“2022 is a year to be bold,” advises Forester in a recent article about predictions for the year. For marketers, being bold is always essential, but what does being bold mean? One way to be bold is to track and merge into what’s trending. Let’s take a look at three top trending themes in 2022 social media marketing: TikTok, social audio, and creator communities.
Turn on TikTok
When is it time to turn on TikTok? If that’s the question you’re asking, the answer is now. Here’s Hubspot and Talkwalker’s 2022 social media trends number one prediction: TikTok will take over social media, leaving other platforms to adapt. With over 1 billion active uses, TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2021. Check out other TikTok stats marketers need to know.
Why is TikTok so engaging? Our brains love TikTok. In a cross-platform comparison across five dimensions of consumers’ neuro response to content, TikTok ad engagement was 15% higher than the social media average. Maybe that’s because TikTok engages users an average of 10xs per minute versus only 5-6xs for other social media platforms.
“TikTok’s unique engagement signature gives it an edge to be able to deliver ads and branded content in a way and at a moment when consumers are most open to receiving that messaging – and while all such signatures change over time, it is a golden opportunity for brands to use TikTok to their advantage right now,” says Pranav Yadav, US & Europe CEO Neuro-Insight.
Broadcast Social Audio
According to Hootsuite’s 2022 Social Media Trends survey, 74% of businesses are set to invest in audio content this year. What’s your social audio strategy?
If you’re looking to host live social audio events, check into Clubhouse, Facebook Rooms, or Twitter Spaces. LinkedIn’s podcast platform is launching with a series of shows. Soon, the ability to podcast on LinkedIn will be available to everyone. Get ready to broadcast LinkedIn audio events.
If you’re not podcasting now, don’t worry. – iIt’s not too late to get started. Super charging SEO, visibility, and reach, podcasts get published on an array of platforms including Apple, iHeartRadio, Pandora and Spotify. Uploading your podcast to YouTube gets you into the second largest search engine. Even if you don’t have a podcast, you can still be a guest and reach new audiences. And, listening to marketing podcasts is a great way to edit your social audio strategy.
Commune with Creators
Wrapped up in influence, tech, and social media, creative creators’ content fuels social media, marketing, customer service, and engagement all day long. According to SignalFire, 50 million people around the world consider themselves to be “creators.”
“In 2022, the key to unlocking online communities (no matter the size of your business) is in the hands of digital creators. Whether it’s chef Joshua Weissman bringing home cooks to YouTube or streamers like Tyler Blevins drawing Fortnite fanatics to Twitch streams, creators add richness and value to already existing interest groups.” Source: Social Trends 2022 Hootsuite
When Social Media Club Chicago was founded in 2008, the early pioneers saw the value of what most people thought was a fad. The buzz around the Creator Economy, Metaverse, and Web3.0 has the same feel. While it may stretch your imagination to think of how marketing will be reinvented, now is the time to invest in the future. To quote Social Media Club’s tagline: “If you get it, share it.” Share it right, – right now. Cheers to your future marketing success!
