Social Media in 2022: Updates & tips for your business
Introduction
Social media has changed drastically over the past decade, and it’s only going to change more in 2022. There are a number of new platforms that have emerged that will be popular by then, some of which you may not be familiar with now. But don't worry—we've got your back! This article is all about the algorithm updates and tips you need for Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok in 2022.
But first: What are algorithms used for?
Algorithms that control how your content appears in social media are channel-specific artificial intelligence-powered recommendation systems.
Social media algorithms, on the other hand, are all different. Their goal, however, is usually to boost the amount of time people spend on the site by providing them with material that is extremely relevant to them. It's for this reason that all algorithms generally examine users' interests in order to provide them with useful content that they are more likely to engage with.
Social media sites are always looking for ways to keep their users engaged, so what you post should be interesting. It needs to be engaging enough that the viewer will want to click on it and share it with other people who might also enjoy or benefit from it. If this doesn't happen, your posts may end up not being visible to anyone else.
Algorithm updates are made when they are no longer effective, so it's important to stay ahead of the curve in order to get your content in front of the people you want to see it. It's an ever-changing landscape that can be hard to navigate on your own, which is why this article will help you understand the basics of these five social media platforms and how they can help grow your business.
Now, let's talk about the different algorithms that control what you see in different social media platforms:
Introduce the social media platforms that will be popular in 2022
It's no secret that social media is constantly evolving. What was popular a few years ago may not be as popular today, and what is popular today may not be as popular in the future. In order to stay ahead of the curve, it's important to familiarize yourself with the platforms that will be most popular in 2022. So, without further ado, here are the five social media platforms you should know about!
Instagram is a fun and creative platform that allows users to take photos, apply filters, add various captions, use hashtags, link with other social media platforms, and more. According to Instagram themselves, the app is mainly used for "sharing moments with friends through pictures." Because this platform can be so creative in nature, it's important to note that it can be beneficial in some industries but less so in others. For example, if you are a restaurant looking to get your name out there, Instagram could work especially well…but if you're a dentist? Maybe not so much.
Twitter is an American online news and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as "tweets". These messages were originally restricted to 140 characters, but on November 7, 2017, the limit was doubled for all languages except Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Twitter is a great way for businesses to get their name out there by sharing engaging content that others will want to share…as long as it's not anything offensive or spammy. This can be a great way to build up your brand and gain followers who will see the content your share.
LinkedIn is a business and employment-oriented service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Founded on December 28, 2002, and launched on May 5, 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. This includes providing services for companies to find the right employees, for professionals to connect with other professionals in their industry, and for individuals to manage their own professional identity. Because it is a business-oriented platform, this is great for any company looking to get their name out there or who wants to hire new talent!
Facebook is an American for-profit corporation and online social media and social networking service based in Menlo Park, California. Facebook has over 2 billion monthly active users on the site, which makes it one of the largest social networks worldwide! It's also one of the largest marketing platforms for businesses, which means that it can be an incredible way to get your business in front of the people you want to see it. Facebook also helps by sending more traffic to your website!
TikTok is the "new kid on the block" but with over 500 million users worldwide, it's an app that you need to know about. TikTok has become one of the hottest apps on download and is quickly becoming a must-have. Because it's such a hot, new platform, it would be beneficial to consider using this for your business if it meshes well with what you're trying to accomplish.
Now that we know which five social media platforms will most likely be the most popular moving through 2022, let's talk about the different algorithms controlling what you see on each platform.
Updates for each platform
The right way to use Instagram for your business in 2022
Instagram bases its post ranking on six ranking signals:
Interests
The social ranking engine tries to display material to its users that they are likely to react with, such as a comment, a like, or saving it.
Communication with other users
Instagram is likely to display material from other individuals with whom the user interacts frequently. To achieve this, the algorithm considers elements such as: Do the two accounts tag one another, like or comment on each other's content, communicate with one another, search for each other by name, and/or follow one another.
Timeliness
The Instagram algorithm is designed to keep up with current trends. It's why it displays fresh and relevant material to users.
Number of Follows
The algorithm takes several factors into account to determine which material to display. If someone follows a lot of clothing brands, for example, the algorithm prioritizes content from accounts that the user has been most engaged with.
Frequency of App Use
The more someone uses the IG app, the more fresh material they'll see. If a person does not use the app as frequently, on the other hand, the algorithm will display content relevant to their interests so that they remain on it.
Session Time
This is comparable to the previous point, but it focuses on how much time people spend on the app during a single session. Simply said, if someone spends more time per session, he or she will see all of the posts.
Here are some ways to capitalize on Instagram to maximize ROI
If you want to grow on Instagram, you need to make content that interests your target audience. It's impossible to grow without accomplishing this.
Engage with your followers. You can't follow everyone back, but you can reply to people who comment on your posts and send DMs. This way, you will talk to them and they will know more about what you post.
Posting on social media is good. Post twice per week is good rule-of-thumb
Use the right hashtags to help you find people who are interested in the same thing. To use a hashtag on Instagram, you put a # sign in front of it. For example, if I want to post a picture of my favorite food and use the hashtag #foodie, then I would type "#foodie" in the caption.
