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Okay people, 2022 is fu*kin’ here and I’m cutting straight to the chase with social media trend predictions for the new year. And I know – you’ve probably read “2022 is here!”, or a sentence like it, like 12,039,209 times in the last few days, and you are probably really sick of reading it at this point. But with a new year comes… you guessed it… New goals. New dreams. New plans. New, well, everything!
And as a part of that “new everything” situation, you MAY have thought once or twice about your social media presence and how you can grow, expand, reach new audiences, utilize the platform to the best of your abilities… etc. etc… No? Just us? Ok, cool. Lol.
But seriously, you have probably thought about your social media at least once because we all know by now that establishing a strong social media presence is important AF. If you didn’t know that, well, you do now.
And in 2022, buckle the fu*k up, because shit’s about to get wild over on Instagram.
Here are 6 Social Media Trend Predictions that will help to shape your social strategy as you move into the new year.
1. The Chronological Feed is BACK, bb! (Or at Least We Think it Will Be)
Instagram will be following in the footsteps of good ol’ TikTok. We are gonna go ahead and guess that a “Suggested For You” and a chronological “Following” feed will appear on the Home page of IG (just like, you know who!)
2. Video Formats Are Marrying Each Other – AKA Merging – AKA Uniting as ONE.
Right now, there are multiple avenues to share video on Instagram: Reels, Stories, IG Live, IG TV and In Feed videos. With all the different avenues, shit’s confusing, lol. So stay tuned for a more streamlined approach in 2022. We predict that all vids are going to live in one place.
3. Creator Led Commerce – Comin’ in HOT
OH you thought that Instagram was a shopping app already? HA. You quite literally ain’t seen nothin’ yet! In 2022 Instagram will be rolling out their native creator affiliate program more widely, which will provide a significant monetary incentive for influencers of all following sizes to sell products on behalf of brands. Which means your IG just got that much more “Sales-y”. We predict that this MAY turn audiences off Instagram, so make sure your brand has a backup platform it’s thriving on – TikTok is looking better and better by the second. ?
4. Brand Personalities – If You Don’t Have One, You Might Want to Make One!
Instagram is officially no longer a “photo sharing app,” which means that the significance of establishing a brand “personality” or representative for your brand is more important than ever. A face to the brand, if you will. Having a brand personality will help your followers to connect with your products and services, and increase engagement and community. Nurture those followers with a real person, you guys. What a damn concept.
5. Video Memes – Yes, VIDEO Memes!
Sure, static photo memes are funny, but with video the joke will go a little deeper and the meaning will be a little more, well, meaningful. As Instagram continues to prioritize short-form videos above all other formats, video memes are set to be one hot ticket for viral success.
6. New Community Engagement Features! DMs, Comments, Stories, Oh My!
We all know that Instagram reigns supreme when it comes to fostering a strong community through engaging prompts that drive conversation. IE: The use of emoji reactions on stories. Or Question Stickers, etc.! We have already seen new ways to respond to comments with video or voice memos in 2021. And we predict in 2022 that Reels will get an upgrade when it comes to community engagement as well – Think Question Stickers and Polls being incorporated there as well.
Well, that’s all we’ve got for you for now. And believe us, we know just reading through this list might feel overwhelming. But don’t worry, we will be here to help guide you through the trials and tribulations of Instagram and the rest of the social media world in 2022. The moral of the story is, get used to video because it’s not going anywhere. And bring your brand’s personality to the forefront!
And that’s just The Wagner Perspective…
