Concerns over privacy dominated social media in 2021, making these all-important platforms feel more complicated than ever. Given the landscape, it is tough to know where to begin planning for 2022. Thankfully, we’ve done a deep dive into what the experts predict for the coming year and updated our annual Social Media Playbook to share the top 2022 social media tips all in one place. In it, you’ll find a run down of each social media platform ranked in order of importance. You’ll also find highlights from 2021 along with what to expect for 2022.

2022 Social Media Tips to Help You Know Where to Focus

1. Sell, but make it social.

Leads generated from LinkedIn have proven to be substantial and well worth the investment. The problem? Buyers are getting more sophisticated and don’t want to feel like they are being sold to or spammed. This means marketers will need to walk the fine line between promoting their business and engaging with their audience and industry peers in an authentic, meaningful way. Not an easy task, but absolutely essential when it comes to using LinkedIn as a selling tool.

2. Influencers are still…influential. 

Influencers will continue to dominate, especially on image and video-heavy platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Brands that utilize these platforms should absolutely consider using influencers to up their 2022 game. Why? Because the fact remains—when it comes to deciding whether to make a purchase, people trust what other people say about a product or service more than they trust what a brand says. While brands should still communicate directly with its audiences on social media, having a trusted third-party back up a brand’s claims is a powerful way to convert leads to sales.

3. Purpose driven campaigns will dominate.

There is no way around it-—the world changed dramatically over the past few years and with it, so have people’s expectations for how a brand should behave. In 2022, people will expect their favorites to support social causes they care about. This can create choppy waters to navigate, but the payoff is worth it. Cause marketing lends itself to strong audience engagement. And strong audience engagement lends itself to brand loyalty.

4. Video continues to rise to the top.

On almost all platforms, video appears to be taking the lead role. Platforms are investing in new ways to create and post small, snackable videos like Facebook and Instagram reels or YouTube Shorts. Even LinkedIn is rumored to be adding short-form video to its platform. It’s no secret platforms reward videos by making them higher in their algorithms, therefore more likely to show up in your audience’s feed. If you want your content to be seen and engaged with (which obviously you do), opting for video will give you a leg up.

Plan Your 2022 Social Media with Confidence

In a time when uncertainty reigns, knowing what to expect can make it feel impossible to plan with confidence. While there will certainly be surprises in store for what social media will bring us in 2022, it’s important to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s changing. Staying attuned to what the experts are predicting can help marketers come up with a winning strategy. Download the 2022 Social Media Playbook to get ahead of the curve, or fill out the form below to talk through your social media strategy with one of our experts.

We also recently held a webinar with an expert panel where we discuss how you can develop a marketing strategy that directly aligns with your business goals. You can watch the replay here

Want to talk to someone on our team about how you can put all of these ideas into practice? Just fill out the form below.

About the Ann Ehinger

Marketing Manager Ann Ehinger serves as the link between clients and creative to drive projects that deliver results. With over a decade of experience working in the nonprofit, technology, and agency space, Ann is adept at managing a project from idea to completion while navigating all the ups and downs that pop up in between.

About &Marketing

&Marketing provides the robust outsourced marketing department growing companies need without the high overhead costs of big agencies or full-time employees. Our variable model empowers businesses to reach their growth goals through access to the guidance and expertise of senior level strategists and a flexible execution team.