Whether you’re a budding influencer, social media expert, or simply like to stay on top of the latest tech trends, we’ve uncovered five of the hottest trends set to take your social media feed by storm in the second half of 2022.
Social Commerce
A subset of e-commerce, social commerce is the buying and selling of goods or services within a social media platform – and it’s set to become way more streamlined in 2022.
Instagram holds the crown when it comes down to consumer shopping. We’ve all fallen down an IG shopping hole of an evening, right? One minute you’re innocently watching a story, the next you’re clicking the link below to grab a discount on a cute new dress or that beauty product you’ve had your eye on. It appears we’re not alone, as 60% of Gen Z (mobile-first) users in the US use the app to predominantly discover new brands and products.
It’s becoming evidently clear that social media is a fantastic platform for new businesses to tap into – in fact, 71% of small business are looking to sell on social media. And since you can reach a global audience, it makes total sense. Social brands such as Instagram and Tik Tok are now adapting their platforms to introduce new social commerce tools such as Instagram Shops, Instagram Checkout, and Tik Tok Shopping (courtesy of their partnership with Shopify).
Watch this space – and possibly your bank balance.
Short Form Vertical Video
The world has gone wild for short form vertical videos. With the likes of Tik Tok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and beyond introducing these short, but oh so sweet, snippets to their feeds, social platforms everywhere are looking to expand their video offerings to consumers.
Video content has made its name as one of the most engaging forms of storytelling over the last year or two, with stats from Pinterest reporting a 240% increase in YoY organic video pins from 2020 to 2021. According to HubSpot, short form video has the highest ROI of any social media marketing strategy as 30% of social media marketers plan to invest in it more than any other trend in 2022.
Prepare for a stream (pun intended) of new video content set to make a splash this year as more social brands look to get in on this up-and-coming creative marketing strategy. Cameras at the ready!
LinkedInfluencers
The aptly named LinkedInfluencer is, of course, a collaboration of LinkedIn and Influencer – and while we all thought that we’d leave the creator life to the likes of IG, it appears the employment-oriented professional networking brand wants in.
The trend first started appearing on the website after lockdown hit, in a bid to help professional individuals share their stories and inspire others to thrive in business, and otherwise. You won’t have to scroll for too long to find a LinkedInfluencer, since their posts tend to rack up hundreds of thousands of likes. Marketer and Creator Danica S. Nelson explains: “The shift to work from home culture made many people realize the importance of creating a memorable personal brand outside of the one you have with your company.”
Natalie Riso became the first ever LinkedInfluencer back in 2018, with inspiring posts describing how her first job prepared her for her first post-grad gig, among other candid work stories. Her efforts and honesty landed her a marketing job.
LinkedIn Creator Sara Lattanzio explains how the platform plan to evolve: “They’ve started to invest more in creators. From the Creator Mode rollout to global creator programs, they’re making it easier to share content and grow an audience. It’s just the beginning.”
The company launched its first Creator Accelerator Program last year encouraging others to showcase thought leadership within their network. Let’s see what young geniuses lie among us…
No Filter Feed
It’s about time the unedited, unfiltered, raw, versions of ourselves where championed on social media – especially after so many years of distorting the way we look to improve our features, sometimes even beyond recognition.
Luckily for us, social brands are beginning to shift away from aesthetically pleasing feeds and opting for a “less filtered” look, instead – warts and all. From photo dumps to fashion shoots minus the, well, shoot, we’re set to see a rise in authenticity across all types of brands – whether you’re a beauty influencer or simply selling fruit and veg (wonky is the way forwards).
We’re here for this reality-first marketing.
Tik Tok
The cool kid on the block back in 2021, Tik Tok regularly racks up over 1b active users a month – and its rise to fame is set to continue. Initially used by G Zen individual trend-setters and influencers (60%), the platform has recently made its name with bigger brands looking to promote their products in a creative way.
It’s one of the easiest (and absolutely the most fun) way to generate engagement for your brand, whether you’re jumping on trending dance routines, miming trending voice snippets, or simply filming a short and snappy video describing your brand or product.
A few big-name brands getting creative with Tik Tok right now include Ryainair, Zara, Marvel, Gymshark, Nandos, BMW, and beyond.