Introduction

It’s that time again. Social media managers everywhere are blinking our eyes and poking our heads out from behind our screens to take the lay of the land. We’ve got strategies to plan, and we need to know: which social media trends are going to change the game in 2022?

Is TikTok going to overtake Instagram? Is organic engagement any better? Is it necessary to host a live audio chat once a week?

It can be tough working in an industry that morphs faster than a Power Ranger. But, don’t worry, we’re here to save you a bunch of late nights because we have answers.

We will walk you through the top 3 social media trends for 2022. 

#1. Shoppers will want expect to buy your products directly on social media

Before the pandemic, social commerce was a flashy opportunity for the most innovative businesses (mattress disruptors, eyeglass disruptors—basically you had to call yourself a disruptor before you’d let your customers shop on social media).

But increased social media consumption combined with stay-at-home mandates created the perfect conditions for a social shopping explosion. Which is not going away.

eMarketer predicts social commerce will be an $80 billion industry by 2025. It’s riding the coattails of equally massive e-commerce growth.

#2. No one will want to talk to your brand on the phone

Between lockdowns, halting global supply chains, and labor shortages, consumers have had more urgent questions for businesses than ever before. And they’ve discovered they can get answers to those questions more conveniently using social media.

 Most people would prefer to message rather than call a business. And ​​according to Gartner, 60% of all customer service requests will be managed via digital channels by 2023. Despite the rise in demand, many organizations aren’t ready to deliver effective customer support over social media yet.

#3. Long-form video is a bust, except on YouTube

More than 60% of all videos published on the internet in 2020 were under 2 minutes long. This stat puts video length on social media platforms into perspective.

Two years ago, with the advent of IGTV and Facebook Watch (not to mention the supposed demise of Snapchat), there was a moment when we all thought long-form video was the future.

YouTube, known for its long-form educational videos, was rewarding videos that passed the 10-minute mark. And Facebook wanted to compete in the same arena. But then TikTok arrived in North America. In response, Instagram launched Reels in late 2020, and the rest is history.