Social Media trends have the power to change your life. They can make you as a creator, as an individual, or as a brand, go viral and see your life change instantly.
Gone are the day when ads used to be pushy and too obvious.
If at this very moment, you’re not utilizing social media trends to your advantage, no matter who you are and what you do, it is time to wake the hell up.
The future is digital and it is here. People are out here buying real estate on metaverse which is a whole other virtual world.
You and I can certainly begin with nailing it on social media.
Although social media trends are short-lived, if you hop on to them at the right time, it’s a fu**ing jackpot.
You can connect, relate to, and entertain your audience using these trends. And add the info you want to convey through your content in a subtle manner.
So, what social media trends will be big in the year 2022? Let’s have a look.
Table Of Contents
7 Social Media Trends That Will Be Big In 2022
More of short-form vertical video content
With the rise of TikTok, short-form vertical videos boomed. Instagram soon jumped on the wagon and introduced Instagram Reels which further promoted 9:16 videos on social media.
And now you’ve got reels on Facebook, Idea pins on Pinterest, and YouTube Shorts too!
According to a Cisco study, by 2022, 82% of all online content will be video content.
Short-form vertical videos are doing great for a reason.
With the global pandemic lasting longer than we’d hoped for, people around the world are spending most of their time on their smartphones.
Vertical videos are short, engaging, fun, and to the point.
Brands and creators have started posting more vertical videos: behind the scenes, product reviews, unboxing, a trending challenge, etc.
If you’re primarily a video creator, it is almost criminal to not be making vertical videos for your audience this year.
Here are some tips to nail vertical videos:
- If you’re talking in the video, captions are a MUST (Make your content more accessible)
- Re-use videos shot for one platform on others as well
- Once in a while, show up in your videos. People remember faces better
- Use free editing apps such as InShot, VN, Capcut to add effects
- Be mindful of the text placement and duration, it should be readable for most people
Also Read: How to track your growth on Instagram
Influencers on LinkedIn
Who knew LinkedIn would transform from being an almost boring-dead platform to a place where people/creators share relatable, inspiring & motivational stories?
As work in the office shifted to work from home, people have realized the importance of personal branding. And having a presence outside of your workplace as well.
People are using LinkedIn to showcase their different skills, build networks, and connect with potential clients not just for expanding their business but also to build real relationships.
LinkedIn is an underrated platform
LinkedIn creator Sara Lattanzio
Also Read: Looking for Instagram reel ideas for your small business?
Equal & fair pay for the LGBTQIA+ community creators
You surely must have seen that LGBTQIA+ creators are being hired by brands more often than before.
But still, it’s a long way to go. Most of the collaborations happen around LGTBQIA+ awareness days and campaigns.
I hope that starting from the year 2022, we’ll get to see equal opportunities for them, year-round along with equal pay.
Promoting and supporting the community just for the sake of a social media trends should be discouraged. Brands need to be held responsible for taking actual supportive actions and not merely using the creators for a trend.
Also Read: How to install new modern fonts in Inshot App
Mental Health > Hustle culture
According to a recent report by Vibely, 90% of creators have experienced burnout and 71% have considered quitting social media altogether.
The recurring lockdowns create pressure on the creators to keep making new content, be in the loop and keep a track of what’s trending at the moment.
Burnout is real and it’s happening. Ask a creator.
Last year, we saw more people than before, sharing their stories about going through burnout. Creators and brands alike are now prioritizing self-care and promoting a slower-paced life.
Life is not all about the hustle. You’re not in a race. Slow down and look around every once in a while.
2022 will see more conversations around mental health and controlling our usage of social media.
Social commerce will gradually GROW
What is Social Commerce? It’s when a customer’s entire journey takes place on social media.
Starting right from product discovery to customer support after the purchase.
About two-thirds of shoppers today use social media as part of their shopping strategy. (Source: Forbes)
As people are confined to their homes, their phones have become a virtual mall. A mall where they walk by stores (see brand’s pages) do window shopping (check out the brand’s products and pricing), buy and share a review about them.
Instagram Shops have made it easier for businesses to incorporate a part of their online store right on their Instagram account. A new shopping tab was introduced on Pinterest where purchases can be made through the product pins.
Even TikTok is testing out a shopping feature on its platform.
In fact, eMarketer anticipates that the social commerce industry will be worth $80 billion by 2025.
No-Filter feed is coming back
Both brands and creators are moving from planned Instagram feeds to authentically raw, unfiltered feeds.
This trend will reward you for just being you. The real unadulterated version of you.
In 2022, the focus will be shifted from perfected pictures to deep meaningful connections with the followers.
User-generated content will be promoted
This is an ongoing trend which will continue in 2022. Brands encourage customers to use their branded hashtags in their posts.
This gives the users a chance to get featured on their official Instagram handle. Who wouldn’t like to get featured on an account with thousands of followers?
An example of this is the brand Daniel Wellignton. And guess who has earned themselves a feature multiple times on their page?
Me!
Well, a picture shot & posted on Instagram by me.
