Social media is no longer where people share photos and videos to connect. Today, social networks have become a marketplace with an interactive product catalog and even a channel for customer service. Keep the following six social media trends in 2022 in mind to successfully implement your social media strategy for 2022.
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Customer Service of The Future
Many companies are already using their social media channels as their primary customer service tool. Since customers often initiate contact with brands on social networks, this step seems only logical. Possibly other ways of making contact have already been tried and, in the worst case, ignored – this is where chatbots come into play as a sensible solution. They help you to answer direct inquiries faster and more conveniently, are available to advise customers and can therefore simplify their purchasing decisions. A study on the subject predicts that by 2023, 60% of all customer inquiries will be made via digital channels. Create ready-made templates for FAQs or invest in chatbots,
Content Commerce Expansion
Content marketing is effective when the strategy is right. However, that does not change the enormous effort that successful content marketing requires. After all, you have to use various channels, platforms, and tools to offer a consistent customer experience – “Content Commerce” appearance, the integration of selected content embedded in the entire shopping process. The seamless linking of content and shopping experience not only benefits consumers by purchasing products that are precisely tailored to their needs. Thanks to content commerce, they are informed, inspired, and entertained throughout the buying process. This creates an excellent digital customer experience that sets your company apart from the competition and strengthens customer loyalty.
Social Media Has Become Social Commerce.
The restrictions of the pandemic and the associated increased media use to provide the ideal basis for social media shopping (social commerce) – a trend that is already normal for many. Ecommerce experts predict that the social commerce market will continue to grow and be worth $80 billion by 2025. As a result, many companies have realized that it makes sense to give users the ability to make purchasing decisions and checkout without leaving the app. The extra step of going to a website is another potential breaking point in your conversion funnel. Since mobile has been shown to have an exceptionally high abandonment rate, removing as many roadblocks as possible is essential. Most social networks now offer in-app shopping solutions, including live video, and are working hard to provide new features to meet the increasing demand. Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest have been among the pioneers so far, with TikTok, Twitter and YouTube already ranking close behind.
Tiktok is Growing And Setting The Tone.
While Instagram has become the platform of choice for most social media marketers over the past few years, TikTok is already hot on its heels. In September 2021, TikTok will have one billion users. It rose to number seven in the list of the world’s most popular social media networks. The short video platform has broken download records and has quickly become the most popular app to connect with current and future customers. TikTok can help brands reach and engage with qualified, engaged audiences with a highly personalized content recommendation system. The app plans to introduce an e-commerce aspect and a monetization model. Companies whose target group is represented on TikTok should therefore be well versed in TikTok marketing to use the channel cleverly and optimally develop its potential.
Showing Attitude Pays Off.
In 2020, some companies positioned themselves more politically and gave the topic of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) a new direction. This tendency was also present in 2021 and will remain so for 2022. Businesses should now focus on credible CSR engagement by addressing and acting on the social issues that matter most to their audience. Beware of “performative activism” (performative alliance building) because empty promises or one-off fundraisers without context damage your image and dilute your credibility. Generation Z, in particular, has high expectations and prefers brands that take the initiative to connect with their audience and bring people with different opinions together. So companies need to thoroughly analyze their actions and culture and align them to stay ahead in 2022. The most relevant socio-political issues include (anti)racism, animal welfare, climate change, equal rights, physical health, labor law, education, mental health, sexism, migration and religious rights.
Communities Are Becoming More Influential.
Your social media presence is only as strong as the community behind you. To build strong communities, companies need to be more strategic and align their content with consumers – this is the only way to build loyal and engaged communities. However, keep in mind that you are not always controlling these communities. Because social media makes it possible to establish oneself outside of the brand bubble – and 2021 has already shown how strong these communities are as they disrupted several markets. Strategic planning of digital infrastructures and collective spaces is critical, with the empowerment of these online communities remaining a priority in 2022.
