With more than 50% of businesses anticipating that social media will become their primary external communications channel in the coming years, social media marketing is one of the hottest career paths around. With the internet expanding fast and not showing any signs of slowing down, and more people turning to social media platforms for their news, entertainment, shopping, and banking, social media marketing is critical for any company, product, or brand. Let’s take a look at some of the elements you can expect to see in the bright future of social media marketing.
Authentic Community Engagement
Authenticity is a critical element of the future of social media marketing. With 90% of consumers reporting that authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support, it’s imperative for social media marketing to imbue their campaigns and strategy with authenticity. One way to truly connect with users and followers is by engaging with them on a personal level and offering them a satisfying experience.
Cultivate this authentic engagement by gathering feedback from consumers including how they found your product or site and what they thought of it. Take the time to get to know your target audience. Contact your customers directly via surveys and emails, as well as using analytics to collect and interpret data about your customers and how they engage with your content. Use this information to establish genuine connections, nourish a sense of trust with users, and provide them with an enjoyable overall experience.
Speaking of authentic engagement, who are better spokespeople for a company than happy employees? One social media marketing trend to watch in 2022 is employee advocacy.
Employee Advocacy
By now you’ve heard of user-generated content, and if you’re a social media marketer, you’ve likely incorporated it into your current strategy. But what about employee advocacy? Rather than seek out influencers or cull through user-generated content to find something that fits with your brand, capitalize on what you have at your fingertips: your employees. (Just make sure they’re happy!) When satisfied employees act as brand ambassadors such as talking up the company, sharing content from the brand, or gushing about the amazing product on their own social media networks, your company, product, or brand automatically has reliable, authentic brand ambassadors.
Social media teams can provide content for their employees to share, either by using company-wide messaging or even companies like DrumUp or other social media scheduling tools, which can share company updates and content for employees, making it easy for them to repost on their social feeds. You can also implement a branded hashtag, which can help generate conversation and buzz around your product or brand, and once others outside of company employees latch on, the hashtag will help create user-generated content.
Influencer Marketing
In addition to employee advocacy, influencer marketing is another social media marketing tactic expected to continue to rise in popularity in 2022 and beyond. Influencer marketing helps grab the attention of another follower base, promote a brand, gain credibility, expand reach, enhance brand awareness, and drive sales. Many users see influencers as everyday consumers just like them, so influencer posts come across as a recommendation from a friend rather than an ad. Influencer marketing was the hottest trend last year, hitting over $13 billion in 2021, and will only continue to move upward. Adding influencer-generated content and collaboration to your social media marketing strategy is a popular and savvy way to expand and promote your product or brand.
However, while influencers hold plenty of cards when it comes to the social media marketing of the future, they’ll still have to work for it. Danielle Trevino, Social Content Coordinator at X (formerly known as Twitter), notes, “In 2022, I predict social media influencers will have to work a lot harder to differentiate themselves from the pack,” says Trevino. “As social media platforms become even more user-saturated, standing out is going to take a lot more effort from a creator standpoint.”
High-Level Marketing Roles in the Field
Over the last year, marketing priorities have shifted. While there is still a need for traditional marketing (since not everyone out there uses social media), more senior-level marketers will need experience in social media marketing. Perhaps once considered not as results-driven or dictated by the whims of younger generations, social media marketing has solidified itself as a critical part of any company’s business strategy
As Sarah Chapman, social media pro and Digital Strategy Director at CareSource, told Sprout Social: “We’re going to see more in-house, senior-level roles that are explicitly staffed by people who came up through social,” says Chapman. “I believe social expertise is finally being valued as a competency after the pandemic. We’re beginning to see non-agency leadership roles that highlight that.”
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, & Chatbots
If you spend any amount of time on social media platforms, you probably know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have become a part of our everyday lives. For example, have you ever wondered how the For You page on TikTok knows what you might like? Or why you see certain posts on Instagram’s Explore page? Have you ever virtually “tried on” clothes or makeup? That’s all machine learning. Being able to integrate automation is the future of social media marketing because it allows machines to do the grunt work for many social media marketing professionals so they can focus brainpower elsewhere—likely on strategizing for the next big breakthrough! In 2022 and beyond, social media marketing professionals will need to adjust their strategy to account for artificial intelligence and machine learning.
