For the last decade, social media has been a breeding ground for memes, think pieces, and heart-wrenching posts about your sister’s new baby. But trends come and go on social media in the same way they do in fashion. (Hello, boho chic.) Certain platforms rise while others fall; some become an extension of our personalities while others languish.
The potential of social media is always expanding, with new developments constantly improving how we connect virtually. From virtual reality platforms to devices like Google Glass and Apple Watch, here are a few ways that social media may change by 2022:
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment where people can interact with each other. It’s like being immersed in a video game, but you’re the one playing it.
Virtual Reality (VR) is the creation of a virtual environment presented to our senses in such a way that we experience it as if we were really there. It uses mainly auditory and visual capabilities to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that replicate real life.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a real-time, direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment augmented with computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, and graphics.
This input can be interacted with in an artificially intelligent way by monitoring the user’s actions through cameras or other sensors to take control of their movements and reorder them for movement within the virtual world.
Augmented reality merges real-world objects into a “mixed” reality where the object’s location in the physical world has been changed or enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information about it.
Chat-bots
Chatbots are computer programs designed to mimic human interactions. They can be used to answer questions and direct users to relevant content, make recommendations or even provide customer service.
Chatbots can be a great way to engage with your customers by providing customized information and support at scale. They are also easy for you as the marketer—no need for expensive developers!
Micro-Moments
Micro-Moments are the fleeting moments of interest that consumers have while they are on the go. A consumer might be waiting for a friend at lunch or sitting on a train reading their phone, and at this moment, they will be looking for information. This is your chance to get their attention!
You will want to consider how to use these Micro-Moments to market your products. For example, if someone is in their car driving somewhere and sees an ad for Dunkin Donuts coffee, this could give them an idea of what they should buy next time they go shopping.
Or if someone is walking down the street with friends and sees an ad for McDonald’s fries, that might pique their interest enough to decide where they want to eat later—and maybe even stop by Mcdonald’s before heading home!
So when you are creating content or planning campaigns around social media trends in 2022 and beyond make sure you remember Micro-Moment marketing!
Wearables
Wearables are on the rise, so it is critical to understand how they can be used in your business.
If you want to interact with customers, wearables are a great way to do so. They allow you to provide customer service and marketing information directly from the product itself. This means that no one needs a cell phone or computer with them at all times if they want to receive important information about their products or services!
Wearables can also provide analytics for your company — if someone is wearing one of your wearable devices when they buy something, data from that purchase will be stored on the device itself (along with other data). This allows businesses to track how many people bought products through different methods over time, which helps them decide which methods work best for each type of product and service.
Social media for social good
Social media is a powerful tool for raising awareness and helping to change the world. It can connect you with people who share your values, whether that is social issues or just a love of dogs.
It allows you to raise money for charity through fundraising campaigns and make donations on behalf of your friends and family. It also allows brands, influencers, and celebrities to use their platforms for good by raising awareness for causes they care about.
There are several strategies to use social media for social good—all you have to do is put out the effort!
Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical devices, automobiles, home appliances, and other items that are integrated with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connections, allowing them to communicate and connect.
The IoT has grown since its inception in 1999 but it is only recently that we have seen a major shift in technology adoption. The IoT will become one of the most dominant trends in 2022 as more industries embrace this technology for better productivity and efficiency.
The Death of the Influencer
The death of the influencer may be a bit overdramatic, but it is clear that their role is changing. As social media becomes more interactive and social networks reach a higher level of engagement, it is becoming harder for influencers to stand out. This leaves them with two options: become more authentic or go back to being purely promotional.
Influencers who want to continue having a place in this new world will need to focus on building relationships with their audiences—and not just promoting products at every opportunity. Their content should be more personal, relatable, and less product-focused than before.
The social media world is always changing.
Social media has come a long way in the past decade, and it will continue to evolve. The best thing you can do is stay up to date with trends and use social media as a tool for your business or marketing strategy. If you are looking to connect with your audience, build brand awareness, and grow your business, social media is the perfect platform for doing so!
If you need help understanding the new trends or the new strategic options you have that you can incorporate into your marketing strategy, you can contact a social media marketing agency like PRISM DIGITAL.
There are many social media marketing companies in UAE to guide you and you can also hire them for their expert marketing services. The professionals are trained to assist you with the best social media marketing services as well as other marketing strategies and plans.
Final word
We hope this overview of the trends we anticipate seeing in 2022 has opened your eyes to some new possibilities for your business. We have focused on eight exciting trends that we think will impact all businesses, but there are many more out there.
We encourage you to keep an eye on the newest advancements in social media and ask yourself how they could help you reach new customers and enhance relationships with existing ones as they continue to expand and new technologies emerge. In order to stay competitive, it is important that you keep up with these changes because if you don’t someone else will!
Social media is not going away anytime soon so take advantage of it now before it becomes too late!
