It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through 2022, but here we are. At this midway point, we thought it was a good time to reflect on the social media trends so far this year and use this information to get a better understanding of what lies ahead for brands on social media.
Which social media channel are your customers on in 2022? Is Twitter still popular for B2B and B2C communications? Do brands need to be on TikTok? In this blog post, we’ll evaluate all of this and explore what businesses need to do to stay ahead of the curve.
Do brands need to be on TikTok?
There’s no doubt that TikTok has taken the world by storm. Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has amassed a whopping 1 billion monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide, with most of its user base between the ages of 18 and 24. In just a few short years, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms among Gen Zers.
While TikTok is mostly known for its user-generated content, there has been a recent surge in brands creating TikTok accounts to reach this highly coveted demographic. However, many businesses are still unsure if they should be on TikTok or not. So what about your business?
Firstly, you shouldn’t put your brand on TikTok just for the sake of it. TikTok is a platform for entertaining and creative video content. Unlike Facebook or even Instagram, TikTok is not the place for hard-selling or promoting your product. If you’re going to be on TikTok, you need to be prepared to create content that is entertaining and engaging, without being too salesy. You need to decipher whether this kind of content can pass as a natural fit for your brand. If you try to shoehorn your brand into TikTok you run the risk of coming across as gimmicky and insincere.
Another thing to keep in mind is that TikTok has a very different userbase than other social media platforms. While platforms like Facebook and Instagram are used by people of all ages, TikTok is predominantly used by Gen Zers. This means that if your target audience isn’t Gen Z, then TikTok might not be the best platform for you.
That being said, if your brand is the right fit, you can achieve incredible success on TikTok. For example, Chipotle was one of the first brands to jump on the TikTok trend and videos with their hashtag receive billions of views.
So, should your brand be on TikTok? It depends. If you’re not sure whether it’s the right platform for you, we recommend doing some more research and seeing if your target audience is active on the app.
Are People still engaging with brands on Twitter?
Twitter has been around for over a decade now, and it’s still one of the most popular social media platforms out there. In fact, Twitter has over 330 million monthly active users.
While Twitter might not be as new or flashy as some of the other social media platforms, it is still a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their customers and create online conversations.
In recent years, we’ve seen a decline in the organic reach of tweets from brands. However, this doesn’t mean that Twitter isn’t worth using for businesses. In fact, 80% of customer service requests on social come via Twitter. Twitter is also conducive to B2B marketing, with 82% of companies using Twitter to market their products and services to other businesses.
In summary, Twitter might not be the most popular platform for sharing visual content, but it’s still a great way to connect with customers, create online conversations and get insights into what your customers want from your brand.
Pinterest: The Overlooked Social Media Channel
Pinterest is often overlooked as a viable social media platform for marketing, but it shouldn’t be. Although it doesn’t have as many monthly active users as Facebook or Instagram, in the first quarter of 2022 Pinterest was reported to have around 433 million MAUs.
This figure is up 2 million on the previous quarter suggesting a resurgence in the popularity of Pinterest. More and more businesses are starting to see the value in using it as part of their social media marketing strategy.
What’s more, 87% of Pinners say they’ve discovered new brands and products on Pinterest. This makes Pinterest a great platform for businesses to increase brand awareness and reach new customers.
Pinterest is also a great platform for driving traffic to your website. In fact, Pinterest is one of the top traffic drivers for e-commerce sites. Shopify named Pinterest as the 2nd most popular referral source to its site.
The Pinterest user demographic is mostly women with an adventurous and sensitive personality profile, so if you’re an e-commerce business and your target audience fits this description, then you should definitely consider using Pinterest as part of your social media marketing strategy.
Is Facebook Dying?
With Meta turning its focus to other platforms, it’s easy to see why people might think that Facebook is dying. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Facebook is still the most popular social media platform out there with over two billion monthly active users. What’s more, Facebook usage has been on the rise through the beginning of the year, not on the decline.
However, the user profile is shifting. While the number of daily active users in the US has fallen, Facebook’s growing territories are now developing countries like Brazil, India, and Indonesia.
The platform is also seeing a decline in younger users. In fact, only 27% of teenagers say they’re on Facebook.
This doesn’t mean that businesses should give up on Facebook though. The platform is still a great way to connect with customers and create online conversations.
How People Use Instagram Has Changed
Instagram has seen a lot of changes in recent years, the most notable being the introduction of Instagram Reels and Stories.
They were a game-changer for businesses because it gave them a new way to connect with their customers and create online conversations. In fact, over 30% of the most viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses.
Instagram is most popular with young adults and teens. While Gen Zers are downloading TikTok by the droves, Instagram is still on their radar with over 60% of 13-17 year olds saying they use the platform.
YouTube: A Good Option for Brands
YouTube is a great platform for businesses to connect with their customers and create online conversations. In fact, YouTube is the second most popular social media platform with over two billion monthly active users including 30 million paid subscribers.
While YouTube might not be as conducive to B2B marketing as some of the other platforms, it’s still a great way to reach new customers and increase brand awareness. In fact, YouTube is one of the top traffic drivers for e-commerce sites, thanks in part to influencer sponsorships.
Generating your own video content is resource intensive, but outsourcing to an appropriate influencer with their own following is a popular social media strategy for a reason. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, brands that spent the most on influencer marketing last year reached over 14 billion YouTube users.
What Are People Saying About Your Brand?
Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram have made it easier than ever for customers to voice their opinions about brands. In fact, 51% of consumers say they’ve used social media to complain about a brand.
While this may seem like a negative, it’s actually an opportunity for businesses to connect with their customers and create online conversations.
The best way to find out what people are saying about your brand is to use a social media listening tool. This involves tracking mentions of your brand across social media platforms, and then analysing the resulting data to discover what people are saying.
Social media listening can help you quickly identify and resolve any issues customers are having. It can also help you understand what people like and don’t like about your brand.
At Symanto, we have a team of dedicated researchers who keep us at the cutting edge of natural language processing (NLP) technology. This technology enables us to accurately track, analyse, and interpret social media comments, posts, reviews, and other written data at scale.
Get Started With Symanto
We offer a range of technologies to help you understand your customers better and target them with the right messaging. Whether you’re looking to track social media conversations, understand customer sentiment, or analyse your competition, we can help.
If you’re ready to take your social media marketing to the next level, contact us and one of our experts will be happy to talk over your specific needs and find the best solution for you. Get in touch today.
