Top Trends for Social Media Marketing and Ecommerce for 2022

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Social media and eCommerce are evolving rapidly, year after year.

Technologies have been able to provide a great deal of influence on these changes. In response to these changes, users’ needs, preferences, and ways of thinking and acting changed.

As a result, certain traditional techniques and strategies are no longer effective. Keeping up with them without looking out for innovation can result in business decline and failure.

Hence, it is so important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and implement them as soon as possible. By doing so, you will also gain a competitive edge within your niche industry.

Keep reading if you think this might interest you. You will find in this article the top trends for social media marketing and eCommerce for 2022.

Let’s get right to it.

In this section, we’ll provide you with five social media marketing trends. While some of them have already taken place, others will become more prevalent in the next few years.

  1. Short-form video content will dominate

The spread of apps such as TikTok is changing how social media users enjoy their content. 

Watching a video is becoming more engaging than simply reading or looking at pictures

Also, users are becoming accustomed to short-form content thanks to these apps. 

Video-rich apps like TikTok, which offer videos that last a few seconds or for at most one minute, keep the users’ attention and keep them spending more time browsing and scrolling through the app.

It explains why you need to reshape your social media marketing strategy if you haven’t already.

Here are some tips on how to do it:

  • Be active on the newest social platforms
  • Create and publish video content
  • Don’t make your content too long or too vague
  1. Growing demand of in-app purchases on social media

As more and more users began spending more time in the apps, these implemented features that allowed users to perform some tasks without having to leave the app.

Instagram and TikTok, for example, have integrated shopping features that let users purchase merchandise directly from a company through the app rather than being directed to an e-commerce site.

In-app shopping is now a social media marketing trend that is gaining traction. As a result, you should know about these opportunities and enable users to use them to buy from your store.

Following are some tips for implementing in-app shopping:

  • Create your social media in-app store
  • Present your products in an appealing manner
  • Provide excellent customer support on social media
  1. Native advertising is growing in popularity

Native advertising is the use of ads that match the look and feel of the media format in which they appear.

Native ads do not really look like ads, and we often find them in social media feeds (e.g., TikTok and Instagram).

Native advertising is becoming increasingly popular among marketers. Several factors explain this trend:

  • Consumers look at native ads 53% more than standard ads.
  • Native advertising combats ad fatigue (ad fatigue occurs when an audience gets tired of seeing ads).
  • 97% of mobile media buyers said that native advertising was effective at achieving branding goals.

Here’s how to keep up with this social media trend:

  • Try to make your ads as natural as possible 
  • Don’t advertise in an invasive manner
  • Make sure your ads don’t sound and look too promotional
  1. Augmented reality experiences are in demand

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that has gained popularity over the past few years.

The Drum reports that AR can capture people’s attention for over 85 seconds, improve interaction rates by 20 percent, and boost click-through rates by 33 percent.

AR lets users experience a virtual experience that enhances their real-world experience. As a result, it can make the user experience richer and more engaging. 

The Pokemon Go game is an example of augmented reality. Other examples include social media filters, effects, etc.

In eCommerce, an example of AR is the “try-on” option, which enables users to view and try products virtually before purchasing them.

Even though it is a technology that still needs to be refined, it already represents a social media marketing trend that needs to be taken into account and can be already implemented by eCommerce sites.

Here are some tips on how to implement and use this technology:

  • Develop an augmented reality product demo
  • Provide interactive features in your advertisements
  • Create a branded AR filter for social media
  1. Providing an omnichannel experience will increase sales

Omnichannel refers to a lead nurturing and user engagement method by which companies provide access to their products, offers, and customer support services across all channels, platforms, and devices.

The advantage of this strategy is that you can reach out to potential customers without having to wait for them to find you.

In addition, by making your business available on more platforms, such as social media, and providing the same experience that they would find on your website, you will be able to generate more sales and leads, and expand your target audience.

