Wondering what’s new for 2022? Thinking of ways to enhance your 2022 social media marketing strategy? Well, wonder no more. Here are 3 social media trends that you need to implement to make this year the most successful yet!
1. Build social media communities
The first of the 3 social media trends for 2022 is the building of communities. I use them myself and can totally vouch for their effectiveness. Done well, they’ll have an incredibly positive impact on your business and highlight your credibility and knowledge to the max.
Ways to build a social media community:
- Use Facebook Groups, either create your own or regularly interact in other groups. 1.8 billion people are active in Facebook groups every month that’s a massive audience you could be tapping into.
- LinkedIn Groups. These are not quite as active or developed as Facebook groups yet, however they are still a good way of building a community with a common interest.
- Twitter is developing a community space as we speak. Recognising the importance of “a dedicated place to connect, share and get closer to discussions they care about most” Twitter
How to grow a successful social media group:
- Identify your niche and don’t stray from it. This will help to attract and bring together your perfect community with a shared interest.
- Establish the purpose of the community. What’s in it for your audience and what’s in it for you?
- Post relevant content that adds value in an educational, fun, or entertaining way.
- Be informal.
- Spark conversations between the members.
- Encourage the members to post, share, engage and interact with each other.
- Be mindful of what your members want to see, hear, and feel.
- Make sure that it’s a safe space where people can post in confidence. You can do this by creating some knock-out rules.
2. Amplify your customer service through your social media
The shift in the way consumers interact with businesses is very noticeable, more so since the first lockdown in March 2020. According to a survey commissioned by Facebook, 64% of people would rather message a brand though social media than pick up the phone. Of all the social media insights, this really is one to take notice of.
Ways to make it easy for customers to get in touch:
- Whichever platform you use make sure there’s a prominent contact button.
- Make it clear that it’s ok for customers to send direct messages.
- On Facebook you can even share your WhatsApp number for private messaging.
- Diarise times to check, and respond to, your messages.
- Check your notifications regularly too and respond to any comments or queries left on your posts. Remember that these responses are visible to anyone and when you demonstrate great service, you’ll also build trust.
- Consider utilising a chatbox if you receive a lot of queries. To learn more about this automated customer service solution head over to read my blog, ‘How chatbots can support your business’.
What do people look for now in customer service:
- They want prompt responses.
- They want a quick and simple way to get in touch.
- It must be convenient, ideally through their phone through messaging.
3. Stop scrolling with short form vertical videos
One of the biggest social media trends for 2022 is the growth of short form videos, videos that are recorded in portrait mode and are led than 2:30mins, I’d even suggest you keep them under 60 seconds, the shorter the better!
Cisco have revealed their predictions for 2022 and stated that 82% of internet traffic will be video content. To test their effectiveness, I created a YouTube Short and compared its reach in the very first 24 hours against my longer form Livestreams in that same timeframe. It attracted 10 times more viewers – astonishing!
Why portrait?
- It works best for Facebook and Instagram stories.
- It’s great for Instagram reels.
- Perfect for TikTok.
- Ideal for YouTube Shorts.
- Ultimately portrait looks better on our phones.
It’s also exciting to hear that Facebook reels are being tested in the USA – so watch this space for even more social media trends 2022 and opportunities to share your messages.
Why videos build trust and connections:
- The informality and fun nature of them makes it easier for messages to resonate with viewers.
- According to Sprout Social, 70% of consumers feel more connected to a brand after seeing the CEO or the business owner in a social media video.
Top tips for creating videos for social media:
- Use captions. The Verizon Media Survey revealed that 69% of users watch videos online with the sound off. And you might be amazed to learn that 85% of Facebook users watch videos on that platform with no sound.
- If you don’t want to be in the video, that’s ok. Get creative and think of what else you can film – maybe something behind the scenes, what goes on in your warehouse, and don’t forget about product teasers!
- Ask your customers to provide video testimonials and with their permission share these as short clips.
- Don’t go salesy! Be entertaining, educational, and informal.
- Don’t spend too long polishing them up – sometimes the more rough and ready they are, the better they are received. The important thing is that they come across as authentic.
- Focus on getting them as short as you can! Anything under 2 minutes 30 seconds is classed as short, but ideally aim to get them under 60 seconds.
I hope you achieve great results with these 2022 social media trends for business. Let me know how you get on!
What’s coming up?
To elevate these social media trends 2022 UK, you may find one of my upcoming workshops just the thing to kickstart your planning, boost your motivation and increase your growth!
And if you live or work in Warrington, Cheshire East or Cheshire West you may be able to get a 40% grant through Accelerate towards my workshops. Check to see if you’re eligible here.
Looking for more ideas?
Check out my Special Days Of The Year Social Media Wall Planner to give your social media an injection of fun. Head over to my online shop, but be quick, there’s only a few left
Bye for now,
Becs
