Menu
Menu
Social media and marketing trends have undergone significant changes in the last few years. The COVID-19 pandemic changed how people run their businesses. That has meant a difference in how companies use social media to market their goods and services.
If you are not using social media to promote your business, you need to change that! In 2021, over 3.7 billion people were using social media around the globe. The numbers are only going to continue to increase.
What does that mean in terms of marketing? Some people think it just means a bigger audience. That is true. However, it does not just mean an increase in your target audience. There is a difference between recent adopters of social media and people who have been using social media for more extended periods of time.
Different social media channels also have different target audiences. Facebook is notably popular among older Americans, Instagram trends young, and Twitter is ripe for roasts and beefs. However, you have to stay on top of changing media trends. For example, Tik Tok was previously for teens and preteens who wanted to share dances and challenges. In 2021 that changed dramatically, so that current Tik Tok users trend towards middle-aged women doing dance challenges.
Understanding the changeable nature of social media means that you have to prepare for change. We can predict how we think social media will trend in the coming year. Still, we also have to be ready to pivot quickly if there are unexpected changes.
Tik Tok is emerging as a social media giant. It has become increasingly popular. How popular? It was the most downloaded app in the world in 2020. It continued to grow in 2021. More importantly, it has become increasingly popular with the demographic that has money to spend.
What makes Tik Tok popular? It seems to be a lighthearted feeling. While other forms of social media can trend severe, political, or even antagonistic, Tik Tok focuses on humor and entertainment. What does that mean in terms of marketing? A receptive audience that is in a good mood. You can motivate people to make purchases through fear, but that does not reinforce most brands. Encouraging people to purchase through shared good times helps you establish a voice and build sales.
Why is Tik Tok’s popularity important? All you have to do is look at your Facebook page to answer that question. The social media giant is offering its Reels, designed to capitalize on the popularity of Tik Tok. You see similar things on Instagram and even YouTube. That means that advertising you develop for Tik Tok should be easily adapted to other big social media outlets.
Do you know what augmented reality (AR) is? If not, now is the time to learn. AR refers to a technology that superimposes computer-generated information over objects in the real world. It enhances a person’s perception of reality. If you are familiar with Pokemon Go, you are familiar with AR. Usually, we think of AR as visual. However, it can involve the other senses as well.
As AR improves, it gives people an experience to try out a product in the comfort of their own homes. While the technology has been available for some time, it has not made it into the consumer marketplace. It looks like 2022 is the year that will change. Companies that use AR already see higher rates of customer engagement.
If you want to increase your interactions with customers, increasing your use of AR is one great way to do it. Want an affordable way to add AR to your social media presence? Make sure you are on Snapchat. That’s right; Snapchat’s popular filters are a form of AR.
Influencers started as primarily young people who had figured out how to monetize social media. However, the industry has grown up. Social media influencers began to appear in the early 2010s. That means that many of these influencers, who may have started their careers in their teens or early 20s, are now solidly into adulthood. Their interests have changed.
What does this mean for advertisers? It means that products that influencers would have avoided when they began may now be viable options for influencers and their groups of followers.
Why is that important to you? The pandemic did some exciting things to consumer attitudes. Skepticism about traditional news and government channels bled into how people felt about brands and products. Instead of trusting traditional advertising, people became more likely to trust influencers. Influencers can also be cheaper to hire than paying for traditional advertising.
Influencers also offer advertisers a foot-in-the-door. Some social media channels are resistant to traditional advertising. Get your marketing in front of your audience by using influencers.
Social advertising is changing. We have already discussed the surface changes, but the changes going on underneath the surface are even more critical.
One significant change is that Google will be phasing out cookie tracking in 2022. By 2023, advertising strategies that rely on third-party cookies will not be successful. That could mean massive changes for targeted advertising campaigns.
Suppose you want to increase your personalized advertising campaigns. In that case, you have to focus on ones that do not use third-party cookies. Some options to keep in mind include old-school email marketing, search engine retargeting campaigns, targeted social media ads, ads, and user-generated content.
Most companies have focused their social media advertising on marketing to consumers. However, social media also provides a great way to engage in business-to-business (B2B) marketing.
Which platforms should you focus on for B2B marketing? We think that Twitter and Instagram are the ones to watch. Twitter is popular among business people and professionals, making it an excellent place for B2B marketing. Instagram is insanely popular among influencers. So, if you want to use your social media for B2B campaigns, we suggest starting on those two platforms.
Want to be ready to take advantage of these predicted changes? Then you need to work on your 2022 advertising strategy now. Contact us today. We will help you develop the social media marketing strategy that fits your business needs. We will build in flexibility that lets you pivot if social media pivots. Creating a marketing campaign that leads, but can also follow, means you will always be in front of your desired audience.
