Emerging Social Media Trends To Invigorate Your Marketing in 2022

I'm always on the lookout for new, thoughtful ways businesses can reach their customers on social media. While there's a variety of options out there, here are some strategies that aren't oversaturated yet that your organization should consider testing. These are some of the many lessons regularly added to my Social Media Marketing Trends course here on LinkedIn.

Explore tipping creators directly on social media

You're probably familiar with the concept?of tipping at a restaurant.?What about tipping a creator on social media??Both individuals and organizations?can now receive tips on Twitter,?Clubhouse, and other networks?from anyone looking to show support for their efforts?on social media.?Often referred to as social media tipping,?the ability to send money to creators,?experts, journalists, and other users directly?from their profile is another way for them to monetize.?

From a brand perspective, this tipping functionality?is a chance to develop lightweight collaborations?distinct from the traditional,?more involved influencer collaborations.?A brand can partner with multiple creators?in a one-off capacity at a larger scale?by compensating them with these micropayments.?This is not an opportunity to shortchange influencers?in exchange for exposure, but instead,?another way of collaborating with creators?and customers in a less involved manner.?Listen to the full deep-dive on this trend below.

More ways to engage audiences through mini apps

Every business wants to offer?a one-of-a-kind experience to their customers?on social media to capture their attention?in the moment and hopefully their loyalty long-term.?That's where mini apps may come into play.?Mini apps are applications?that run within existing apps,?like the apps available within iMessage,?the chatbot apps within Facebook Messenger,?or the network of apps on WeChat.?

These apps, also known as mini programs or micro apps,?are lightweight experiences accessible from a brand?or an influencer's social media profiles.?Sometimes from their LinkedIn bio.?While they're meant to perform one specific task,?mini apps can be anything from games to quizzes,?tools for creating memes, or even branded surveys.?And thus, companies have the ability to use them?to expand the ways they interact with customers?through developing their own or customizing?out-of-the-box mini-apps.Listen to the full deep-dive on this trend below.

Follow China's lead with livestreaming shopping events

We've all seen an infomercial on QVC before,?and now that concept is evolving?and modernizing quite rapidly on social media in China.?Livestream shopping is where consumers tune in to live shows?on Chinese social networks and marketplaces?to be entertained, get product recommendations,?and demonstrations from influencers and brands alike.?And it's already become a multi-billion dollar industry?as each of the leading platforms continues?to add more e-commerce features,?from mobile payments to mini programs.?

While the popular social networks like WeChat,?Weibo, and Douyin all offer live streaming?to varying degrees,?the major opportunities are the live streaming features?on the e-commerce marketplaces like Alibaba,?JD.com, and Tmall.?That's because consumers are used to buying products?on these platforms,?so it's a seamless experience to make a purchase directly?from a live stream there.?This has taken off as the next frontier?of eCommerce in China because it allows companies?to offer a more interactive,?three-dimensional experience online. Listen to the full deep-dive on this trend below.

Audio experiences on social media are here to stay

Listening to audio is a fairly effortless?and an intimate way of communicating with others.?Audio experiences on social media have existed for years.?Like when people send voice memos?through private messaging?or businesses share audio-centric content?like a trailer for a podcast.?But recently, audio messaging has begun to take center stage?as audio-only social networks like Discord, Clubhouse,?and Chalk have gained popularity?and new features are getting added to existing platforms?like Twitter's voice tweets and Twitter spaces?which in many ways is a Clubhouse clone.?

So what is audio on social media exactly??The newest type of audio experience is the idea?of rooms or spaces?which are private or public gatherings?where people join to discuss a topic.?This could be anything from chatting?about their Peloton routines, interest in Star Wars,?or lessons learned from advancing in their career.?A few participants, moderate and speak?while most people join in to listen or ask a question.?These audio rooms vary from public events.?Anyone can join in private conversations?amongst a circle of friends or colleagues.?Why now you might be asking? Listen to the full deep-dive on this trend below.

If you liked these tips, check out my full course on Social Media Marketing Trends . There's almost 100 lessons on which social media developments are worth following.