The following tips will help you provide a great omnichannel experience:

  • Allow social media shopping
  • Provide professional and timely customer support across all channels
  • Provide consistent and coordinated offerings and services across all platforms

  1. Artificial intelligence for automating tasks and delivering a more personal user experience

In recent years, artificial intelligence has grown in popularity, becoming one of the top eCommerce trends 2022.

The technology is a refined and modern one that allows you to automate some repetitive tasks as well as make predictions based on past data.

AI, for instance, makes it possible to create chatbots that offer customer service to users by answering their basic questions based on a knowledge base or on previous conversations.

Additionally, this technology makes it possible to provide users with a more personalized experience by, for example, creating recommendations, upselling, and cross-selling strategies based on their previous actions and purchases.

There are many ways you can integrate AI into your online store. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Automate repetitive tasks by implementing chatbots
  • Use analytics tools and extensions to analyze user behavior and improve the experience
  1. Innovative payment methods will boost sales

The payment methods a website offers have the potential to influence a customer’s buying decisions.

As a matter of fact, online shoppers are determined to make their purchases using their preferred payment methods. Their uncertainty and trust will decrease if they do not find them in the list of options, causing them to leave your website and probably not return.

Furthermore, as technologies refine, users are adopting them and becoming more discerning about the payment options they prefer.

For instance, the proliferation of blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies has led many eCommerce sites to integrate these payment options into their sites through crypto payment processors.

So, if you want to ride the wave of e-commerce trends, you need to satisfy your customers’ needs. Here are some tips:

  • Ensure you offer the most popular payment methods
  • Introduce innovative payment methods
  • Ensure a fast and intuitive checkout process
  1. Providing a personalized experience will increase conversions

Every day, users are inundated with tons of information. Getting their attention is therefore quite challenging, especially if you provide them with impersonal content.

It has been demonstrated that offering a personalized experience to customers increases their interest in your business and increases conversion rates.

You can offer a personalized experience in many ways, and technology can help you achieve this goal.

If the users are logged into your website, you can welcome them using their first name. You can also recommend products based on the products they have previously viewed and suggest products that they might be interested in.

  1. Environmental concerns are on the rise

Concern about the environment is growing among people of all ages, including teenagers and adults.

The result is that online shoppers are paying more and more attention to how businesses produce and deliver their products. As a result, the way you manufacture, package, and deliver your products are all factors considered by buyers.

Users have shown that they are even willing to pay more for companies that use innovative sustainability strategies and methods to avoid pollution.

The above explains the importance of implementing sustainable initiatives in your eCommerce business. These tips will help you:

  • Consider using compostable materials in your products and packaging
  • Deliver your products in a sustainable way
  • Promote sustainable initiatives by partnering with other companies
  1. The popularity of voice search for online shopping will increase

Voice tools such as Alexa, the one provided by Amazon, are changing the way users make purchases and conduct research on the web.

Instead of typing, they use voice commands and let AI-powered technologies handle the work for them. All they have to do is pronounce the product or thing they’re looking for.

The use of these tools brings new techniques and strategies that business owners should implement. For example, the language people use when using voice tools is more conversational and informal in comparison with the one they use when typing.

As a result, eCommerce website owners must optimize their websites for voice search, implementing voice search optimization techniques.

These tips will help you make your eCommerce site voice search-friendly:

  • Focus on long-tail keywords and implement them
  • Ensure your content is conversational
  • Build detailed FAQs

Final thoughts

Online shoppers’ needs and technologies are constantly changing and evolving.

The odds of losing sales are higher if they’re not considered, and your business will likely suffer.

To avoid this from happening to your business, you should identify and implement on time the right trends for social media marketing and eCommerce, such as those listed in this article.

As a result, you will be able to improve your online business while also gaining a competitive advantage.

Thank you for reading this article. Hope you enjoyed it and found it useful.

To learn more about this topic, take a look at this article about how to improve the efficiency of your eCommerce store.

Flavia Silipo is a skilled SEO copywriter and digital marketing specialist with over two years of experience. You can find her on LinkedIn.