Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat are powerful tools for digital marketers. Using these platforms in a paid media strategy gives brands the ability to leverage unique targeting capabilities to reach and engage an expansive audience.
We surveyed our team of social media experts to find out the top social media marketing trends in 2022. Here are their predictions for what tactics and strategies will come out ahead.
1. Video production takes the spotlight
It’s all everyone is talking about — short, catchy video content. People aren’t just talking about it, though, they’re engaging with it, too. The average session length on TikTok is over 10 minutes, making it the most engaging social media app. While this type of content isn’t going away anytime soon, we expect bite-sized content to look different in 2022.
Lindsay Rinner, Senior Digital Media Strategist at Booyah, predicts advertisers will need to “level up” in terms of video production quality. She explains, “As more video is produced on social platforms, brands will be competing alongside high-quality content, which could exasperate any lack of quality in a brand’s video.”
With social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram announcing that they prioritize video over an image in their algorithms, brands and content creators will have to adapt to the changes quickly. Social platforms will continue to favor video content, and now is the time to prioritize video production.
As you consider ways to spend your marketing budget, investing more into video production should be at the top of your list.
2. Messaging experimentation
“Banner blindness” is something that many users experience with display ads, and this effect will start to occur in the social space, too. “As a result, advertisers will have even less time to grab users’ attention, and the traditional messaging strategies won’t be as effective,” says Haley DeParde, Account Director. To overcome this challenge, advertisers will need to experiment with new types of messaging on an ongoing basis so they can uncover new tactics and refine their existing messaging.
To improve the ways you’re currently engaging with your audience, Lindsay recommends keeping it personable. “The best way to convey your company’s message is by integrating humor and relatability into video storytelling.” Doing this shows your customer who you truly are and will add an authentic personal touch.
Digital marketers will need to experiment and iterate often to stay relevant in a very competitive social advertising landscape. Video content receives 21.2% more interactions than a traditional image. With such high content consumption, Madison Meagher, Digital Media Strategist, emphasizes that being able to continue to grow within new and current platforms is necessary for both awareness and market growth.
3. User-generated content takes the lead
Every brand should incorporate user-generated content (UGC) in its social media campaigns and Taylor Leis, Account Coordinator, sees a consistent rise in the application of UGC as well as interactive marketing.
Emily Blomquist, Associate Digital Media Manager, states, “You want your brand to remain relatable, and in the age of TikTok, let’s be honest, classic, and highly-produced creative is not the way to remain successful.” Instead, find ways to utilize UGC. And if you’re having difficulty sourcing this type of content, produce scripted content that resembles UGC.
With an increased focus on production quality this year, we expect to see more instances of highly polished UGC. However, it doesn’t matter whether you are finding UGC or creating it in-house. When you’re using it to form meaningful connections with users, you’ll achieve similar outcomes. Haley elaborates, “Consumers today aren’t just buying into a product, they’re buying into a brand or lifestyle, so it’s important to use these mediums to align your product with certain values.”
4. Authenticity is top of mind
Riding the TikTok wave, brands and products have “blown up” due to content creators giving reviews and testimonials to their followers on products they love. Marie Northrup, Account Director, sees this happen often, and she predicts that influencer and micro-influencer marketing will continue to grow in 2022. “This kind of advertising is important because it feels ‘authentic’ and ‘real.’ For digital advertisers, transcending the space between what is ‘real’ and what is perceived to be ‘real’ on social media [‘digitally’] is difficult; influencers and content creators are able to do just that — and it works!”
Annie Miller, Account Manager, adds, “Many companies realize the success of having influencers back their brand on TikTok or having it go viral on TikTok. They are also smart to be getting in with the more ‘real and natural’ influencers on TikTok that give their honest opinion and have a lot of followers that respect their opinion.”
5. First-party data rules
With the cookieless future fast approaching, collecting first-party data will be important. Running lead generation campaigns is a way to collect customer information and expand your data pools, explains Sara Warden, Associate Digital Media Manager. Using a lead gen tactic is a great way to personalize your message and convert an interested visitor into a loyal customer. Let your creativity run wild with how to gather this data naturally. Strategies can include coupons, surveys, and blog posts. Sara emphasizes, “Even creating a small incentive for an email address could go a long way.”
CRM lists
Related to first-party data, CRMs are becoming even more valuable for marketers. As more marketers turn to CRMs and customer lists for audience insights, Madison predicts the most successful marketers in 2022 will be experts at leveraging CRMs as a multi-purpose marketing tool.
Madison believes that there will be an increase in the use of CRM lists as website audiences shrink due to privacy changes. Reports show that, on average, companies see a return of $30.48 for each $1 spent with the help of CRM lists, so all companies should consider using them. Madison adds, “This has been a big push at Booyah to get our accounts as optimized and efficient as possible as these changes continue to impact social especially.”
Use these paid social tactics to succeed in 2022
By leveraging these trends in your paid social campaigns, you can stay one step ahead of your competitors. Start by creating a solid strategy and clearly defining your goals. Experiment with different social media platforms to find the ones that work best for your business and get creative on how to showcase your brand. If you want to learn more about these 2022 marketing trends and other expert tactics, connect with Booyah for additional help and insight.
