There’s no doubt about it: social media is an integral part of our daily lives. This means your consumers are spending more time on social media, but interestingly, research has found that their engagement has decreased globally. This may be due to consumers trying to adopt healthier social media habits and spending less time scrolling. As a result, views are becoming less dependable, and brands need to find new ways to add value and ensure their content resonates with younger audiences as their spending power gradually increases.

Less scrolling, more living

One trend that brands should pay attention to is the shift in consumer behaviour towards healthier social media habits. Gen Z is leading this trend, with a focus on spending less time scrolling and more time on casual posting trends and photo dump layouts. Brands can tap into this trend by creating content that is less polished, more socially aware and more organic in terms of trying to connect with their followers.

The good old days

Nostalgia marketing is also on the rise, with Gen Z and millennials making up the majority of users who engage with memory features on Snapchat and Instagram. Brands can use this trend to create content that taps into the nostalgia of these audiences. What did these consumers do and enjoy as kids? How can we bring back those feelings for them? 

AR is the future, but the future is now

Another trend that brands can capitalise on is the use of augmented reality (AR) in advertising. Consumers view businesses using AR as technologically advanced, innovative, and progressive. Brands that use AR in their social advertising can set themselves apart from their competitors and position themselves as leaders in their industry.

Let’s get real 

Influencers are still a dominant force in social media, but socially aware influencers are now preferred by consumers. Brands can partner with influencers who are open about their imperfections and promote socially responsible messages. These kinds of partnerships tell an authentic story about your brand. They put you on the map as being accessible and relatable. 

An unlikely meet-cute 

Discord and Telegram are also emerging as marketing channels, offering brands new ways to connect with audiences. Brands that embrace these platforms can create unique and engaging experiences for consumers that they otherwise would have never engaged or interacted with. Interacting with consumers in a place where they feel safe and welcome, and where they often go daily (like these online platforms) is the perfect opportunity to make meaningful connections with them. 

Ultimately, social media trends and insights can help brands stay ahead of the curve and remain relevant in an ever-changing landscape. By tapping into these trends and adapting to changing consumer preferences, brands can create content that resonates with their audiences and drives engagement.

We all know how finicky social media users can be about change. One day we love a platform. The next, it’s the worst app ever. Sorry, Myspace. Forgive us Yahoo! So when the folks at Meta made the unfortunate misstep of releasing an Instagram update that features photos and video in a full-screen TikTok-esque layout, it was no surprise that the backlash was immediate and intense.

Just some of the headlines making digital and real-world noise:

“Instagram’s New Update Sucks: If I Wanted To Scroll On TikTok, That’s Where I’d Fkn Be.”

“Instagram Users Vow To Boycott App Over ‘Horrendous’ New Layout.”
And our personal favourite, “The Kardashians hate the new Instagram.”

Wow. The last time a Kardashian (or rather Jenner) had a bone to pick with a social media platform, Snapchat lost $1.3 billion in a day after Kylie Jenner tweeted that she no longer uses the messaging app, calling it “so sad.”

For many users, the new Instagram update has also turned their app’s background black without changing the settings which some fans do not appreciate or care for.

According to Mark Zuckerberg, the decision to transition Instagram to a new interface was “to make it easier to discover content and connect with friends,” a contradictory statement when one considers that Instagram has been transitioning from less in-feed photo engagement posts to more reels, and that IG’s algorithm is intentionally designed to reduce organic post reach which drops engagement numbers.

Since switching from its original chronological feed to one generated by the aforementioned algorithm, Instagram has introduced several video-related features to the app, including Reels, Carousels, Collabs and IGTV. Videos length has also increased to 10 minutes long, with select accounts able to upload videos up to 60 minutes long, all of which take away from what the app was originally designed for – to share photos. For many IG users, the June 2022 update was simply the last straw in Instagram’s long-standing history of deviating from its original purpose and leaving people stuck in a feedback loop that continues to get worse over time.

The June IG update sparked a further outcry through the now-viral ‘Make Instagram, Instagram Again’ petition that tore through Instagram, amassing over 290 000 signatures on Change.org, and having the support of high-profile celebs such as Ariana Grande, Adam Levine, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, David Beckham and Justin Timberlake bringing further traction.

Within a month, in response to public pressure, Instagram made the smart choice to revert its updates with Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri quotes as saying:

“I’m glad we took a risk — if we’re not failing every once in a while, we’re not thinking big enough or bold enough” and that the platform will “come back with some sort of new idea or iteration.”

For now, it seems that a stitch in time has saved nine, but if Instagram is set on its goals of pivoting to a video-first app, it will be interesting to see how the app is gradually reimagined and the responses from Instagram users.

Way to go! You’ve mentally ticked all boxes on that invisible Instagram post checklist and your content is locked, loaded and ready to go. Nothing has been left to chance. Striking image uploaded and perfectly sized? Check. Clever caption? Nailed it. Hashtags and tagging on point? Let’s just say Zuckerberg himself would be dazzled. Now all that’s left to do is click ‘post’ and watch thousands of likes, shares and views come streaming in, right?

