

People of different races holding hands
Image: Jaluch

Inclusivity remains important

In the age of social media, consumers have become more and more vocal about social issues. Over the past few years, we have seen a stronger pull towards brands that care about customers and general social issues. Inclusivity will continue to be an important factor for customers. This will push brands to stay on the pulse and represent the communities in which they operate.

By standing next to tv with a carton character that looks like him
Image: Pop Sugar

Just a few weeks ago, there was an image of a young boy who was so excited to see a cartoon character that looked like him. It is with such small impactful particles that we change the world, and ensure inclusivity by age, gender, race and sexual orientation. We can all agree that social media has the power to make a change.

In the age of digital, it is important for people and brands to keep up with social media trends. Anyone who wants to grow on social media, for personal or business reasons needs to understand that its all about adapting. The social media streets are a place to adapt, and keep up with the times, or die.

A look back at 2021’s social media landscape

Social media icons

We have seen a lot of sudden changes since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital space has been one place where a lot of change and growth took place. There are quiet a number of social media platforms that benefited from people being home for longer periods of time.

South Africa’s population is just under 60 million, and according to the CEO of World Wide Worx there are approximately 38.2 million social media users in South Africa. This means that over half of our population is on social media.

Iphone with social media icons

2020/2021 social media rocket

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a spike in the number of social media users. The number of active social media users has increased from 22 million users in January 2020 to 25 million users in January 2021, this is a 13.6% increase. Marketers and advertisers need to keep a close eye on these trends, as these inform budgets.

Audience

Top 5 social media platforms

Many people paint social media as a platform for the younger generation only, this is not entirely correct. Here are some of the most popular social media networks amongst people aged between 16 to 65 years old:

  1. Whatsapp at 93.2%
  2. YouTube at 92.4%
  3. Facebook at 86.7%
  4. Instagram at 70.2%
  5. Messenger at 64.7%

There are a number of learnings one can take from the top 5 social media platforms in South Africa. The pattern tells us of how people like to receive information.

Top 5
Image: True Cable

Top 3 learnings from the top 5

  1. Affordability

The prices of data in South Africa is ranked 136 globally, this pushes people to find more affordable means to communicate. Whatsapp and Facebook messenger allow for a much more affordable day-to-day conversation. These are the platforms where people are able to send instant messages at an affordable price.

2. Keeping in contact

Instagram and Facebook are platforms where people are able to keep up with their old friends and family. This platorm allows people to stay in the loop even though they do not communicate much.

3. Short format videos

Instagram introduced short format videos in July of 2021, this came as a way to compete with TikTok. TikTok has become one of the fastest growing social media platforms. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram Reels keep us glued to our screens for longer and this works for brands and advertisers.

According to an article published in Orlando Sentinel, the average human attention span is 8 seconds. This is a dramatic decrease from 12 seconds in the year 2000.

YouTube on phone

Video content that is able to keep people engaged for longer periods of time is definitely a breakthrough for marketing. It is important for marketers to keep up with the different social media trends, this will guide strategy as well as budget. A marketer that is always on the pulse is always on the money.