GUEST COLUMN: Social media will play critical role in building brand awareness in 2022

GUEST COLUMN: Social media will play critical role in building brand awareness in 2022

Understanding the top three social media trends to watch out for in the coming year.

Rishi Kajaria

Mumbai: As India continues to fight Covid-19 and Omicron, and people continue to fear venturing out, digital initiatives in both advertising and marketing will become more prevalent in 2022.

According to the most recent statistics, there are around 3.78 billion social media users globally. The number of such users is expected to climb again next year. Social media trends will rule the advertising and brand strategies in the coming year. Marketing and business will become more varied, inclusive, and responsive to real client requirements in the future. While AI and data-driven marketing will continue to advance, the primary focus will remain on people rather than technology.

Using social media for brand recognition

Traditional in-person events and promotions have given way to virtual spaces in brand awareness initiatives. We live in a world of social media marketing, and every company understands the value of social media. Whether you are leveraging influencers, referrals, or simply providing good content, social media has proven to be an important part of building brand recognition. This is due to the fact that social media is an excellent venue for brands to maintain client interactions while also increasing their chances of discovering new leads. In reality, many people become aware of new businesses after hearing about them via a friend on social media. Social media sites are a place where people may interact with one another. As a result, it's an excellent area for you to interact with clients and build a relationship with them.

Going ahead, 2022 will witness a greater emphasis on highly personalised one-to-one advertising, mobile advertising with in-app and in-game ads, video advertising, video-embedded display banners, native advertising, accelerated automation, programmatic advertising, and even cookie-less advertising, among other things.

Here are the top 3 social media trends to watch out for in 2022.

Metaverse and its virtual universe

Facebook's name has been changed to Meta. The company has planned a range of new products for virtual and augmented experiences as part of Metaverse. This is a major gamble on the web's future, and it has the potential to change social media space. Companies will be able to benefit from new features which Meta will introduce. With the help of new emerging social media trends, they will be able to expand their product reach and visibility.

Influencers market will continue to grow

Influencer marketing is expected to reach $13.8 billion in 2021, with growth expected to continue in 2022. Influencer marketing efforts add a personal touch to the product, making it more relevant to the user. Thus, B2B brands will continue to embrace influencers in light of current trends.

LinkedIn will grow in importance as a social networking platform

In the digital world, LinkedIn is still a growing star. The company just launched a Hindi version to cater to the 600 million Hindi speakers throughout the world. With 82 million members in a global community of 800 million, India is a key market for LinkedIn's growth and the second-largest market in terms of members after the United States. Since the pandemic, India's member base has expanded by more than 20 million (15 percent year-over-year), and participation and talks on the platform have increased dramatically. This will continue to be a great way for brands to reach out to their target demographic.

In conclusion

Building brand recognition may require some trial and error, but having a dedicated awareness plan will surely help in your brand’s visibility. By following the latest social media trends, you may position yourself to become a brand that stands out in the eyes of your customers.

(Rishi Kajaria is MD Kajaria Bathware and JMD of Kajaria Ceramics. The views expressed in this column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)