15 Social Media Trends Marketers Should Watch For in 2022

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Predicting 15 social media trends marketers should watch for in 2022 is an endeavor that requires not a crystal ball, but a history lesson. Way back at the turn of the century there wasn’t an expectation that social media would dominate the market. The past has sprinkled clues of what is to come throughout the internet since the introduction of AOL in 1985.

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In the age of instant access, few remember when the internet relied on a modem tied to a phone line. Users patiently waited for up to five minutes to have their connection denied, then tried again, and again, and again. A frustrating process for sure, but it didn’t stop people from waiting for their chance to connect to the internet.

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In the beginning, the features were slim, news, weather, sports scores, web centers that focused on special interests, free email, and the beginnings of what would become a tidal wave of online shopping. It was a tiny fraction of what is available to users today, and it didn’t come cheap. Users paid a monthly fee with a sliding scale to AOL, and the phone company per minute for their connections.

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As the monthly subscribers grew day by day AOL suddenly was flush with cash. They invested in the product and offered more choices to keep users logged on. How does this all relate to the clues that social media would come to dominate the market in 2022? The most popular feature on AOL was the chat rooms.

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Social Media is Following the Chat Room Model

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Users logged on to join chat rooms which are without a doubt the forerunners of social media. In the beginning, AOL established the chat rooms by topics and even had moderators. It’s not what the users wanted; they wanted the freedom to engage with others. When AOL allowed users to create chat room, which anyone could join, the number of rooms exploded. On any given day at any given time there were user created chat rooms by the hundreds, each with upwards of fifty users. This was the forerunner of democratic social media.

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A savvy marketer in the mid-1990s when the chat room explosion was happening would have been able to read the writing on the wall and realize that what people craved the most, and what the internet community could offer was an uncensored connection with others. Stunned by their popularity and usage, the marketing people at AOL did not have a plan to monetize these rooms with ads, influencers, or even hot links.

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Study the Past to See the Future

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Soon the chat rooms became so popular they were taking up the resources without generating ad revenue. Although subscribers were growing, ad revenues went down. Marketers realized they weren’t reaching the chat rooms where all the action was happening.

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History repeats itself. Looking ahead to 2022 for marketing trends in social media requires a look at what’s happening today, and what happened yesterday. It requires analyzing what people are using, how they react to what they have, where they will go to find something different. People gravitate to freedom of choice.

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The Trends of 2022

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2021 saw a backlash against Big Tech as people became aware of the big data steal. Transparency became the cry as story after story told of the monetization of user data. It became such a hot topic that there was a rush of new platforms introduced that claimed to have the ability to value the user data and return control to them. This is a trend that the marketers of 2022 need to watch. These data aggregators are combining social media with cryptoand a marketplace with ad feeds denied or accepted by the user.

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The circle goes unbroken, but sometimes it stops spinning. As the average age of Facebook and Twitter users continues to rise, the target is moving for marketers. Youth latched onto TikTok, What’s App, YouTube, and others to get away from the “old people,” now the average age of their users is rising. If that’s your market, learn to use them with metrics and analytics that will guide expenditures for best results. When looking for the younger audience look at what’s new.

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The new wave of social media sites is like the AOL chat rooms of old. They are specialized with audiences who have shared interests. Marketers who find a social media platform where the users are already interested in the products they produce, i.e., gaming devices for a social media platform will be mining gold.

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Sites that specialize in providing music such as Spotify and ReverbNation are ripe for targeted advertising that matches niche genres.

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Finding influencers that align with the interests of the users is always the goal. In 2022 as the social media market begins to splinter, don’t pigeonhole influencers, look for those that can cross over without being pretentious. Use vlingto get a little more in-depth information on your potential influencer pool. 

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In the early days of SEO when marketers were playing the guess what’s important with Google for placement, one thing always made the cut. Content. The phrase among knowledgeable SEO experts was CONTENT IS KING. That has not changed and will not change in 2022. Provide users with information they want; cam use and improves their experiences with the Brand.

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Gaming is its own social media. Dive into the analytics of who plays and find a match. Gamingoffers a match for all budgets and can target a diverse audience. Ads in preparation for the metaverse placed directly in the game such as on a billboard in a street scene, a store on main street, or a branded cap on the hero or villain of the game prepare for the coming AR world.

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Everyone knows that the metaverse is coming, what it is no one knows. Marketers looking to prepare for it should use analytics, influencers, and cross promotional efforts to build a solid brand reputation now that will blend into the future of marketing in what’s to come. This includes building a strong content driven marketing approach.

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Although YouTube influencers are hot right now, expect 2022 to be a democratizing year here also. Of course no one will challenge YouTube immediately and their influencers and user data is still incredibly significant, challenges will happen from independent video and filmmakers. Look for inexpensive opportunities in funding independent projects. There will be flops and there will be viral sensations.

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The BIG FIVE social media platforms will continue to grow, but like the AOL of yesteryear, they will allow and encourage user generated content. Every Brand has a niche where it performs best, (it’s easy to track by using analytics), find it and use it to the advantage of the Brand. Support and encourage user-generated content.

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Nothing will destroy a Brand or its reputation more than negative social media postings. Prepare to respond to the good, the bad and the ugly. People want a response. Grow your ability to respond.

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Marketers should look for local opportunities. It is often less expensive with a greater influence. A national YouTube influencer is great, but a community event offers a bigger impact with a small investment. Do a deep dive into marketing research and see where your Brand can have an impact. Community sports programs, events, fairs, parades, and a host of other activities have a major impact. The numbers aren’t always large, but a local Brand sponsorship makes a strong imprint.

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Look for Social Media Managers who understand not just the data but how to engage. As the marketplace diversifies, consistent engagement is key in 2022 and beyond into the Metaverse.

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The decline in organic reach through search engine placement, means that marketers must become savvy in using paid advertising. It is better to be the big fish in the small pond, than the small fish in the ocean. Find the niche for the Brand and solidify a paid ad campaign that will boost organic excitement.

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Free is a word that has not lost its power in marketing. Use it, as in free promotional contests, giveaways, BOGO deals and the like. Make sure FREE is FREE, don’t use the word and then have a hook like asking for a cc number or small shipping fee, that’s not FREE and that type of marketing often does more harm than good.

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Predicting the Future

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Nobody knows what the future holds. Since the 1960s days of Madison Ave Ad Agencies one thing stands out. Build a Brand by knowing your audience. 2022 will be a time of change in social media. Marketers need a solid foundation and the flexibility to react quickly with professional tools.

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