We're a couple of months into the year, and the digital industry continues to evolve and keep us on our toes! We've sorted through all of the trend reports for the next 1o months and narrowed it down to the 4 that will play the most significant roles in your digital presence. Here we go!
1. Plateaued Engagement
While we saw a surge in engagement and social media use during the pandemic, those numbers are starting to level out. 12% of people say that they intend to spend less time on social media (GWI). Gen Z is especially conscientious of how much time they spend on social platforms with Millennials coming in second. While the world continues to get back to it's normal pre-pandemic pace, this isn't something we see changing. In fact, engagement will probably continue to decrease as people start traveling again and spending more time outside and face-to-face with friends and family.
2. Digital Creators Reign Supreme
Digital creators and influencers are the key to unlocking access to online communities. Almost every social network has started working with influencers creating features for them to monetize content and be paid directly through creator funds. Even though creator partnerships have been around since about 2006, the past couple of years has shown that influencers are changing the landscape of how we consume content and will continue to do so. Globally, 50 million people consider themselves to be creators (SignalFire). Brands will be wise to tap into new audiences this year through influencer campaigns and partnerships.
3. Video Content Continues to Rise
TikTok and Instagram Reels continue to explode! In fact, just a few days ago, it was announced that Reels would now be available globally on Facebook. Short-form video continues to have the highest ROI of any social media marketing strategy. 30% of marketers plan to invest in it more than any other strategy in 2022 (Hubspot). While short-form will continue to show it's worth this year, younger generations are also responding very well to long-form videos. No matter what form it's in, you can't go wrong with video this year!
4. Social Commerce
Ecommerce skyrocketed during the pandemic as more and more people shopped online. In 2021 alone, U.S. ecommerce grew 14.2% (Digital Commerce 360)! Many social networks have made changes to jump on board with this growth, allowing users to shop directly on social media. Social selling will be a big ticket item for brands in the ecommerce space. More and more brands will be implementing shop buttons, livestreams, and influencer partnerships. Shoppers are also placing high value on relationship building and customer service experiences. It will become increasingly important for brands to use social channels to connect and communicate directly with customers.
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