Social Media Trends in Performance Marketing for 2022
Happy New Year and welcome back to the Creative Clicks blog.
Though the weather is cold outside, we want to begin the new year with our picks for the hot social media trends in performance marketing for 2022.
This post was based on the upcoming podcast conversation we had with social media/growth expert and entrepreneur Mark Patchett. You’ll be able to listen to it here starting in mid-January.
Insta-Commerce
As we’ve written in the past, Instagram is feeling the heat from TikTok.
Though TikTok reaching 1 billion monthly users so quickly is an accomplishment, Instagram has 1.393 billion monthly users, according to research from Statista.
In 2022, people with knowledge are predicting that Instagram will focus on growing as a commerce platform. With research from The Harris Poll and Sprout Social showing that 73% of businesses are currently selling via social media, the push into social commerce makes sense for Instagram’s mobile marketing solutions.
Instagram offers a separate “Shop” tab in-app and enables brands to establish virtual storefronts. Customers are free to browse and discover products and use in-app checkout options to purchase. Retailers and influencers can create shoppable feed posts, Stories, Reels, and live streams.
TikTok, on the other hand, enables brands to add a “Shopping” tab to their profiles but has no dedicated shopping section. Brands and influencers can link to product pages in posts and live streams. Though users can browse in-app, they must navigate to a brand’s website to checkout.
The more seamless shopping experience is a big advantage, and it is currently only available on Instagram (and Facebook) via their in-app checkout feature.
And TikTok keeps on Ticking
Though TikTok doesn’t offer in-app checkout, it is still the fastest growing app in the world, and as everyone in performance marketing knows, you can’t argue with scale.
On the commerce front, TikTok just launched a TikTok seller app in select Asian markets. This app enables sellers to better manage their TikTok shop. App functionality includes product and order management, return and refund management, promotions, customer service, and data analysis, as written in Social Media Today.
According to journalist Zach Bussey, TikTok is testing ‘TikTok Live Studio’, a new desktop streaming app designed to enable users to broadcast from their PCs to TikTok Live. The TikTok Live Studio, which is focused on game streaming, according to Zach. Gaming and live streaming could provide TikTok with strong growth opportunities in 2022.
With TikTok benefitting by enabling millions of creators to authentically engage with their users, the app recently announced an expansion of creator tipping and video gifts, which provides creators with more marketing and monetization opportunities.
So who will win the social commerce battle in 2022? Will Instagram win thanks to more extensive commerce technology? OR is the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt machine unstoppable?
One thing is certain: marketers, retailers, and users will win thanks to more, better, and more creative options.
Try it on Snapchat
As you can see, social commerce will be a trend in social media and performance marketing in 2022.
A social platform that is moving social commerce forward by using augmented reality (AR) to simulate in-person shopping is Snapchat.
The company recently announced a new integration with ComplexCon to enable users to virtually try on t-shirts and sweatshirts.
Many leading brands have offered virtual try-on via Snapchat including virtual clothes from Farfetch, handbags from Prada, and sunglasses from Zenni. Beyond social commerce, Snapchat provides a range of effective mobile marketing solutions for user acquisition and other performance marketing activities.
The big move that should turbo-charge Snapchat’s social commerce offering will be the roll-out of the company’s new AR glasses to users sometime in the next 24 months.
Micro-influencers driving sales via social commerce
With marketers and retailers increasingly focused on social commerce, they’re turning to micro-influencers more and more.
Micro-influencers deliver authenticity and engagement, which drives social commerce sales. And with micro-influencers/creators able to tag products in their videos and posts, social commerce has become an important performance marketing channel for micro-influencers. Because it’s so easy to open an e-commerce store today, there is an increase in influencer/creator and brand partnerships where micro-influencers open their own online stores to sell co-branded products.
Another social commerce channel gaining traction for micro-influencers is live-streaming. Live streams enable influencers to create live events facilitating real-time engagement with their fans and followers.
In addition to social commerce, micro-influencers are also creating user acquisition campaigns for games, apps, and other marketers/retailers.
Welcome to the metaverse
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, made waves in tech circles when the company rebranded as Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s video highlighting his vision for the metaverse triggered an avalanche of announcements embracing this future.
Though he talked about a metaverse 10 years away, his vision is happening sooner in the US. According to data from App Annie, Meta’s Oculus virtual reality technology app was the most downloaded in the US on Christmas Day 2021. This was undoubtedly driven by holiday gifting of Oculus virtual reality headsets and accessories.
With research from Voxburner showing that 65% of Gen Z consumers have spent money on a virtual item in a game, we’re definitely getting ready for virtual experiences. That’s why fashion brand Balenciaga partnered with the studio behind Fortnite to create Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow. In this game, players begin their virtual journey in a digital Balenciaga store. Players progress by unlocking levels featuring avatars wearing the new season’s styles.
We hope you enjoyed your take on the social media trends which should impact performance marketing in 2022. Be sure to listen to our podcast with social media/growth expert and entrepreneur Mark Patchett here starting in mid-January.
If you’re interested in using social media to support your performance marketing campaigns, reach out to Creative Clicks.
