2022 Social Media Trends Report: Social Media Decentralisation
3-minute read
The team at Content Republic recently read the Social Media Trends 2022 Report by Talkwalker and Hubspot.
We’ve unpacked the report’s top trends and key takeaways to deliver them straight to you!
One trend is all about the decentralisation of social media, where brands incorporate social components directly into their user experience. Here’s a quick peek at what you need to know before we dive deep into the article:
We’ve unpacked the report’s top trends and key takeaways to deliver them straight to you!
One trend is all about the decentralisation of social media, where brands incorporate social components directly into their user experience. Here’s a quick peek at what you need to know before we dive deep into the article:
- Brands will lead in social media decentralisation
- Consumers want to connect, so let them
- Centralise your customer data
Make UX your go-to for everything - Be aware of control, content, and censorship
Trend: Brands will lead in social media decentralisation
The most important things about social media – socialising, connection, maintaining relationships – are the very things that COVID-19 made that much more complicated. To counter it, brands need to double down on making sure their platforms, apps, and channels include a social component to them.
Communities are key, but they’re not just limited to the main social media platforms anymore. Many brands are now building their own in-house social networks, with in-app forums and features to take back control of their audiences. Decentralised social media has a different infrastructure with no central server and no company controlling the site.
The coming year will see a continuation of brands leading the way with a stronger interaction aspect to the customer experience.
Communities are key, but they’re not just limited to the main social media platforms anymore. Many brands are now building their own in-house social networks, with in-app forums and features to take back control of their audiences. Decentralised social media has a different infrastructure with no central server and no company controlling the site.
The coming year will see a continuation of brands leading the way with a stronger interaction aspect to the customer experience.
Trend Analysis
Moving into 2022, consumers will continue interacting through social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. However, it’s likely that we’ll begin to see more brands – specifically those in the travel, payment, and navigation space – incorporate social components directly into their user experience.
When consumers are able to interact with their social group in an app, the overall engagement and retention increases. Now they don’t have to go to their favourite social media channel to comment on that blocked road or message their friend thank you for paying for last night’s dinner; they can do so directly in these applications.
When consumers are able to interact with their social group in an app, the overall engagement and retention increases. Now they don’t have to go to their favourite social media channel to comment on that blocked road or message their friend thank you for paying for last night’s dinner; they can do so directly in these applications.
How consumers are driving the trend
Consumers no longer see you as a brand but as a connection. Expecting not just a service from you, but a way to interact, engage, and communicate. The option for brands is to either allow those interactions to happen offsite, through forums and social media, or to keep it within their own platform. This enables brands to better shape the conversations happening around them, while also gathering valuable data and insights around their consumer base.
A social element within your products/platforms will be key in the coming years and help build that feeling of a brand community.
A social element within your products/platforms will be key in the coming years and help build that feeling of a brand community.
Key Takeaways
1. Consumers want to connect, so let them
If you’re going to introduce a social aspect to your brand, don’t overcomplicate it. Take cues from how your audience interacts on their favourite social media platforms to better understand the type of social element they might want to see coming from your brand.
Use consumer insights and reference competitors or industry leaders to see how others are succeeding or flopping.
Use consumer insights and reference competitors or industry leaders to see how others are succeeding or flopping.
2. Centralise your customer data
To help build stronger communities, collate all your available customer data to get a more comprehensive understanding of what your consumers want. This will help shape your messaging and strategy.
3. Make UX your go-to for everything
Whether you’re adding a comment section to a feature or expanding the possibilities of a messaging board, user experience is vital. If something doesn’t flow quite right or the overall process is less than smooth, consumers will jump ship before you even have a chance to get going.
4. Be aware of control, content, and censorship
If you do look into the benefits of your own social network, you need to keep the pros and cons front and centre. Users will have more control, will be less likely to accept censorship over their content, and UGC will reign supreme.
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