Social Media Trends to Look Out For in 2022 – Our Top 5 Predictions
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Loading... - Hilary Allen
- 26 May 2022
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Being in the know about the social media trends and innovations can help drive your digital strategy further and stand out from the crowd. However, with the rate at which social media develops, it can be difficult to stay on top of the latest information! In this Marla Academy article, we give out Top 5 areas to keep an eye on in 2022.
1. TikTok Will Continue To Grow
Globally, TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2021. While Facebook and Instagram continued to be the two largest platforms in Ireland, at 2.7 million and 2.2 million users respectively, TikTok is gaining on them. This is particularly true for Gen Z, who Facebook struggling to resonate with. TikTok currently has somewhere between 1.5 and 1.8 million Irish users. The exact figure is hard to determine as the platform does not reveal numbers of users under the age of 18.
TikTok is fast becoming the go-to entertainment app. It has higher engagements rates than any other social media platform, and the average user spends 89 minutes a day browsing the app. Perceptions of TikTok have been moving away as space for only teens. In fact, 78% of Irish TikTok users were between the ages of 18-34 in 2021.
It’s safe to say that TikTok is not showing any signs of slowing down. With its business features becoming more refined as the app matures, 2022 could be a good year for your business to finally establish itself on the app, particularly if you are targeting a younger audience.
Want to learn more about TikTok for business? You might be interested in this article.
– What You Need To Know About TikTok Before You Dismiss It
2. Audio Content
Since the launch of audio-only platform Clubhouse in 2020, social media has started to veer more and more into the realm of audio. In 2021, Facebook released their own “Live Audio” and podcasting features in the US. Reddit similarly has added their own Clubhouse clone “Reddit Talks” for moderators. It is likely that this trend will continue to grow in the year ahead, with other social media platforms to follow suit and more features to be rolled out globally.
Podcasts also continued to reign supreme in 2021, despite the easing of pandemic restrictions. According to research by IAB Ireland, 71% of Irish adults claimed to have listened to digital audio on a weekly basis last year. 60% also said they listened to more podcasts than they did in 2020, and 1 in 3 expect their consumption to increase.
It may be worthwhile for your business to experiment with audio year. Despite the growing popularity, it generally remains an untouched pasture for many businesses. This could be an opportunity for you to get a head start on your competitors. Audio can also be a great method of showing off your industry expertise, even if you are too camera shy for video! If you have existing content could work well in audio form, why not repurpose it as a podcast or a soundbite? This is what we have done with our own Digital and Branding Podcast!
3. Customer Support
With staff shortages and global supply chain issues, many businesses were inundated with customer service enquires on social media last year. By 2023, it is expected that 60% of all customer support will be carried out on digital channels. This can be an intimating scenario for many businesses. After all. their reputation is on the line and how they handle their response will be in the public eye. However, when complaints are handled well, this can help mend your relationship with disgruntled customers and build rapport with your audience as a whole. We recommend responding promptly to these requests to make sure your customer feels seen and heard.
Want manage communication with your customers in a more effective way? You might be interested in learning more about developing digital personas:
– Developing Digital Personas
