Over the course of the pandemic, social media engagement saw an increase of users and the length of time users spent on social media. Even though in-person interactions are resuming, customer behavior online has remained the same. This behavior change includes new ways of shopping, positively impacting eCommerce brands. Nowadays, users can make direct purchases through their social feeds.
Likewise, you must prepare engaging content to convert users into customers. So, what should your content calendar include when posting on social media for 2022? Does the 80/20 rule still work? Check out 4 trends we’re witnessing in the eCommerce industry for social media advertising.
What is The 80/20 Rule?
The 80/20 rule for social media posts says that 80% of your content should be educational, informative, or entertaining, and the last 20% can be promotional. As the last Baby Boomers are hitting retirement, younger generations, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are increasingly turning to social media to engage with brands, find entertainment, and catch up on trends.
Depending on your industry, the concept of the 80/20 rule is still true. However, you should research to see if the split in your industry is actually 70/30, 50/50 or something else. Research the behavior of your target demographic because your content should match their needs.
With that being said, it’s still important to provide your followers with entertaining, informative content. Diversifying your content is a proven method to stay top-of-mind for consumers.
1. Social Commerce
If you weren’t shopping online before the pandemic, odds are that you are now. If you shopped online before 2020, you are using even more platforms to shop more frequently.
The consumer shopping experience has changed. Brick-and-mortar stores are now offering online shipping, in-person take-out service, and curbside service, in addition to the traditional physical storefront procedures. And that includes the recent addition of social commerce.
Social commerce is shopping without leaving your social media site. Facebook shops are good examples of this type of feature. Shops can be set up to sell within the Facebook app, or to link back to your ecommerce store. Shoppers can visit your shop without ever leaving Facebook.
2. Adding Content Pillars & Clusters
What is a content pillar? SEMrush says,
Pillar pages provide a substantive amount of information that can be divided into numerous formats such as ultimate guides, longreads, hub pages, e-books, and more. For digital marketers, it is an opportunity to create a better user experience and be rewarded by search engines with high-level, authoritative content.
The essence of a content pillar is a thorough, well-researched content hub that displays your authority in your field. It’s a “mini-encyclopedia” or a thorough guide on one topic written to optimize for a single keyword. The content on the pillar can be broken down and further discussed on cluster pages that are linked to the pillar page, and vice versa. The cluster pages can be posted on your website or social media. At the very least, your social media content should include posts linked to your content pillar.
It’s likely you will have more than one content pillar and cluster. You can A/B test which content pillars are getting the best traction on each social media site to determine where to focus your time. Audit your current content to see if any of it can be turned into a content pillar.
3. Video and voice technology
As smartphones add technology capability, social media feeds will move towards more audio-visual posts that include video, live video, voice, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR). You can see this happening now as more social media feeds are filled with short video and live video. Smartphone technology makes it so easy to take a video, that you can record it from literally anywhere with your phone, and upload it to your social media feed for followers to see.
Voice or audio technology is on a similar path, shown by the growing number of podcasts added in 2021. According to PodcastInsights, there are over 2 million podcasts as of 2021, compared to 500,000 in 2018.
AR and VR are just at the beginning of their growing trend. As mobile devices gain this technology, so will social media.
In the future, these developing technologies will become readily available to social media users, and more people will want to use them to share with followers.
5. Creative Influencers
The concept of using influencers isn’t new. Brands have been using influencers to target niche markets on social media for years. Influencer Marketing Hub states that:
Influencers in social media are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their views.
However, Creators, a new category of influencer, emerged during the pandemic. With limited ability to gather in large groups for classes, events, or volunteering, creators have developed unique followings. Their followers are looking for things to occupy their time and stay as social as possible while staying at home.
Creators differ slightly from traditional influencers, who rely on experiencing the world around them, by producing original materials using these tools. The pandemic has changed what influences are valuable on the go. As a result, creators have gained a sizable follower count in a world with limited gathering options during the pandemic.
Pierre DuBois states in CMS Wire that creators can demonstrate the benefit of a solution, reaching a new micro-niche audience.
Ready to build a quality content calendar for social media?
The past two years have been rollercoaster rides for many business owners. We may find that the ride isn’t quite over during 2022. But, throughout this time, the internet and digital marketing can grow uninterrupted, as a haven for users, and a path for businesses to reach their target audiences.
Social media is positioned to keep growing in 2022, so you need to find the best mix of content for your business to engage and grow your audience. Build your collection of authoritative content using a diverse group of media, so your audience can choose their favorite way to engage. That means working with more than just text content. You need to expand your content to include video, live video, voice, and as technology improves, AR and VR.
Are you ready to lay out your content calendar for social media for 2022? Contact us to learn more and get started planning your social media calendar.