Um… not so fast. Your work isn’t done quite yet. To get those feed posts, videos, stories and reels seen and engaged by the widest Instagram audience possible, you’ll first need to satisfy its naughty little algorithm that is always changing. Understanding how the Instagram algorithm works in 2022 presents endless possibilities for delivering click-worthy content with great organic traffic.

Instagram Algorithm’s Nuts and Bolts

The Instagram algorithm is a highly-sophisticated system that helps the social platform determine which content gets the top spot and which posts can be bumped down on a user’s news feed. For 24 hours a day, the algorithm behaves like a living organism, learning and making changes constantly in a bid to deliver relevant, meaningful content to app users.

Engagement is key when it comes to the Instagram algorithm. It measures one’s interests and behaviour (i.e. comments, tagging) to determine content interests. Thus more a user comments, likes, shares or follows a specific type of content, the more the algorithm “understands” their interests and “decides” the hierarchy of new content on their feed.

How Post/Contents Ranking Work

If like us, you’re clued up on the ‘Gram then you know that not all content that you see comes from the pages that you follow. And we’re not talking about re-grams and sharing.

Each time a person opens Instagram, its algorithm sorts through ALL available content on the app that is not protected by privacy settings. Yes, the entire app! It then creates a customised feed for that unique user based on their previous app activity.

The algorithm monitors what you see, like, give a thumbs down to, comment on and share in order to best serve up content it believes you will interact with the most. Though it might seem like Instagram is sneakily trying to hide content from users, its intention is actually the exact opposite. The algorithm is trying to deliver valuable experiences based on that which it considers relevant to you.

The Impact on Brands and Bottom Lines

Every Instagram user is affected by changes in its algorithm, especially brands. Here’s a scenario: you recently-post a brand video organically and it’s sitting at the top of a feed for 2000 of your followers. At the same time, it’s also sitting 15 posts below stale, days-old posts on the feeds of your remaining 3000 followers’. Why? So that your business can pay to have its posts promoted and seen by an audience tailored to its relevant demographic on the app. No spend, no views. No views, no engagement. No engagement, game over! We go deep into that in our blog Why Paid Media Needs A Place In Your Marketing Strategy.

How to Beat the IG Algorithm in 2022

Tricking the algorithm into working for you is possible and it can be done without any sneaky tactics. Here’s how you can beat what the algorithm prioritises so that your brand can reach more users and build a strong community of followers with high engagement.

Improve photo quality – the clearer and more visually striking posts are, the higher they rank
Publish Stories often – one-third of the most-viewed Stories come from brands. More views = more eyes that leads to higher reach
Include more video – Instagram favours video content. That’s why features like Reels and IGTV were introduced
Go Live – Instagram sends push notifications to your followers every time you go live and encourages them to tune in
Get caption clever – Shorter captions encourage engagement, especially in question format. Make use of tagging and @mentions so that your content is shared more
Hashtag, hashtag, hashtag – it’s the fastest way to get content seen. Using hashtags as part of your content strategy makes your brand posts searchable and appear in the feeds of that hashtag’s subscribers, even if they don’t follow you
Share original content without watermarks. Sorry TikTokers.
Tailor your posts for Instagram SEO – use relevant, highly-searched keywords in captions

A lot of changes are in store for Instagram in 2022. Bringing back chronologically-ordered feed options after years of user outcry is one of them. #CantWait.

Any CEO will tell you: adapting to change and staying up to speed with how content behaves on Instagram is a step towards success. The second step is working alongside a trusted creative partner that understands how to guide your social media strategy in a results-driven direction. Get in touch with us today to chat a little about how Coffee Creative Studio can support your brand’s growth on social media. We’re here to help ☺

And then it happens….  You’re racking up page likes faster than Adele collects Grammys and your business’ Instagram page hits 100 000 followers. Everyone erupts with applause. The office is abuzz with excitement, so the bigwigs pop a little bubbly to celebrate. This is a big deal, after all. High social media followers numbers mean massive engagement and that business revenue is about to skyrocket, right?

Umm… not quite.

The truth is that followers can mean absolutely nothing. Just because a person likes your page, does not necessarily mean that they are engaging with your content or will ever convert into a paying customer of your product/service. Followers don’t matter as much as influence and interest do. You could have thousands of followers online, but if just five are actually interested in your offering, then the audience you’ve built isn’t very valuable. In social media, quality trumps quantity.

If You’re Not Spending, You’re Still Paying A Price

Popularity on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter is determined more by how a brand uses the platforms intelligently and what it knows of them. This is what you should know:

• Organic Reach Is in Decline

It’s no secret that social media platforms have intentionally changed algorithms over the years to cut organic reach. Currently, the average reach of an organic Facebook post hovers around 5% of your audience. That means non-promoted content from a page with 1000 followers will only be seen by 50 people. The easiest way to boost engagement is through Paid Media, which allows businesses to reach broader audiences that are likely to engage with your brand and with greater accuracy than organic media. 

