Top 10 global social media trends to watch out for in 2022: Talkwalker report

• 2021 has been an impactful year full of ups and downs.
• With consumers dictating how brands move forward, 2022 is set to be another challenging year.
• To make sure you’re fully prepared to tackle the upcoming year, Talkwalker dug deep to find the trends that will generate the most success for your brand.

Forget following your CEO, consumers are now in charge of your brand. We’ve been deep into the Age of the Consumer for some time, but the pandemic accelerated their takeover, putting them firmly in charge of 2022 and beyond. They want more personalized content. They want faster service. They want better experiences. And they want it all now. For your brand to survive, you will have to listen to, and respond, to their demands. Once again, Talkwalker reached out to global experts, industry veterans, and our audience to put together a list of the top trends for the year to come.

1. TikTok will take over social media, leaving other platforms to adapt

A look at the rise of TikTok, and its growing dominance in the social media space. Also, how the other platforms are adapting to stay competitive.

2. Social ads will develop, as cookies get crunched

The cookie is dying. How will this impact the future of social advertising, and how will brands continue to offer more personalized services, while remaining compliant?

3. Social selling will simplify the customer journey

As the pandemic drives more consumers to buy online, this trend will look deeper into how the social platforms are tackling social selling, and how its demand will grow in the future.

4. Post-pandemic content will shape up to consumer needs

The pandemic created a world of online content consumers. They have greater expectations, and tastes, in content. How will this shape content in the future, with an always-on, snackability-demanding audience?

5. Omnichannel engagement will change the way consumers engage with social media

Consumers are no longer loyal to one channel - leading to content diffusing cross-platforms faster than ever. But, this also leads to more disinformation, and increased ease in sharing ‘fake news.’

6. Maturing influencer marketing will finally come of age

Influencer marketing has grown up. With increased regulation and responsibility, more brands are taking them seriously. And following the pandemic, many have bigger and more engaged audiences than ever before. How will brands make the most of these opportunities.

7. Brands will lead in social media decentralization

Communities are key - but not just within social media platforms. Many brands are now building their own in-house social networks, with in-app forums and features, to take back control of their audiences.

8. Metaverses will be the next consumer connection What will the future of the internet look like?

The biggest platforms are starting to visualize it now - an interactive community of users able to engage in a wide variety of social activities online. It’s time for brands to get on board.

9. Brand inclusivity will be brand critical

CSR was big in 2020. Bigger in 2021. For 2022, brands are going to have to listen to, and act on, the social issues that matter most to their audiences. Companies are going to be integral to global change in the future.

10. Communities will develop, and take control

Consumers have a voice. It may be fairly quiet, but when those voices come together, in vast social communities, they’re loud enough to change the world. Expect more vocality from users, and more socially driven changes from communities - with brands adapting quickly to react.