Social media platforms are constantly evolving and, with them, the ways in which people use them. In 2022, social media will look and feel completely different than it does today. Your followers will have a variety of options to choose from that they didn’t have just a few years ago, such as direct messaging apps, virtual reality content, and even sharing their thoughts on business ventures through live video broadcasts. Here are ten social media trends that will change in 2022:
1) Video marketing
2018 was a wild year for online video. We say it every year, but it seems to be getting more true: Video is on track to overtake all other forms of digital content (including text and images) as the main way people interact with and share content on social media. In fact, a recent study found that 80% of marketers now use video as part of their strategy—that’s four times more than just three years ago. It’s also clear that viewers are interested in online video, too: YouTube reports an average of 1 billion hours of viewing time per day on its platform (the equivalent of around 250,000 full-length feature films). And when you think about who watches most of those hours—it’s teenagers.
2) Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has gone from an emerging trend to a core component of many marketers’ plans in just a few years. In some ways, social media stars—such as makeup artists or comedians with massive followings—have replaced celebrities as ambassadors for brands and products. For example, Ellen DeGeneres used her Emmy Award acceptance speech to talk about Coca-Cola, her first brand ambassador gig. Influencers are usually genuine and relatable personalities who can connect with their audiences more easily than A-list movie stars.
3) Online chatbots
In five years, messaging apps will be even more dominant—and online chatbots will get even better at convincing people to buy products and services. Facebook Messenger, which has 1.3 billion monthly active users, recently opened up its chatbot shop to all businesses; other messaging apps are sure to follow suit. It’s still early days for these virtual salespeople—but it’s already becoming clear that bots don’t just have practical applications but emotional ones, too. For example, a study from software company Pure Chat found that 74 per cent of millennials find their fulfilment in purchasing through personalized recommendations from a bot.
4) Artificial intelligence
Speaking of AI, many social networks are already using it to make your experience more personal. We’ll see systems that can learn from you better than ever before using things like tailored recommendations and predictions. Things like Facebook’s M and Snapchat’s Snap to Ears have big potential for growth next year. And don’t forget about Twitter! With a new algorithm focused on relevancy and an ability to earn revenue off users again, it could be on its way back up.
5) Cloud computing
Thanks to companies like Amazon and Google, voice-enabled assistants have exploded over the past few years. With smart speakers, we can send emails, listen to music, watch videos, or add items to our shopping lists with simple voice commands. The voice-powered revolution will be a massive trend in social media by 2022. Until then, it’s a good idea to start thinking about how you might leverage voice technology in your social media marketing efforts.
6) Virtual reality (VR) apps
The technology is advancing so quickly that at some point within three years, VR headsets are going to become as affordable and common as smartphones. With a decent headset and an affordable computer, you’ll be able to view virtual versions of pretty much anything. For example, you could visit your childhood home from anywhere in the world or go on your first date with someone who lives thousands of miles away (and still tell them what they want to hear). Imagine watching live sporting events that are actually happening halfway around the world (instead of via delayed broadcasts) or heading to a movie theatre where you can watch any film that’s ever been made. These experiences will be breathtaking—if content providers have invested enough time and money into their VR apps. VR Chat rooms allow users to interact and play games in simulated 3D environments.
7) Augmented reality (AR) apps
AR is an evolution of interactive, immersive technologies like VR and allows you to layer your reality with a digital experience. AR apps are most likely to break out in one of two ways:
1) They will either be stand-alone products that let users create/decorate their physical space as they see fit or
2) they will live within existing social media platforms and allow you to overlay pictures, videos and text onto your real-world environment. I think it’s safe to say that by 2022, we’ll be living our lives with digital overlays on top of reality. Now think about how many ads we’ll see with AR technology—and what percentage of those ads will take over our physical space. It’s going to be crazy!
8) Voice computing
According to a survey by Walker Sands and Edison Research, voice-powered platforms like Amazon Echo and Google Home are already being used by one-third of US households. That’s big news for social media companies hoping to capitalize on what some belief will be a massive shift toward voice computing. As listening continues to eat up more and more time spent on mobile devices, voice apps like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant will become invaluable ways for brands to connect with their customers. And as AI assistants learn our habits and interests over time, they’ll be able to provide even more personalized recommendations about everything from restaurants and vacation spots to new music or fashion trends.
9) Customized content creation
Google, LinkedIn, and other search engines will make your searches more personal. That’s because they have evolved from Web portals that provided a mostly static database of websites to tools that understand human language and can see images, videos, blogs, and other online content. As a result, you will see fewer online ads for products you might be interested in buying. Search engines don’t want to be like television; rather than forcing consumers to watch commercials for their favourite programs, they want to help users find what they are looking for as quickly as possible. Eventually, you won’t need a search engine; with improved sensors and voice recognition software—and smartphones that know where you are—information will simply come to you when you need it most.
10) Short-form Vertical Video
Vertical video is one of those things people once claimed to love but ended up hating. But, over time, consumers became used to it, and now there are indications that vertical video could make a comeback with the introduction of Snapchat’s world lenses. These allow users to play around with photo filters by pointing their phones at certain objects or parts of their surroundings. With an ever-growing list of immersive visual tools available on mobile devices today—from augmented reality to 360-degree cameras—we predict that immersive, interactive visuals will soon become central parts of social media content strategies as well.
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2022 will be a landmark year for social media. First, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will continue to dominate as they all near or pass their 20th birthdays. But newer players such as Pinterest and Snapchat will take hold of their niche markets by attracting new users that previously did not engage with social media. While these trends are already taking shape today, you will have to focus on getting your brand out in the open with the best digital marketing agencies with their lucrative social media marketing packages costs.
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