Social media trends are oftentimes hard to ignore. With the rapid growth of social platforms, nearly half of the world uses social media. Nowadays, well-known social media apps like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are becoming many people’s go-to apps and websites.
Brands are trying to connect to digital communities in different ways. However, there are still barriers to break, in terms of the challenges of navigating and utilizing social media. The first step in harnessing the true power of social media is to understand the current trends. Below, you can learn about the top trends in social media that are working to change the future of the industry.
What Is Social Media?
Social media is a very broad term that can include social networks, platforms, applications, media, and other outlets. In social media, users share their interests, news, and ideas. They can also create links and connections with other users who share their interests and goals.
The content generated in social networks comes from its own community and this is what differentiates it from traditional media. All this is possible thanks to Web 2.0, which facilitates interaction and content creation.
What Is the Current State of Social Media?
According to Statista, research findings from 2019 show that over 70 percent of adults in the US use at least one social platform. Plus, social media use is only growing with the current pandemic. Every major social platform saw an increase in monthly user activity from 2019 to 2021.
Social media today plays a fundamental role for brands of all sizes as they have been driven to cultivate a strong social media presence. With the use of social media strategies and user-generated content, brands can promote their products via social media. In today’s business world, the influence of social media should not be underestimated.
Top Challenges in Social Media
Social media networks continue to face some challenges. Active users on social media platforms express their concerns about privacy and security threats, as well as the type of content that is shared on these platforms. Below are some of the top challenges that users face.
- Access for people with disabilities: People with hearing or vision impairments have the right to access electronic information technologies. However, it has been a challenge for social networks to make their services accessible to people with disabilities.
- Privacy: As social networks are public platforms, it can be easy to gain access to users’ information, which represents a major concern that continues to arise.
- Security: Social media sites pose a threat to users’ personal information, as well as other important data. One of the most important concerns is a potential breach of these data.
- Ethical issues: Social media content can be highly problematic as users of social networks can upload any content, including fake news. This is why ensuring ethics at the individual level continues to be a social challenge for major companies.
- Cyber bullying: Social media platforms are, unfortunately, a breeding ground for people to threaten, humiliate, and harass others. This includes online racism, among other forms of cyber bullying. Although these attacks may be illegal if directed at children under the age of 18, cyber bullying is a major problem present on all social networks.
What Are Some Future Trends in Social Media?
Online communities follow key trends as they populate social media channels. Major platforms, from TikTok to Instagram, are currently following the same trends, guided by the needs and interests of social media users. Check out some of the future trends in social media below.
Short-Form Videos
Due to the popularity of TikTok and Instagram Reels, short-form videos will continue to be more relevant than long-form videos. More and more brands and content creators are using video to drive engagement. Creative content, tutorials, and funny transitions are some of the new trends within this format.
Why Is This Trend Important?
Short-form videos can drive sales and growth for a brand or content creator. Social media platforms have increasingly been joining the video content trend. Brands use it to connect with their audience and highlight their products in creative ways.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality and virtual reality are technologies that will be in the future of social networks. Currently, augmented reality is used for filters on Instagram and Snapchat, which have been very popular. On the other hand, virtual reality is still in the early stages of development. Nonetheless, it can be seen in products like Meta’s Oculus.
Why Is This Trend Important?
Thanks to augmented reality, the visual content of social networks has been improved. Photo filters are commonly used on Instagram Stories since they have the ability to add digital objects to reality. Brands have also taken advantage of this trend to improve the shopping experience for their customers, who can virtually try on their products beforehand.
Customer Service
Social channels currently also function as social customer care channels, in which users can communicate with brands through their social networks. Digital channels will receive the most social customer care requests in the coming years.
Why Is This Trend Important?
The way brands interact with their customers on their social networks in front of other users can have good or bad repercussions, depending on how the company handles communications. Currently, many users contact brands through their social networks to resolve issues or complaints.
Audio Content
Since the launch of Clubhouse in 2020, the popularity of audio content has increased significantly. Facebook decided to launch Live Audio Rooms and Podcasts, while Twitter launched its social audio platform, Twitter Spaces. Due to the popularity of this trend, brands have been investing in this type of content.
Why Is This Trend Important?
Social audio content allows one or more people to communicate with a large audience. Live audio broadcasts seem to be the option that companies will embrace to participate in these platforms. This form of media aids in building brand trust and connecting with potential customers.
Shopping on Social Networks
Consumers researching products on social media and being able to buy directly from the platforms is now commonplace and will continue to grow. Social shopping has increased greatly during the pandemic, especially on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Why Is This Trend Important?
Social commerce is a growing industry. In-app shopping solutions are a way for brands to deliver a good customer experience. Shoppable posts and social advertising are some of the ways brands are using this trend to position themselves for success.
Essential Social Media Skills for Today’s Professionals
The social media landscape is very diverse. That’s why professionals must acquire different skills. The skills below help them meet the expectations of digital communities and business leaders.
- Communication skills: Communication skills help social media professionals communicate with their audience. It also helps them meet the demand for customer service and customer feedback on social platforms, as well as to communicate with their team and managers.
- Writing skills: A social media manager must have writing skills and be a good copywriter. Captions on social media posts should be written in an engaging way to attract the attention of users and encourage action.
- Organization skills: A social media marketing strategy must be carefully developed to get the expected results. As such, a lot of organization and meticulous work is involved. A professional with organizational skills can prioritize and plan their tasks, which is important.
- Digital marketing skills: The process of social media marketing aims to integrate a brand’s sales with customer experiences. This is why companies should set a social media goal that aligns with their business profile and a content strategy that can include influencer marketing. In addition, other forms of digital marketing must be developed as well.
- Creativity: Creativity for social media experts is essential to create innovative campaigns as well as interesting, valuable, and aesthetic content. With this, the personality of a brand can be shown.
Current Trends in Social Media: Take the Next Step in Your Career
Social media trends have adapted to the changes that society has undergone in recent times. These trends evolve quickly and what was popular yesterday is no longer popular today. For social media marketers, it is necessary to foresee which trends will remain and develop their marketing strategies accordingly. With this, they will have to make a concentrated effort to learn more about social media.
Because people spend a lot of time on social networks, it is necessary to develop strategies to connect with target customers. This is why you should keep an eye on the most relevant trends and implement them. To do this, make sure you engage with diverse audiences on social media platforms and keep an eye on what is trending.
Trends in Social Media FAQ
Right now, the biggest trend in social media is the short-form video content that can be seen on Instagram Reels and TikTok. This format allows users to share short and creative videos. This is a great way for brands and individual users to reach a large audience.
The social media trends of 2022 are short-form videos, augmented reality, customer service, audio content, and the possibility of buying products directly on social networks.
The latest trends on Instagram are short-form vertical videos, which are called Reels on the platform. Another popular trend is augmented reality, with which filters are developed. These filters add digital objects, such as makeup, hats, or glasses to people’s faces. Filters are very popular in both Reels and Instagram Stories.
Due to the great relevance of social networks today, communication has evolved. Nowadays brands and their consumers interact in the same space, which allows them to gain their consumers’ trust and engagement. Since many users are already on social media, brands have created customer service accounts on the platforms to increase their accessibility.
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