According to an April 2022 study, there are 4.65 billion social media users worldwide.
This means that 58.7% of people worldwide are social media users.
Moreover, new social media apps and platforms are constantly emerging, trying to captivate a section of users worldwide.
As a social media manager or content marketer, this can be difficult to keep up with — and a little overwhelming.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you keep track of this year’s top social media trends, as well as new and important platforms and apps on the horizon.
Social media trends in 2022
With major social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram ranking high in monthly users, shifting your focus to new social media platforms can be challenging.
The rise of live streaming services such as Facebook Watch and YouTube Live has helped drive further growth for major apps and platforms.
Audio-based social networking is another social media trend that is becoming more popular and is being added to both established and newer apps.
Audio-based communities allow users to share music, discuss various topics, and create playlists.
These communities are built around specific artists or artists and encourage interaction between their users.
We’ll talk more about the new apps that use this new feature in a moment.
SEO strategies that use major platforms to generate organic growth are useful to keep in mind when growing your audience on those platforms.
Since social media is a key tool for businesses to connect with customers, it is essential to create dynamic and informed strategies.
Each platform and app offers something different and is worth checking out if you’re looking to get ahead when it comes to growing brand awareness and customer engagement.
To help you stay on top of what’s happening on social media, we’ve compiled a shortlist of 10 platforms and apps you might want to keep an eye on in the coming months.
10 new social media platforms and apps
1. TikTok
TikTok has quickly become a major player with its detailed algorithms and unique content creation capabilities. In 2020 and 2021, TikTok was the fastest growing social media app in the US
Although it was originally released in 2016, the stable release or production release (where most of the bugs were finally fixed) was in October 2021.
Within months, the app exploded.
By the end of 2021, this new app had 1 billion monthly users worldwide.
If you’re not familiar with it, TikTok is a short-form video platform where people can create and share video content anywhere from 15 seconds to 10 minutes in length.
These days, it’s not uncommon to hear someone say, “Hey, have you seen that TikTok where …”
It has become an easily connected platform where content often goes viral.
For this reason, brands and influencers have capitalized on TikTok to market products and build a brand following.
This has also led to the acquisition of TikTok, which allows users to purchase products without having to leave the app.
2. Disputes
When it comes to community management and engagement, Discord is the newest platform catching people’s attention.
Discord already has 150 million monthly active users.
A bit like Zoom, users can communicate via voice chat or messaging and screen sharing.
This platform is a community powered IP (VoIP) application where users can create their own server to communicate with others and send their chat invite links.
Discord also allows you to better control the alert functions for people in your group and assign roles to people so that no one is overwhelmed by notifications.
Some people say it offers better chat functionality than Skype or Slack.
Discord has been slowly transitioning from a gamer-centric platform to incorporating opportunities for businesses.
One important thing to note for marketers and brands is that Discord allows for first-party data tracking.
These are also numerous features for collaboration and the potential to tag customers for events and during conversations.
3. Trembling
Twitch is a live streaming service that originally specialized in video games and esports. It has since expanded to offer creative content of all kinds.
Owned by Amazon, many of the internet’s top influencers depend on Twitch as their primary source of income. There are multiple monetization options, such as advertising and monthly subscription income.
With 140 million monthly active users, Twitch is another platform that brands should pay attention to for marketing opportunities.
To compete with Twitch, YouTube added new Twitch-like features, such as membership moments creating incentives for users.
Content on Twitch spans multiple industries and topics such as gaming, music, sports, travel, food, beverage and special events – creating a variety of ways for marketers to reach their target market.
Brands have started partnering with Twitch streamers to help promote products and share tips for their live stream.
Another marketing strategy that brands use on this platform is to display banner and video ads to help increase their brand awareness.
4. Instagram scrolls
Instagram is already an incredibly popular social media platform with over 1 billion monthly active users.
But within the platform is a newer feature, Instagram Reels, which allows users to share videos with multiple 15–60 second clips with different audio and effects – similar to TikTok.
Brands and social media managers can easily share scrolls with followers on their profiles.