Paid media refers to all content that has been promote on social media with a budget. Paid media is an essential component of revenue growth.

Read more: Why Paid Media Needs a Place In Your Marketing Strategy

• Superficial Followers Exist

It’s not uncommon for people to follow brands on social media for superficial reasons, but have no actual interest in supporting the business. These individuals may have only followed you to win free prizes in a “Follow. Like. Share” competition, or because a friend who works at the brand pressured them to like the page. Either way, superficial followers do not represent real value to a brand. The solution to this is Paid Media’s advanced targeting feature, which unlike organic, gives brands total control over who sees their content and when. 

• Numbers Don’t Always Equal Sales
  A large following is no guarantee of sales. Pages receive follows for a boatload of reasons that have nothing to do with buying. To encourage higher financial returns, you need to connect with true fans and build an engaged community that will purchase what you sell. Without them, numbers mean nothing.

 A high engagement rate is much more valuable than one’s number of followers. It shows who’s connecting, who’s converting and that the business is making money.  Paid media is the best solution to building that engaged community of followers; a fanbase with genuine interest and intention of supporting your brand. 

To learn more about how we Coffee Creative Studio can strategize and execute Paid Media campaigns for your business, get in touch with us. 

 

What a year 2021 was for social media and marketers: TikTok hit 1 billion users. Snapchat achieved its first billion-dollar quarter. Twitter killed off Fleets and launched Birdwatch, a programme that allows users to flag misleading tweets. And the top story of the year? Facebook relaunching itself as ‘Meta’ in a clear bid to dominate the metaverse – the idea of integrating real and digital worlds even more seamlessly using virtual reality and augmented reality technologies.

With so much happening in the social media space, seemingly all at once, businesses are asking the question: “Which trends and features should do I need to stay on top of in this constantly changing landscape?”  We break down 5 of the biggest social media trends to help prepare your social media marketing plans for success in 2022.

TikTok Gets Set to Takeover

TikTok’s quest for world domination will edge closer and closer to achieving its goal. To date, 1 in 8 people in the world uses the popular video-sharing app each month. According to Talkwater, the number one consumer intelligence acceleration platform, TikTok is poised to take over all other social networks and become the most widespread social networking platform in the world. Challenges, duets and live events will grow in popularity and virality, with greater use of TikTok’s 3-minute video feature for richer storytelling. It is crucial for brands, particularly those targeting the younger demographic to recognise TikTok’s possibilities for marketing, lead and revenue generation. 

Great read: TikTok And Other Rad Apps Blowing Up Around The World

Video Content will Continue to Lead

Log onto any social media platform and you’re likely to see a video within the first 10

seconds or less. Consumers favour video over other media formats because the information is easy to digest, entertaining and engaging. Video is also very accessible to anyone with internet access, both to watch and to produce, which explains why industry experts anticipate that 82% of all online content will be video-based. 

Instagram Reels has delivered rewards on rewards for thousands of brands and marketers and will continue to do so, generating engagement, brand awareness and the potential to go viral on the platform, just like Louis Vuitton, whose every brand marketing Reel has gone viral on TikTok, with an average of 5 million views. In 2021, Instagram also combined IGTV and feed videos into one format, Instagram Video, to make it easier to create and discover content. 

Great read: Let’s Talk Video

Paid Media Will Keep Paying Off

Over the years, every major social network has aggressively cut organic reach as part of its revenue generation strategy. Considering that the average organic reach for a Facebook post is just slightly over 5%, it makes sense that paid media will become a necessity in one’s digital marketing strategies for 2022 and beyond. Paid media links advertising spend to results. Without it, the audience that you’ve worked so hard to build won’t see your message. 

Read more: Why Paid Media Needs A Place In Your Marketing Strategy

An Increase In  Social Selling

The closing of, and decline in brick-and-mortar retail stores in 2020 and 2021 brought about by COVID-19 lead to a surge in the adoption of sales via social media. While shoppable posts on Facebook and Instagram are by no means new, the ability to buy via these channels will become more of a norm, particularly as smaller businesses begin to leverage the platforms to create frictionless shopping experiences without customers having to switch to a website to complete their transactions. eMarketer forecasts that the social commerce industry will be worth $80 billion by 2025. 

Money Talks on Social Audio 

Audio-based social networking may be a relatively new concept, but it can raise the volume of your brand voice and image on social media. From Live Audio Rooms and Podcasts on Facebook (USA only) to Twitter Spaces, voice-only features are the next big marketing frontier when used correctly, offering digital spaces for brands to engage in conversation with customers around diverse aspects of their brand, while also pushing sales. Hootsuite’s 2022 Social Media Trends survey found that 74% of businesses plan to invest in audio-only content in 2022. 

Social media moves fast, but we move faster. Need help putting these social media marketing trends into business plans of action? Contact us today for all your digital marketing needs.