Social media usage is steadily growing, with over 4.65 Billion active users which is said to have an increase of 7.5% compared to last year which confirms that more than half of the world’s population are active social media users. Trends and new platforms are being released to keep up which makes users more engaged in the virtual world.
Social media evolves from time to time and the interaction between the user and the platform becomes more exposed when new things and features are being released to attract more users to use which eventually becomes trending. We have seen a growth of new platforms recently like Tiktok and Instagram reels after they had introduced features of creating their own short videos which nowadays became popular.
Below are the 2022 trends in social media
· Live streaming
The first platform that offers the full “live streaming” option for social media users is the social network “Twitch”, eventually, it was followed by major social sites like Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok. Live streaming became very much popular when the pandemic hit the world and all people were at home. Live streaming became one of the popular ways to communicate with thousands or millions of live audiences on social media and this has been a tool for interaction too.
· Vlogs and Mainstream content creating
Still in the number one spot when it comes to Vlog creation is Youtube. Vloggers have been existing for quite a while now and yet this is still continuously trending. With the power of smartphones like the majority of the active social media users is having, becoming a vlogger became easier. They are able to easily create content under the sun and just with an internet connection, they are able to upload and let their followers get engaged with it. This type of influence became a business and a career also for some as they can earn a lot of money by getting paid from the platform itself due to ads added to their videos for having high views and followers.
· Reels and Short Videos
Tiktok became a trending social media site for younger generations and Generation Z when it comes to demographics. People who use Tiktok mainly focus on creating short videos with their own content, joining challenges, allowing other people to copy what others are doing, using filters and some augmented reality video creation, and eventually “Tiktok” videos became the trendsetter of what is in and what is famous in a certain period of time.
Also, you see nowadays that both Facebook and Instagram offer free services for creating short videos or reels. Moments that were uploaded in stories or short videos captured on your phone can now be created as a short video and you can direct your own show.
· Social Marketplace
Since the pandemic hit, people were forced to stay at home and all people became reliant on online shopping and deliveries. Even after the pandemic, this trend stayed and became more popular. Now, the majority of the social networks like Facebook and Instagram offer a certain page for Marketplace, wherein people are able to sell their products online and transact with other people via chat or message offered on the same platform. Transactions between the seller and the buyer became smoother since there is a direct interaction between two parties in the marketplace.
· Paid advertisements
All companies are having social media pages and not adapting to this may result in losses. Social media nowadays became a huge tool for businesses to advertise and have direct interaction with their audiences and customers, since platforms are able to have the widest reach, there is always a high potential in reaching their business goals. Therefore, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube offer paid advertising services to promote business services to certain target audiences and gain more potential customers.
· Augmented Reality
Social media platforms offer free filters when creating stories to become more entertaining for their users. After Snapchat and Tiktok introduced these fun filters wearing sunglasses, hats, hair, or having different backgrounds like you are on the beach or on vacation, these filters became trending and have been available as well on Facebook and Instagram. Augmented reality is now as well being incorporated to create a more enticing way of online shopping wherein people are able to virtually use the item while using a smartphone to entice potential buyers and as the technology evolves, more AR will be available in the market.
Again, social media trends do not stay in just stay as is, as technology evolves, people always wanted to try and experience new things, and when new things are being introduced, people are getting involved to it and it becomes a new trend again. Trending is based on what is “in” on a specific period of time. It’s not permanent but it stays.
Written By: Maria Nerizza Acero – Content Writer (Scandinavian Virtual Assistants)
