Social media has changed our lives in more ways than one. In addition to bringing world leaders, celebrities, and family members closer than ever before, social media has given brands the opportunity to reach an unprecedented number of people.

It’s also altered the global economy by opening up new channels for businesses to generate revenue and cut costs. It’s not hard to see why the most valuable companies in the world are those that are active on social media.

In short, social media is changing our relationships and society as a whole — which means there will be more changes coming.

So in this article, we will look at the social media trends for 2022 and examine the possibilities to identify the technologies that might shape the future of social media.

The Top Social Media Trends in 2022

Here are 10 social media trends you will likely see shaping up this year.

1. TikTok Continues to Grow

TikTok has more than 1 billion active monthly users and has spawned a number of viral internet trends and memes. It has also become a big marketing opportunity for brands looking to connect with younger audiences.

In fact, some companies have already tapped into TikTok’s user base by launching dance challenges or partnering with influencers on the platform.

As the app continues to grow in popularity, expect more brands to jump on board in 2022.

2. The Creator Economy Matures

If you haven’t noticed, creators are the new influencers. TikTok and YouTube brought attention to the world of content creation, and brands began to see creators as potential business partners.

In 2022, we will see this trend mature. Brands will employ more sophisticated strategies for working with creators, including multi-channel cross-promotion and multi-creator collaborations.

Also, this trend presents a new way for brands to reach people. Rather than passively watching videos on YouTube and TikTok, people can now interact in real-time with creators they admire and follow. The possibilities are endless.

3. Growing Livestream Platforms

Live Streaming is going to continue to be a huge social media trend in 2022, with more platforms offering live stream functionality and more people using it.

We saw this in 2020 when all major platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok — offered ways for people to live stream, both live and prerecorded.

With so many live streaming options available, brands will have the opportunity to find one that works best for them.

4. Video Content Continues to Dominate

In 2019, video content overtook all other types of content in terms of popularity and engagement. This is expected to continue well into 2022 and beyond.

Video content is now dominating almost every platform — from Instagram Stories to Facebook Live. In fact, YouTube has become so popular that it’s now the second biggest search engine next to Google (which is owned by YouTube’s parent company Alphabet).

According to research by Cisco, global video content will account for 82% of all internet traffic by 2022. And within the next few years, we can expect this number to rise to over 90%.

5. Rise of the Social Media Influencers

Businesses have always known that consumers rely on recommendations from their friends, so word-of-mouth marketing has always been a top priority for businesses.

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But with the rise of social media and influencer marketing, this idea has taken on a new meaning.

And in 2022, we expect to see more brands leveraging social media influencers to market their products or services and to build an audience.

6. Virtual & Augmented Reality

Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) has already started infiltrating almost every industry, including e-commerce. Virtual and augmented reality offers an immersive experience that’s even more virtual than the real thing.

It’s hard to tell where social media ends and e-commerce begins, but the two are often intertwined.

It’s not just about selling products in VR/AR; it’s about building connections with customers and building relationships through social media.

Virtual reality experiences are a new way for brands to connect with customers by creating lifelike experiences for both physical and digital interactions.

7. Social Selling Demands will Grow

Social selling is when a company offers a product or service through social media, rather than directly to the customer. Social selling is becoming increasingly popular, and one of the things that makes it so attractive is that social networks are relatively easy to navigate.

That’s why companies such as Amazon and eBay offer their own branded accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. If a company has a presence on these sites, customers are likely to check it out for more information about its offerings.

Social selling may become even more important than direct sales in the future. According to recent research, 89 percent of consumers prefer buying from brands they already trust over those they don’t know.

That’s why social selling is becoming such an important trend along with the rise of influencer marketing.

8. Instagram Stories for Strategic Marketing

Most social media platforms now have a “stories” feature that allows users to post images and videos that disappear after 24 hours.

This may not seem like a major trend, but it’s a big deal for marketers. Stories are a great way to engage your customers at any time.

They can be used to tell stories, tease upcoming events or just share pictures of your products (think of Snapchat stories as your own Instagram feed).

9. More Brands Will Incorporate Social Listening

Social listening is a social media trend that’s on the rise. By monitoring keywords, brands can find out when people are talking about their company online.

But there’s more to it than just finding out what people are saying about a brand. Marketers can also use this tool to discover what people think about a particular product or industry.

For example, if you sell golf supplies, you might want to create content about golfing for beginners. You could do this by using social listening tools to see what topics your audience is discussing related to your industry.

This way, you’re not only listening to their conversations; you’re also responding with relevant content they care about.

10. Local Targeting to Get More Prevalent

With more businesses going digital and people spending a considerable amount of time online, local targeting will get more popular this year.

Businesses will have to shift their focus from mass marketing to local marketing in order to provide a better experience for users who are searching for products and services in their area.

Your business can use location-based social networks like Foursquare and Yelp to target customers near you, as well as geotargeting on Facebook and Instagram.