SMM trends 2022

Social media is an effective marketing strategy tool. To maximize its benefits, you need to leverage key social media trends.

In this article, we'll discuss several popular trends, including TikTok's advertising capabilities, engaging influencers, and using user-generated content to build trust with your audience.

This information will be useful for SMM specialists of large and small companies focused on online promotion of their products and services.

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TikTok formats

According to AdAge magazine, TikTok was named the best marketing provider of 2020. And 2021 has allowed it to strengthen its position.

TikTok is confidently moving toward building brand-friendly relationships with its customers. The goal is to create online communications based on respect, care, and empathy for users. The new Auction (Spark Ads) feature is proof of this.

1. Now you don't need to create separate creatives for advertising purposes—you can promote videos directly from your brand account.
2. The standard creative provided the option to click through to a landing page. Now, while watching an Auction video, users can click through to the brand's account and even follow it without clicking through.

As we can see, the TikTok format allows brands to organically interact with their audience, increasing their loyalty.

Effective TikTok tools 

• Register a business account (including for posting promotional videos).
• In-Feed advertising (the user sees the advertisement while browsing the feed).
• Create a TopView/Brand Takeover (a banner or 60-second video that plays immediately after entering the app).
• Use branded hashtags and effects (AR masks, filters, stickers, tracks) to launch challenges.
• The ability to upload videos up to 3 minutes long (previously - 15 seconds or 1 minute).

Influencers

According to research from Influencer Marketing Hub:

• TikTok ranks second (45%) in the ranking of channels for working with opinion leaders, second only to Instagram (68%);
• Every $1 spent on influencer marketing can bring the investor up to $6.5 in profit.

Building your own community is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. But attracting popular bloggers who are passionate about their craft, able to convey emotion, and be helpful helps strengthen brand loyalty.

Right now might be the best timetime for new marketingAnd it's important to wisely utilize influencers with their vast, loyal audiences on social media.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content (UGC) increases audience loyalty and helps build trust.

1. People are pleased to know that the company sees and values ​​their opinion on a product/service, listens to it (likes, comments and even posts it on its website).websiteand in official accounts) and is ready to make contact.
2. Other people's UGC is automatically perceived by potential buyers of a product or service as positive reviews. The reasoning is simple: if a person is willing to show off their purchase and talk about its benefits, they are likely happy with it.

PR Newswire, the leading press release distributor, conducted a special study on this issue. 90% of respondents confirmed:UGC content is one of the main factors influencing purchasing decisions.

User-generated content is generally unbiased, making it more effective than any other form of advertising. Therefore, it's worth actively using it.tool.   

How to motivate brand fans to create UGC?

There are two types of user motivation to create UGC content:

1. desire to receive a bonus from the brand;
2. share your experience of interacting with him.

By using simple but effective levers of influence on the audience, it is not difficult to win them over.

Challenges 

Launch Challenges with a call to share on social media.

To further engage users, you can offer them branded GIFs, masks, and templates for stories.

Competitions

Participating in competitions is both fun and a good motivation to win a prize.

Starbucks' experience

Starbucks, the world-famous American coffee company, creatively uses customer reviews to promote its brand.

At the end of each year, the company launches the #RedCupContest on social media. Fans are encouraged to post their photos online. All participants have a chance to win a company gift card.

There are always many applicants; the company reviews tens of thousands of photographs annually, many of whose authors become the lucky winners of a prize.

Repost reviews

Closely monitor publications mentioning the company and respond to them as quickly as possible.

On Instagram, for example, you can repost user stories using the "Add to Story" option. The same can be done by the reviewer themselves when a company tags their account in their Instagram Stories.

This kind of feedback helps foster the desire, "I want my favorite brand to notice and recognize me!" The company gives the client a dose of fame—and the person reciprocates with their favor.

Monsoon's experience

British fashion retailer Monsoon found a clever solution. The company's employees monitored social media posts with the hashtag #MyMonsoon and, after receiving permission from the authors to publish the content, posted screenshots of the comments in product cards on their website and also used them in email newsletters. This original move helped Monsoon increase website traffic by 14%.

Conclusion

The effectiveness of a marketing strategy is determined by current social media trends. To ensure stable and consistent growth, businesses must embrace new, popular formats of commerce and customer engagement.
TikTok's advertising capabilities, engaging influencers, and working to improve the quality and quantity of user-generated content all help achieve new goals and drive profit growth.
Keep your finger on the pulse of modern trends and be successful!