Social media trends may shift drastically from year to year, as with any marketing, and this is still true in 2021. Marketers must stay one step ahead of each social network’s evolution if they want to maintain their existing success rates.

However, how can you know which tactic will help you this year when there are so many conflicting views, both good and negative? And on what platforms should you concentrate the majority of your efforts?

Trust, pay-to-play, and video on Facebook
The epidemic made 2020 difficult for the most widely used social media platform in the world. Additionally, it encountered a number of privacy difficulties, such as the well reported Cambridge Analytica incident in 2018 and the unauthorized use of almost 90 million Facebook accounts to attempt to influence the election.

Due of this, many Facebook users started to be suspicious of the network. Other social media sites took advantage of this by curating authentic, open, and individualized communication for their users.

So, in 2022, who stands to gain from this channel?

video producers.

Videos are expected to rule social media in 2021, and Facebook has already changed its algorithm to reflect this. They also unveiled Facebook for Creators.

You may create video content for Facebook’s social network by joining the new group known as Facebook for Creators. Additionally, it links you with followers and provides you access to superior insights. It may also be used to reply to remarks on Facebook and Instagram.

Social advertisements, vertical videos, and tales are available on Facebook Instagram
Instagram has emerged as the preferred venue for advertising on Stories and the news stream as Facebook becomes more crowded.

Given that Instagram has such a strong return on investment for so many different businesses, it is quite probable that this trend will continue in 2022.

Instagram Stories also let advertisers share dynamic content and story with their audience as it continues to develop.

The popularity of this storytelling tool increased significantly in 2018, with 400 million active Stories users. And it will only increase in the next months and year, especially with Instagram’s introduction of IGTV. This enables consumers to see lengthy videos on Instagram from their preferred companies or artists.

Vero: Influencer marketing and authenticity
Because there are no algorithms dictating what you see and there are no adverts at the moment, Vero is being labeled the “genuine” social network.

Since Vero allows users to publish a variety of material with their followers, Instagram is its main opponent.

Despite having launched back in 2015, Vero didn’t really start to take off until the beginning of last year (gathering half a million users in just 24 hours). Additionally, it is a strong competitor for the next year as its user base keeps expanding.

How may it be useful to you?
Vero is a fully organic platform where you know viewers will see your content since there is no algorithm. If it is especially difficult for you to establish momentum on Instagram, this will be quite helpful to you. You may also use it as a research tool to learn what your clients want and to gain ideas for your subsequent social media campaign.

As users may share their material with four separate groups—close friends, friends, acquaintances, and followers—Vero also fits in nicely with the rising privacy concerns.

Short-form video app TikTok
TikTok, formerly known as Musical.ly, calls itself the destination for short-form films. By making it simple for users to record and share films and add stickers, filters, and other effects, the firm hopes to encourage everyone to become a maker.

These films’ rough appearance attracts to younger viewers and contributes to the platform’s genuineness.

Why should you pay attention to this social media platform?
Toward the end of last year, the number of active users increased from 100 million to over 130 million, and the number of U.S. downloads increased by 25% (compared to a global increase of 20%). In terms of media app downloads, it outperformed Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

TikTok not only fills the gap left by Vine, a well-known video website, but it also offers advertisers the chance to produce content that younger consumers are eager to connect with.

TikTok is also the best method to generate snappy pieces of short-form content without having to spend too much time toiling over a video editor since it makes it simple for you to create and edit your videos.

Lasso: Facebook-sourced short video
Lasso is another video-based social networking platform, but it is still worthwhile to visit, particularly in light of how prevalent this kind of material has grown to be. Additionally, Lasso, a Facebook subsidiary, is a direct rival to TikTok.

Lasso allows you to upload videos with a 15 second time restriction and add your favorite music to play in the background.

Can we have two applications for short-form video?
Perhaps. According to Facebook’s most recent announcement, short-form video dominates the social networking landscape, and TikTok poses a significant challenge. As a marketer, you may thus want to experiment with both of these websites, hedging your bets until you figure out which one will be more well-liked by your particular target market.

It’s important to remember that Facebook has already “cloned” social networks. Facebook developed Slingshot in an effort to compete with Snapchat. But Slingshot vanished from the App Store after barely over a year.

Byte: Looping video
Keep a watch out for the byte that debuted in the spring of 2019.

This is a 6.5-second looping short-form video platform created by Dom Hofmann, the creator of Vine.

Conclusion
Even if the most widely used social media platforms today still have their advantages, it’s obvious that people want interactions that are more open, individualized, and participatory.

Users may begin looking at other social media platforms as Facebook’s security issues worsen and Instagram’s growing quantity of adverts and algorithmic changes get criticism. Additionally, you should make both long- and short-form videos as part of the process.

But you must be cautious not to overextend yourself and choose the outlets you believe would best serve your target audience.