Worldwide, people are spending around 10 per cent of their day on social media, which emphasises its importance in our lives. In this article, we have identified five social media trends to which businesses and content creators should pay attention moving forward.

 

According to the World Economic Forum, globally, ”internet users spend an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes per day on social media”. It means that 10% of our day is spent on social media, which for many of us is purely recreational, and does not include the time we spend on other forms of leisure. In other words, social media is an important aspect of our lives, and the lives of others.

More importantly, and due to its value in our lives, social media is developing and evolving to meet the sophistication of its users, to remain relevant and innovative, whilst also being important channels for engagement, marketing and advertising.

Over the past year, dozens of social media trends have been reported. Some appear to be at cross-purposes or emphasising a specialist slant. Here, we have identified a few of the key trends that have been dominating 2022, and are likely to continue to do so into the future.

 

1.  Video is still king

With 500 hours of video being uploaded to YouTube every minute, or 720,000 hours of video being uploaded very day, by no means is video’s popularity beginning to vane. It is still an important channel through which to grab and hold people’s attention, and consequently, to communicate a story, deliver unique messaging and drive conversions.

However, as with all things, it does require effort and some skill to produce a quality output – especially when so much content being released. Generally, the optimal video length is between seven and 15 minutes, and the goal is to hold viewers’ attention for as long as possible. Also, it does take time to develop a following or audience, and similar to other social media channels, consistent and regular posting is crucial.

 

2.  Short-form video is here to stay

Thanks to TikTok and Instagram Stories, short-form videos have become increasingly popular, to the point where they are seen as their own genre. Typically, these videos are under 60 seconds, with those between 31 and 60 seconds considered optimal. However, and unlike filming a 10-minute video for YouTube, with short-form video, being succinct – and able to effectively deliver your message in under a minute – is crucial.

Short-form videos tend to get a lot of engagement, such as likes, shares, and reactions, and is an excellent way of securing user-generated content. Also, if your business is geared towards a younger demographic, short-form videos are extremely popular among Generation Z, who have been driving the growth of this type of content.

 

3.  Social audio is on the rise

Over the past year or so, the most popular social media platforms have launched audio-only spaces, the impetus for which may have been Clubhouse, which was launched in 2020. Moreover, with many us having participated in our fair share of webinars and online meetings, we have grown comfortable with turning off our video and just listening to a speaker.

It is important to highlight that social audio has its roots in podcasting, which has also been growing in popularity, in terms size of listenership, the number of podcasts and the hours of content being released. On the other hand, social audio allows for real-time engagement and participation, which is a distinct benefit that can be leveraged in a number of ways.

 

4.  Influencer marketing will continue

The use to influencers to promote products and services has been a growing trend over the past few years, and is still going strong. However, although the emphasis has been on influencers with very large subscriber bases, the popularity of micro- and nano-influencers is on the rise. These nano- and micro influencers may have niche markets, or especially high engagement among their subscribers, which is attractive to advertisers.

Additionally, the influencer fraternity is being asked to reflect the wider society, where there is greater emphasis on diversity, inclusion and representation. Consumers want to see themselves and their unique needs being represented, which in turn spurring changes in corporate culture and in the marketing strategies that are being implemented.

 

5. Live streaming is not going away

Finally, and starting in mid-2020, when it was not possible to have in-person meetings or to travel for conferences and seminars, these event went online. Over the past two years, we have had a plethora of live-streamed online events. Organisations that would only have had one or two events a year, were having them once or twice a month! Now, and although it is possible to return to in-person events, the number of live-streamed events has not been declining.

To be fair, live-streaming an event is considerably cheaper and with less logistical and management hassles than an in-person event. It also facilitates attendance and participation remotely, and thus access to a much larger audience, which can be engaged in real-time.

 

 

Image credit: natanaelginting (freepik)