You should get different types of content for your readers. For example, make sure to include videos and memes in addition to carousels.
Encourage people to buy your products by asking them questions, holding contests, and doing giveaways. You can also use hashtags so people will share pictures of your product with you.
The right way to use Twitter for your business in 2022
Latest Tweets - shows tweets based on the chronological order versus;
Home timeline tweets will show you tweets based on what interests you and other criteria we'll discuss below.
Customizable timeline - The user can create a timeline with pre-defined periods and the custom timelines you design through the use of Twitter Lists. Within this customized timeline, tweets may be viewed in either chronological sequence or in a personalized home timeline style.
Trends - The blue-bird network can show up in many places, including the home timeline. The blue-bird network occasionally offers context for why something is popular.
Topics - The Twitter algorithm uses a variety of signals to determine which topics you should see. You may always pick Topics to view more material from and explain to Twitter the ones you don't care about.
Who to follow (i.e. suggested accounts) - These suggested accounts are based on promoted accounts, your Twitter activity, location, and contacts if you've uploaded them to the network.
Aside from the above, Twitter relevance scores will give you content based on: recency, relevance, number likes/retweets/comments, user account engagement, follower count and location, and media type (GIF, poll, graphic, etc).
Here are some ways to capitalize on Twitter to maximize ROI
Tweet regularly keeping self-promotion to a minimum
Tweet when your audience is active
Engage with your followers
Make sure to use keywords in your content
Include rich media in your tweets
The right way to use LinkedIn for your business in 2022
The LinkedIn algorithm, like other social media algorithms, values the amount of time users spend on the app. How is this done? By presenting them with material that is relevant to their interests and that they are likely to respond to. Here's what to consider:
Engagement
On LinkedIn, comments have more weight than reactions. Reactions are more crucial than shares, and the algorithm places material accordingly. It also spreads content that gets a lot of comments over content that attracts a lot of reactions because it calculates this according to the number of comments and responses.
Content Relevance
The way in which people use the platform is carefully studied through data mining, with the goal of generating better insights and understanding. The site's users are tracked via user analytics, which include reading their postings, individuals, groups, and hashtags they engage with. In fact, whatever consumers do on the site is used to determine their interests in order to create more personalized experiences.
Groups play a huge role in determining what content you are exposed to on LinkedIn, so be sure to join groups that relate to your business. If you need help finding relevant groups, LinkedIn's Groups Directory is an excellent tool for locating the right networks. You can search by category or keyword, or just perform a general search.
Connections
The LinkedIn algorithm takes into account the number of Connections a user has. The professional network displays material to users depending on how close their Connection is (first, second, or third-degree connection).
The more connections you have on LinkedIn, the more likely your material will be seen by a wider audience. Users are also more likely to see more content from you if they engage with a particular LinkedIn creator – regardless of their Connection degree.
Here are some ways to capitalize on LinkedIn to maximize ROI
Build your network - Connect with people in your industry. Like their posts. Comment on them. This way, they are more likely to interact with you and share your content with others also in the industry.
Leave thoughful and meaningful comments - writing longer comments makes LinkedIn think you have more value to offer. This is a great thing!
Use 3-10 hashtags (any more than 10 LinkedIn will consider it spam) - In 2019 the rule-of-thumb was 3 hash tags. Now it's 3-10!
Increase engagement by tagging people - It can be a good idea to tag people who will see your content. But make sure that you tag people who will engage with your content and not ones who might not reply or remove the tag. The result is less exposure because the algorithm thinks you are spamming people.
The right way to use Facebook for your business in 2022
For ranking posts, Facebook looks at:
Recency - newer posts are shown first, so keep it fresh!
Content-type - considers what type of media is in your post be it video, GIF, photo, etc. and which media users are most likely to engage with.
Relationship - Is the user who interacts with the account a brand, friend, or news publication source.
Popularity - How much engagement is the post getting? The more the merrier!
Here are some ways to capitalize on Facebook to maximize ROI
Post regularly and do so when your audience is on facebook
Have different formats for content creation: such as GIFs, text-based, GIFs, short how-to videos. Video is king on facebook!
Create and share content that is relevant to your audience.
The right way to use TikTok for your business in 2022
Finally, let's take a look at the newest and upcoming social media giant.
User interactions
This is how the TikTok algorithm decides what you like. It looks at everything from the accounts that you follow, to people who make videos and send them to you. It also looks at comments that you make and videos that you report as inappropriate.
Video Information
Information users type in the "Discover" tab includes captions, hashtags, effects, trending topics, and sounds.
Device and account settings
These include the location of the person, the device they are using, what language they prefer, and their interests. TikTok will make sure that people don't see the same content twice. It is against spamming people with too much content.
Wrapping up key takeaways for social media in 2022
So what do you need to know for social media in 2022? First, continue using the platforms that are popular today – Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. But also be aware of some new contenders on the scene, such as TikTok. Make sure your content is fresh, relevant, and engaging to keep audiences coming back for more. And lastly, remember that algorithms play a big role in how content is displayed – so make sure you're following best practices to optimize your posts, engage your audience, and build new followers to help your business grow and thrive!