Social media may seem like an unpredictable, ever-changing world — but if you keep your ear to the ground, you’ll start to uncover some of its mysteries.

Because we’re kind of obsessed with all things social, we’re always keeping our finger on the pulse of what’s trending — and what’s not — so that we can provide you with the best insights to apply to your business.

If you’re wondering what trends 2022 will bring to social, keep reading. We’re sharing our predictions today to help you stay ahead of the curve!

Video, video, and more video

Maybe we can blame TikTok, maybe we can blame the rise or Reels — whichever you want to point your record button finger at, know this: video isn’t going anywhere.

In fact, It just might be the head honcho of content. At the very least, this seems to be the case for Instagram, whose own head honcho announced that the platform will be putting a (bigger) focus on video going forward. Translation: Keep making those Reels. We’re anticipating that the longer the length, the better they’ll perform.

Influencer marketing, but with a twist

Our take: influencer marketing will *always* have value — and it’s a win, win relationship. So, how is 2022 going to make influencer marketing different from what we’re used to?

We predict an interaction between businesses/brands and influencers that’s on a deeper level, meaning you won't see Influencers just telling their audience to go buy from a brand on their IG Stories.

The whole process of Influencer Marketing is going to be much more involved and collaborative between the influencer and the brand, think: creating limited-edition offerings together, naming products after Influencers, etc.

Social listening

If you’ve not yet heard of social listening — it’s the practice of brands joining in on conversations outside of their own profiles. (Take a look at Wendy’s Twitter, they are *exceptionally* good at this!)

The key is to pay attention to conversations that align with your brand/business/product and insert yourself where it’s most impactful.

For example: Say you’re a business that sells deliciously flavored vegan coffee creamer and you’ve recently seen a tweet where someone said, “I’m sad that Starbucks only vegan seasonal drink is gone!” — This is where you chime in! Because YOUR product can solve that person’s problem!

We also anticipate that brands will be interacting more with other brands in their industry/niche, too.

Shoppable content

We’ve already seen it happening across IG — shoppable content: i.e. content you can shop straight from a photo with the click of a tagged link — is going to be all over social. In fact, we expect that most brands/businesses will solely be focusing on making sales through social vs. on business websites.

Why? Because shoppers love convenience AND because shoppers are *so* active on social!

Audio content

Whether it's podcasts, audiograms, or voiceovers, audio content is predicted to be one of the fastest-growing categories in 2022. So start brainstorming ways to create save-worthy, trend-worthy, share-worthy sounds this year!

Leveled-up customer service

It’s not new news (especially because we literally just said it a few paragraphs ago) — shoppers love convenience. And in the digital age, they expect it. When it comes to customer service, very few people are interested in going through the motions of sending an e-mail or *GASP* making a phone call.

Shoppers want to have their issues rectified ASAP! Offering 24/7 customer support via social (in DMs in particular) is something we expect to see in 2022.

More love for agencies

We promise this isn’t a self-serving prediction. That being said, if your social needs some love, we’re here to help! :)

We’re predicting that brands/businesses outsourcing social media efforts will be on the rise in 2022. As platforms get more and more saturated, the quality of content that will be needed in order to stand out is going to get higher and higher — with the help of social experts, brands/businesses can keep up with that demand much easier!

If you’re looking for a team of social media specialists to help you organically grow your presence and following on a variety of social media platforms, reach out to us today! Shoot us an email today at hello@amrdigitalmarketing.com or head to our website to learn more!

AMR's Social Media Predictions For 2022