Social Media Marketing Predictions You Must Know

Another year of surfing through the unpredictable waves of the pandemic and its impacts has to lead to so much disruption across all industries and the economy. This has effectively changed the way we do business and market to the masses. Patterns of lockdowns, restrictions and the workforce saw changes to online behaviours and new trends that will affect the way we consume and connect for a long time into the future.

As we try to move forward into the new normal, we've identified some key changes and trends in the social media space that every business owner and marketer should be aware of across each platform. Here are some predictions you should make note of as you plan for the new year ahead for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Facebook isn't new to controversy and it's sparking more interesting debates with its proposed new "metaverse" concept and name change. As the gigantic social platform moves further into VR/AR and tech, expect integrations and interactions to take socials to the next level. We've been told that they are pushing eCommerce with Facebook and Instagram Shops. Live-stream shopping will be a thing and shoppable posts will become even easier for people to click, shop and buy. Audio social will also remain and grow as Facebook seeks to make the experience more interesting for its specific audio-friendly users. If your business can perform effectively through audio content, keep going as there's room for more growth.

Instagram is a platform that is always on-trend and popular with the younger market. Similar to Facebook, they have a strong focus on making posts shoppable. It is also developing its 'object identification tool' which can help users identify what the product is and potentially where to buy it. Video has the most impact on its users and with Reels and Stories leading their features, it's a natural evolution to see the platform leads with the Stories/Reels videos when you open it as opposed to the traditional feed posts. AR is another area the team at Facebook are trying to grow in massively. Similar to apps like Snapchat, the AR experience will be connected using wearables such as AR glasses and software tools to capture video and enhance AR experiences.