As 2021 draws to a close, it feels like a good time to look ahead and make some predictions about where social media is heading in the New Year.

Based on this year’s trends we can be pretty confident about some of our forecasts. The rise of TikTok and short-form video is already underway. Shopping via social is clearly going to be a focus for all platforms, and based on experience from overseas, live-shopping is the next logical step.

Where things get a little cloudier, is what’s going to happen with the Metaverse and VR. Not even Mr Zuckerberg seems 100% on how it’s going to evolve. Likewise, the global pandemic is still playing out, and there may be more disruption to come. But for now, let’s just focus on social media and how the Insight experts think next year’s going to shape up.

Still king

Facebook is an obvious place to start. It still holds the crown for the world’s largest social platform with over 2.9 billion users. However the previously untouchable network has hit some speedbumps; Legislative challenges, allegations of social harm, spread of misinformation, and losing touch with younger audiences. Of course they’re not taking any of this lying down. Facebook is expanding into new markets and in 2022 we expect to see privacy and other issues being addressed. As we were writing this, Facebook introduced the option to disable the algorithm which dictates what appears in feed, giving users more control about what they see.

As part of the push for privacy, we expect avatars to become more widely used and promoted by Facebook. Given the imminent arrival of new 3D realms, your virtual representation will become increasingly important. As a brand, why you should you care? Because hugely popular online worlds like Roblox and Fortnite make most of their multi-million-dollar incomes from selling in-game cosmetic add-ons for digital identities. So in theory you could soon be selling virtual versions of your products for use in virtual worlds. Which leads us nicely to Meta.

The Meta-whatnow?

You may have heard the company that owns Facebook has rebranded to Meta to reflect their huge investment in VR (virtual reality). They’re banking on this being the next big thing – as big as the invention of the internet itself. What are our thoughts? Don’t worry, there’s still a long way to go. Previous attempts haven’t caught on. Second Life still exists but like the games mentioned above, it’s a LONG way from being a social media platform for the masses. And the tech you’ll need to visit virtual worlds, is still in its infancy. We’ve tried a couple and are yet to find one that doesn’t make us seasick. It’s worth noting here though, that VR is different from AR. Augmented reality is a huge growth area that we’re expecting to thrive in the coming year. More on that in a sec.

In-stream shopping

Of huge relevance to all marketers, Facebook, Instagram and others are starting to make use of in-stream shopping. You will absolutely see that expanding in 2022 with more shoppable posts, streamlined payments, and live-shopping. Live-shopping (or live-commerce) basically means viewers can watch video and shop at the same time, as well as participate with chat and reaction buttons. This is a rapidly growing trend and one that Insight is paying close attention to. Moving on:

Instagram, also owned by Meta, is now a mature platform that’s still growing in popularity. We love IG because it’s quick to jump on trends and in 2022 you can be sure they’ll be giving eCommerce a big push. We’re going to go out on a limb and say this year will be the year they’ll make all objects in all posts shoppable via machine learning and object identification. Ok that’s a stretch, but for sure they’ll add product search by image along with product discovery buttons and start pushing live-shopping.

For Reels

Of particular interest to Insight and our customers, Reels is IG’s fastest growing feature. We strongly suspect there’ll be a Stories/Reels home screen option coming soon. You’ll still be able to post stills, you’ll just be sharing them to Stories which remain on your profile and the feed will become a mix of Stories and Reels. If you would like to get ahead of this change or want know more about the opportunities for your business, give us a call.

A final note on IG; In preparation for the Metaverse, we think Instagram will become the AR portal for Facebook. What that means is, you can expect more AR support and some very cool content in the near future. And speaking of AR, does all this mean AR glasses will finally take off in 2022?

No. We’re willing to bet our crystal ball on it. There are too many barriers to overcome for now – not least of which, is how they look. Google Glass was undeniably nerdy and Snapchat’s Spectacles looked like a Tesla Cybertruck for your face. Products like Ray-Ban Stories look better and integrate with Facebook. But for now AR glasses are a toe in the water, paving the way for what’s to come. Insight expect to see AR glasses being pushed harder in 2022, but don’t foresee anyone actually wearing them. Because the other problem is privacy – and that’s a big one.

AR’s going to be huge

So we’re writing off glasses for now, but 2022 is going to bring lot more AR on phones as the web evolves to become more interactive and immersive. With more capable cameras, sensors and tracking tech such as Lidar, the smartphone has become a powerful visual tool to help people explore the world around them.

As a business, you’re now able to use a phone’s camera to overlay content onto a user’s physical surroundings. Imagine your customers being able to place 3D objects, such as furniture, in their own space. You can already try on makeup or clothes virtually, or see how a new car will look in your garage. It’s our firm belief that AR is not just a fad or passing trend. It can be used to educate potential customers, drive engagement and guide people along the path to purchase.

Back to platforms: Twitter has always struggled to pay its creators fairly. Premium options such as Twitter Blue haven’t caught on but expect to see them have another go in 2022. Twitter Spaces? Mmm…maybe. They’ll also follow the trends to short form video, eCommerce and in-stream buying. One difference might be that Twitter are leaning towards crypto payments. The new management sees crypto as a good way to push into developing markets. Twitter will also try to push NFTs in the New Year, but that’s a discussion for another day.

We think Snapchat is one to watch in 2022. Like everyone else, they’re getting into short-form video, trying to lure content makers – and losing to TikTok. They don’t have the resources of the major players but Snapchat has shown themselves to be more in touch with their audience than other platforms. Like Meta, they imagine themselves becoming an AR company – which isn’t too far-fetched. They have a relationship with Apple, and if they collab on AR glasses, things could change quickly.

Here’s a prophecy for you: Pinterest is going to make a comeback – not that it ever went away. Unlike many other platforms, it grew in popularity during pandemic. And of course, they’ll be jumping on the bandwagon, adding short-form video. They’re also working on integrating AR – so for example, you’ll be able to place an item in your home virtually after seeing a pin on interior design. This seems like a natural fit for Pinterest and eCommerce options including live-shopping will likely follow. Pinterest currently has about 500 million users, 64% of whom are female.

We’ve already mentioned TikTok. They’re currently the shiny new thing, now rivalling Instagram with over a billion users. Monetising is their challenge, so we’ll be seeing more in-stream buying and revenue share options in 2022, creating more opportunities for creators and brands. They’ll also integrate live-shopping. As TikTok’s feed algorithm is very good at showing you more of what you like, we’re pretty sure they’ll start to apply this to products, then it won’t be a big leap to TikTok shops.

Linkedin will continue to grow slowly. We think they’ll try to own more of the live-stream market (think Zoom) with video connection options for interviews and Linkedin Events. As they just acquired Jumprope, a how-to video platform, it seems a sure bet that they’ll be getting into more professional video training – perhaps late 2022. But mainly, steady as she goes.

Then there’s Twitch, Clubhouse, Discord, Caffeine, Quora, Telegram, MeWe, Parler, Reddit, Houseparty, Tumblr, Nextdoor, Vero and many, many more. Will a new platform appear to challenge TikTok’s rise? Will the Metaverse take over the social media world? Who knows, but one thing’s for sure, 2022 is going to be an interesting year for social media. As always, Insight are here to help keep you ahead of the game. We hope you’ve enjoyed our little glimpse into the near future. And if there’s anything we’ve alluded to here that you’d like to talk to us about, feel free to give us a call.