These reels can be permanently displayed on their Instagram profile.
In addition, marketers can use Instagram Reels’ algorithms to improve their Instagram content strategy.
If you want to find out the best ways to use Instagram Reels for business, then check out this how-to guide.
5. Patreon
There are over 8 million monthly active users on Patreon.
And even though Patreon has been around since 2013, it’s only become popular in the last couple of years.
This platform allows brands and creators to produce exclusive content for their followers.
Through Patreon, creators offer monthly subscriptions that give people access to different types of content and rewards, divided into different monthly membership levels.
Many freelancers and brands use Patreon to promote and manage their subscriptions to their podcasts and other content.
This is a great platform to create a steady stream of income from subscribers and an easy way to monetize your content.
With straightforward navigation across the platform, creators can easily manage content and subscriptions.
6. Spaces on Twitter
As most know, Twitter is a widely used social media platform with over 229 million daily active users.
But Spaces on Twitterwhich launched in 2020, is a new feature of the already beloved app that allows users to have live audio chats on Twitter.
For those brands and influencers with an active Twitter following, it’s a great way to interact with followers and share updates directly, creating a wider discussion area.
Teams within a brand can even co-host a live event and add up to 10 additional speakers to create more engaging events.
For Twitter Spaces, users can contribute by entering messages or sending emojis, creating a more inclusive sense of community.
Additionally, Twitter Spaces are a great place to educate your followers about upcoming promotions or products.
7. Spotify Greenroom
Spotify Greenroom was introduced in 2021, adding a unique feature to the popular Spotify platform.
Spotify has a massive monthly active user base of 422 million, making it a strong competitor among the growing platforms.
Spotify Greenroom creates a space where followers can listen to music and podcasts live.
It also creates an area for listeners to connect and chat.
Spotify is a great and effective platform for brands to include ads.
In addition, the Spotify Greenroom caters to listeners with diverse interests, meaning there are opportunities for a wide range of brands.
For example, Neutrogena, Pizza Hut, Samsung and LinkedIn (to name a few) use Spotify for advertising.
But it’s not just for big brands.
A mix of small and large brands have used Spotify to market their services and products.
8. Caffeine
Caffeine is a live streaming service for gaming, sports and entertainment brands and enthusiasts.
Founded in 2016, it grew slowly before its preliminary release in 2018.
Caffeine has gained popularity among artists such as Offset and NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster.
This is an easy-to-use platform where users can watch live programs and chat about what’s happening. Additionally, users can watch major programs like FOX Sports, ESPN and college sports live on the platform.
Since Caffeine has received $294 million in funding, it’s worth keeping the app on your radar as it develops further.
As the platform evolves, marketers will have more opportunities to grow their audience and promote their products.
9. Supernova
Supernova is a social media platform with a charitable twist.
It donates 60% of ad revenue to charities chosen by users with the goal of creating an inclusive community.
Supernova is one of the newest apps on the horizon, launching in December 2021.
It is marketed as an ethical alternative to Facebook and Instagram, as it uses human moderators to maintain a positive and inclusive environment.
Users on this platform can choose charitable causes to support, such as mental health reform and climate change.
When a user’s post receives a ‘Like’ on the platform, a portion of the “Supernova Action Fund” (which is funded by Supernova’s advertising partners) is donated to a charity of their choice.
If giving back is vital to your brand, then you might want to think about how you can get involved with this new form of charitable social media.
10. The club
Another new platform to watch out for is Clubhouse, a social audio hangout app where you can meet new people and discuss your favorite topics.
Clubhouse has 10 million weekly active users worldwide.
Users can follow celebrities and entertainers such as Malcolm Gladwell, Oprah, Ashton Kutcher and Drake.
This platform is a great place for marketers to learn about social media and marketing tips and trends, and find new communities to connect with on the platform.
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Staying on top of these new platforms and apps can help your brand better connect with your existing communities and find new ones.
They are also a great way to market your brand and build brand awareness.
Be sure to keep SEJ on your radar to stay on top of the newest marketing trends, useful apps and platforms on the market.
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