Social media is a far-reaching, ever-changing channel that creates lots of opportunities for B2B companies. As social media continues to evolve, it’s necessary to stay on top of the trends. We’ve compiled the top social media trends for 2022 and how B2B companies can leverage them, so you can get ahead, stay ahead, and master social media during 2022.
Create a user-generated content campaign.
Just as it was in 2021, user-generated content is going to be huge for 2022. Finding ways to leverage user-generated content on social media will be a must for marketers everywhere.
Content that individuals produce and post to social networks is important because it serves as social proof. In fact, 90% of consumers say user-generated content influences their purchasing decisions, outranking other powerful marketing tools like promotional emails and search engine results. Not only is user-generated content influential, but it’s also inexpensive and highly effective at building trust in your brand.
One of the best ways for B2B companies to leverage user-generated content is to build hashtag campaigns. Follow these steps to create your hashtag campaign:
- Start by creating a branded hashtag specific to your business.
- Determine the type of content you want to see from your audience and where/how you want it to exist. Consider what platform your audience “lives” on and the kinds of content they would want to post.
- Think about logistics, including the goal of the campaign, how long it will last, and whether you’ll offer an incentive to your audience.
- Once you receive some user-generated content, begin posting it with your new branded hashtag.
- Track the success of your campaign and look at the usage of the hashtag across social media.
Apple produced a successful user-generated content campaign back in 2015, and consumers are still using it. Named #ShotonIphone, the campaign has generated over 22 million posts on Instagram.
Apple's #ShotonIphone campaign
B2B company Hootsuite created the #IWorkFromHere campaign back in 2016, showing different ways Hootsuite users and fans work remotely. The company posted weekly winners and gave users who submitted content the opportunity to win a grand prize.
Hootsuite's #IWorkFromHere campaign
Overall, user-generated content is a great way for you to utilize the power your audience holds and produce genuine, original content. If you need more inspiration, you can find some stellar examples of B2B user-generated hashtag campaigns here.
Utilize short-form video content & live videos.
Videos have always been a popular form of content, and experts predict that by 2022, video will comprise more than 82% of all internet traffic. Furthermore, 53% of consumers say they want to see more video content from the businesses they support.
Given this, 2022 is the perfect time to ramp up the video marketing portion of your social media strategy. Start by determining the type of videos and which platform you wish to use. Short-form content and live videos will be important trends. TikTok and Instagram are best for short-form video content, while LinkedIn or Facebook is best for live videos. Other video platforms like YouTube can be used for longer, more comprehensive content that promotes your business or products.
Short-Form Video
Short-form video includes any video shorter than 2 minutes and 30 seconds. As social media grows, our attention span shrinks, so short-form content is an important tool for engaging your audience. One study indicates that 53% of videos that are 90 seconds or less are watched to completion. Use short-form videos to educate your audience or to show off user-generated content or behind-the-scenes snippets. A short-form video marketing strategy can help you increase brand awareness by showcasing innovative content.
Live Video
Live videos have been around for a while but have become much more popular in the last few years. A 2020 study found that 80% of consumers prefer to watch a live video vs. reading a blog. While live videos might require more production effort, they’re a distinctive and effective way for B2B companies to interact with their audiences and build brand awareness. Fortunately, you can use live videos for almost anything: Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes insights, product announcements, and more. Adding live video into your video marketing strategy is a simple way to keep up with trends and showcase your business’s more authentic, personal side.
Video can be a captivating, exciting way to target your audience and reach new potential customers. A video marketing strategy that utilizes short-form content and live videos can help you reach your business goals in 2022.
Use interactive content.
Interactive content requires viewers to actively engage with it. It grabs viewers’ attention and inspires them to be more than just a viewer; it encourages participation. As a result, interactive content gets two times more engagement than static content. As a B2B company, interactive content can help you foster real interactions with your audience and build loyalty with your customers.
Interactivity like polls, quizzes, surveys, multi-touch photos, live videos, giveaways, and contests are easy to implement using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The great thing about interactive content is that it can be as simple or complex as you want. We’ve compiled some great examples of interactive content on social media below.
Facebook post by HubSpot
Instagram Q&A by Sprout Social
LinkedIn Poll by Semrush
Twitter Poll by HubSpot
Interactive content doesn’t have to stop at social media, either. You can add it to your website, e-books, infographics, and even your newsletters. Ultimately, interactive content boosts customer engagement in a way that no other content can.
It’s not too late to start building your B2B social media strategy for 2022. However you decide to leverage the latest social media trends, make sure you’re doing it authentically and thoughtfully, keeping your audience in mind at all times.
