Today, everything is changing at a fast pace, and social media marketing is not left out. With the arrival of each year, we witness different trends that are ushering different changes into the world of digital marketing. So, as 2022 is fast approaching, there are various projections about the top social media marketing trends that every digital marketer should know.

The top trends for social media marketing in 2022 include the following:

Live content will take the center stage

Currently, more brands are using live content more ever than before, but it will only get bigger and better in 2022. According to experts, more businesses are going to invest more in live content. Notably, live content can be either live audio or video content. It can be used as how-to, Q&A discussions, expert opinions, and so on.

Brands are going to focus on live content because it allows them to connect directly with their existing and would-be audiences in their preferred context. Besides, the content format ensures that brands can discuss anything they want including brands’ services and products, current issues, etc.

Long-form content will become important again

In this outgoing year, short-form content played a key role in social media marketing. Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shots, etc. drew lots of people to short-form content throughout the year. But we are beginning to see some changes in things as more people are returning to long-form content.

Although Clubhouse started the return to long-form content, others are joining the trend. Instagram Reels has increased to 60 seconds, TikTok now allows users to record videos of up to 3 minutes, and Facebook introduced Live Audio Rooms. Similarly, Twitter users can now use Spaces for lengthy discussions, more YouTube users are joining the podcast, and Amazon has introduced live video.

Therefore, it is becoming more glaring that long-form content will gain lots of attention again in the social media world. So, you should start preparing for this.

TikTok will remain relevant to different brands

Although TikTok has been existing for several years, it became viral a few years ago. Now, various brands are hopping on this social media platform to stay in touch with their audiences. With around 1 billion users around the world, TikTok is undoubtedly one of the biggest social media channels.

The platform introduced some exceptional marketing and advertising features for creators and businesses. Consequently, this social media channel will become more crucial to brands in 2022. According to a survey, most marketers are ready to increase their investment in TikTok in the coming year as they now see it as one of the major social media platforms for businesses.

Influencer marketing will continue to evolve

Without mincing words, influencer marketing is here to stay. Every business only needs to take advantage of its benefits. However, digital marketers must be ready to deal with its evolvement.

Basically, there are changes about what customers are expecting from influencers. Consumers don’t just want to work with any popular individual or celebrity. They want brands to display their services and products, showcase their value, and help people to learn how to use their products or services. Unfortunately, not all influencers can achieve these goals. Consequently, in 2022, some influencers will be left behind while new ones will come into the field to gain some relevance.

In addition, influencer marketing will evolve as many nano/micro-influencers will be collaborating in 2022 more than ever before. They will work together to create content and push different brands to the next level.

Businesses will hire more dedicated social media personnel

Currently, everyone agrees that social media is an essential part of running a business. However, most businesses still task their marketing team with the handling of their social media pages. Unluckily, many of these businesses have failed in achieving their goals.

As a result of this, more dedicated social media hires will be carried out in 2022. In other words, businesses will hire people who will only focus on taking care of their social media marketing.

Expectedly, most of these businesses will gain immensely from the dedicated social media hires in the coming year. Their social media will be more organized. They will gain more Facebook likes and followers, Instagram followers, YouTube subscribers, and lots more.

Personalized social media experiences

Personalized social media experiences are not a new phenomenon as they have been in existence for several years. So, in 2022, the trend will continue to grow. Nowadays, most consumers are only interested in interacting with content personalized for them. Therefore, if a brand wants to be relevant in 2022, it must personalize social media engagement for consumers.

One of the ways through which businesses are personalizing the experiences of their consumers is the private conversations. This can be done through personalized DM and live chat. Also, brands must learn from past conversations from their engagement with consumers to personalize their experiences.

Permanent content may take over from ephemeral content

Over the past few years, ephemeral content has overtaken permanent posts. This is due to the introduction of Snapchat, Instagram Stories, etc. But in 2022, we may experience a shift back to permanent content.

Basically, digital marketers are beginning to realize that ephemeral posts are the least effective marketing content. Since they don’t last, most target audiences are bound to miss them. Now, marketers are looking for effective and long-term content. Hence, permanent content may take over from the ephemeral ones in 2022.

Increased demands for social shopping

Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. have been working all around the clock to ensure smooth and reliable shopping experiences for consumers. There is already a great demand for improved social shopping, and the demand will only increase in the coming year. In 2022, social shopping will advance to make it easier for consumers to shop from the comfort of their homes. People just need to click a product to purchase without having to open another app.

So, which of these social media marketing trends for 2022 are you looking forward to witnessing?