And speaking of AI, when’s the last time you asked a chatbot a question? A 2018 survey found that 61% of daily messaging app users in the United States said they had messaged a business in the last 3 months. Being available to current and potential customers through social media is a wise business decision. And while you may be able to keep up with some of the communication on your own, you can’t spend all day responding to questions from followers. That’s where chatbots come in. Chatbots are automated response tools available 24/7. Chatbots use AI to greet interested customers, make appointments, answer basic questions, and perform tasks. Best of all, social media marketers can program bots to help in the ways most needed—leaving them more available to apply the human touch to other areas.
Video Marketing
With a whopping 75 million people in the United States watching a video online every day, incorporating video into your social media marketing strategy is a must. With the continued rise of mobile devices, video content is constantly available. According to Wyzowl, 69% of consumers say they prefer to learn about a brand through video. Video content is a way to hold the interest of your followers, improve ROI, and lead to more conversions.
A 2018 HubSpot survey revealed that 54% of consumers wanted to see more video content from a brand or business they support, solidifying that audiences respond to and engage with video content on social media. Video content is not limited to pre-recorded video. More businesses are finding that hosting Live Video sessions (for example on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube) offers ways for business owners to introduce themselves, share products and/or expertise, and get feedback directly. Interacting through a Q&A session, responding to a customer’s problem, promptly answering a follower’s question, or simply engaging on a human level is as crucial to growing and maintaining a brand.
Video content consistently performs well and engages users across social media platforms.TikTok has 800 million monthly active users. YouTube is the second-largest search engine (coming in just behind its parent company, Google). Videos on Instagram get the most engagement. Videos can be a whimsical and entertaining way to connect with your target audience. Consider adding some video content to your social media marketing repertoire.
Niche Communities
As social media platforms continue to grow, they can feel overwhelming and competitive. Users are creating niches to find like-minded people to connect with on a smaller level. One way users are building community is by creating and/or joining Facebook Groups. In these smaller, more focused groups, members can float ideas, ask questions, and even share gripes if necessary!
LinkedIn also has a similar feature for creating community online. LinkedIn Groups are places where professionals can engage with those who have similar interests, create a space for a niche within an industry, and even seek out mentorship. LinkedIn Groups also offer a chance to send messages to other LinkedIn users to whom you aren’t connected. Making genuine connections can enhance business goals.
In 2018, Instagram rolled out a Close Friends feature for their Stories. Creating a smaller, more private list of close friends and family makes it easier to keep in touch. And for businesses who want to offer exclusive content to certain people, this provides a good way to reach users.
No matter the platform, because of the smaller, more intimate setting, niche groups provide opportunities for businesses to connect with their target audience. They provide a place to find common ground, share successes, and ask for support and seek advice. Social media marketing professionals and business owners can use these spaces to showcase special offers, deals, and content that can add value to their product or brand and allow group members to feel exclusive, ultimately deepening brand loyalty.
Learn Social Media Marketing Skills
Those ready to launch their career in social media marketing or learn new skills to change up their current position can check out Noble Desktop’s 30-hour Social Media Marketing Certificate. The curriculum gives participants a comprehensive overview of the industry. Students will master various elements of social media marketing with hands-on training over five distinct units. Certificate program participants will learn how to determine the right social media platform for their goals, develop a successful social media strategy, and create content that increases engagement and drives sales. Expert instructors teach participants how to gain a following and underscore the importance of market positioning and using social media analytics to improve results. Noble even offers students a chance to retake the class for free within a year to drill down on challenging concepts or refresh their skills.
If you want to take a shorter course or focus on a specific platform, look into Noble’s wide variety of social media marketing classes. Individuals can attend in-person classes at Noble Desktop’s New York City location or attend live online social media marketing courses from anywhere in the world.
Noble’s Facebook Marketing class provides an in-depth look at creating targeted ads, leveraging Facebook groups, and creating business pages within the platform. The Instagram Marketing class helps students learn about advertising on Instagram as well as how to build a following by creating resonant content. The course delves into the Instagram algorithm and how to use it to develop content and posting strategies as well as increase engagement. The course’s expert instructors go over best practices and tools like Instagram Stories, marketing, and advertising.
With Noble’s LinkedIn Marketing class, you’ll learn how to craft a marketing strategy for LinkedIn, create dynamic content, and advertise on the platform. The course also covers prospecting with LinkedIn search as well as how to use LinkedIn analytics to your advantage. Finally, Social Media Video Marketing: TikTok & YouTube teaches how to use the platforms for video-based campaigns and techniques for creating content. Students will also learn how to monitor video trends, and identify and engage their target audience.
You can also find local and/or social media marketing courses, bootcamps, and certificate programs in your area using Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool.