This year saw the growth of new players in the world of social media. TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest are gaining attention among marketers. And in light of so much growth, 2022 will likely challenge marketers to diversify and get more creative with how they do social advertising.
This week, Rock Content will begin to publish a series of articles and interviews about key trends in social media in 2022 to help you plan for the year ahead. This content has been created in partnership with Hootsuite, and is focused on the findings of their Social Trends 2022 report, in which they interviewed 18,100 marketers and interviewed experts from around the industry.
This first article is about one of the most interesting findings in the report: emerging social channels are challenging marketers to get more creative with social ads.
Hootsute’s study shows the perceived effectiveness of Snapchat (+1,200%), TikTok (+700%), and Pinterest (+140%) for advertising skyrocketed among marketers.
Just take a look at the comparison between this and last year’s responses to the question “What social platforms do you consider the most effective for reaching your business goals?”
TikTok is making a huge noise
TikTok reached 1 billion users in September and is expected to grow to 1.5 billion in the next year. It is becoming dominant among a younger generation with an entertainment feed that showcases users’ friends, idols, and influencers in creative video scenarios, like dancing and making jokes.
According to Forrester, 63% of US Gen Z youth (ages 12–17) use TikTok. A year ago, that number was 50%. And Snapchat, which we’ll discuss soon, retained its user base at 54% between 2020 and 2021. Take a look:
Snapchat and Pinterest are also shining!
As TikTok continues to grow, two other platforms have shown considerable growth during the past two years: Snapchat and Pinterest.
What do they have in common? They both contend that the best advertising is more organic and appears natural within users’ feeds.
Snapchat was launched in the middle of the last decade. It’s a mobile app where users can share photos, videos, and educational content. This platform is most used by the Generation Z demographic. The service has been growing at a rate of 20% quarter over quarter.
Pinterest was launched more than ten years ago and it continues to specialize in inspirational content. Pinterest’s user base aligns with those that seek curated decor, design, and lifestyle influences. It’s a platform on which content is easily shareable between other Pinterest users and across other social media channels. So, like Google, the search feature is integral to the platform’s success.
This characteristic is what led to Pinterest’s growth during the pandemic. As people were in lockdown, they started to use shop more online. And, if they couldn’t visit physical stores, Pinterest brought them an online alternative. The social media service grew by 100 million users.
Make content, not ads!
TikTok, Snapchat and Pinterest have a huge focus on content in common, particularly when it comes to advertising. TikTok’s tagline for their marketing arm is “Don’t make ads. Make TikToks.”.
Pinterest encourages advertisers to “Stop interrupting. Start inspiring.”.
Snapchat wants brands to “Become a part of Snapchatters’ everyday conversations.”.
Of course, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest have paid ad platforms that can boost the reach advertisers’ content. Their discourse, however, encourages brands to be part of the conversation.
At Rock Content, we believe that content is an incredible approach for marketing. In the US, for instance, 70% of the people prefer to get information about a company or product from content, according to Demand Metric.
When these emerging social media networks ask brands to create a conversation, they look for natural interaction, like an influencer participating in some sponsored challenge on TikTok, or a brand sponsoring sofas on Pinterest while the users look for inspirational home decor.
There are some brands doing a good job with their more native content:
NBA
On Twitter, the NBA focuses on news. On TikTok, the league chooses comedy and memes.
Subway
The fast-food company wanted to raise awareness about its new sandwich and, using emojis on Snapchat, their reach grew 25%.
Tesco
The supermarkets’ chain uses its Pinterest account to share recipes that can be made with products sold in its stores. The channel is divided by seasons, ingredients, and occasions.
Want to get started?
Consider what people are doing within the channel on which your audience is present. The success of all content marketing depends on balancing your brand and audience’s interests.
Want to get more tips on how to implement your social strategy? I suggest you access Hootsuite’s Social Trends 2022 report. You can also take a look at the other trends on the incredible interactive experience that they published.
Next week, in this special series, we are going to discuss how brands are working with creators to improve their audience, build trust, and grow awareness. See you there!
