– A sneak peek into the future
The last decade has seen social media change the way people communicate and engage with each other. This could not be more true in post-COVID 19 world. As social media becomes more ubiquitous, the expectations of what it should do and how it should be used increase.
We Are Social published their yearly Think Forward report and predicted some of the social media trends you might see in 2022. This report is based on data and what we have already seen in recent years.
5 Key Social Trends
Below is a brief summary of this report and how we think brands can use these trends for their 2020 strategy.
In-Feed Syllabuses
A rise in social media usage also brought a rise in using social media as a self-directed learning platform. The ability to learn new things and gain useful skills has moved away from formal education to online platforms.
Education has always been an important part of content marketing and this trend emphasizes even more on using educational content to communicate your message through social platforms. This brings an opportunity for brands to impart knowledge in their 2020 content strategy.
If you ever wanted to start a skill-based content platform now is the right time to do this.
The Vibe Economy
Vibe economy is new and broad form of creativity used to evoke specific emotional responses. This is an ultimate goal of every brand’s marketing strategy to generate an emotional response.
This suggests for brands to curate their own brand mood or feeling using audiovisual content.
Prime-time Platforms
Social is the new Prime-time platform. TikTok is the new TV. Social media users are not only watching less traditional TV, but they are also watching less streaming services. This brings more watch time for social media platforms.
This brings a perfect opportunity for brands to tell their story using social-first content formats.
Social Cynicism
Digital content creators are creating poking content in response to overdone tropes and dead memes economy. This brings a negative impact for Genzers when they see an algorithm controlled content.
A recent change in content format for some creators like KSI and PewDiePie going against dead-memes and sh**tposting is a clear indication that you don’t want to go after cringe-worthy content.
Brands need to choose their side and bring novelty in content.
New Materialists
Digital goods is the new new money and changing the meaning of materialism for Gen Z. They are investing more in digital stuff like NFTs and designer Fortnite skins. How many V-bucks you have defines your social status in today’s Gen Z world and this will rise even more.
We will see more and more brands riding the this wave but this being the early ones is not a smart strategy for all brands.