5 social media trends you need to know about in 2022

Things move fast in our hyper connected world but nowhere do things change faster than on social media. Knowing which channels are resonating right now, how people are using them and what they’re looking for is crucial if you want to produce content with genuine cut through. But it can be hard to keep track.

To make it easier, we’ve put together a handy summary of the top five trends in social media right now – they’re at the heart of our 2022 social media report and if you want to know more, you should take a few minutes to look over the full report.

Trend #1: Engagement has plateaued

Interest in social media content reached an all-time peak in mid-2020 when global lockdowns left everyone isolated and searching for both information and entertainment, and finding it on their phones.

While time spent on social media has stayed more-or-less consistent in the last two years, competition for users’ attention has increased. We may see that action-based metrics become more important to measure the true effectiveness of campaigns.

It’s also worth noting that there has been a 12% increase in users who say they have decreased time spent on social media since 2020. It seems those countless hours scrolling and liking eventually took their toll.

Trend #2: TikTok is tops

While other social channels are waning, TikTok continues to go from strength to strength. Interestingly, the major growth area is with older audiences as Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are turning to the video-focused platform for inspiration.

Trend #3: Western audiences follow China’s footsteps

The sheer size of the Chinese market makes it dynamic and a useful indicator of future trends, especially as we’re seeing western audiences following its lead. Some of the ways in which this is happening is through the commercialisation of “super apps” that offer their own methods of payment and the increasing importance of audio.

Trend #4: Short videos rules – most of the time

Short and sweet video content continues to have the best cut through across all demographics, which is why TikTok and Instagram reels are so popular. These videos can be punchy, spontaneous and a little rough around the edges, as long as they get the message across quickly. Which means lower production times and cost. But, interestingly, longer form videos are proving to be popular as well, especially with Gen Z. So if you have a deeper message to convey, then it’s worth investing in more detailed content.

Trend #5: Social buying is set to spread

Finally, our last trend to watch in 2022 is social buying, which is poised to overtake tv advertising. More and more people are using social media to discover, research and purchase a wide range of products and services – which means that consumers are now very comfortable being served commercial messages across social platforms. But you need to be careful about how you do it.

Some platforms do better with a more content-driven soft sell, others are perfect for an influencer-driven campaign and others again are great for direct ads. It’s all about identifying your audience and speaking to them the right way – and to make sure you choose the right platform for your industry and product.

Love the sound of these trends and are keen to embrace them, but are not quite sure how to do it? That’s where we come in. Our experienced social media team at Awaken would love to work with you – contact us today and let’s start a conversation about how to make some waves together on social media in 2022.