When it comes to social media marketing these days, we hear about TikTok and Instagram all the time. It can be easy to think of Facebook as something you “keep monitoring” while you put all your efforts into producing Instagram Reels or Stories.

But that would be a mistake. After all, Facebook is still the powerhouse of social media. Here are some facts gathered by the social media management platform Hootsuite:

• Facebook has 2.93 billion monthly active users
• 79% of monthly users are active daily
• Facebook is the favorite social platform of those aged 35-44
• Facebook ads reach 67% of Americans over the age of 13

So, as you can see, Facebook should be a vital part of your overall social media marketing strategy. Following are some statistical insights and trends that you can tap into for more engagement and success.

1. Albums Increase Engagement on Facebook
If you want to have more engaged followers on Facebook, create albums. Social Insider, a social media analytics tool, performed a series of analyses comparing engagement rates between different types of Facebook posts, and albums came out on top. Why? Because businesses most often post albums after an event, and the attendees want to see the photos and share their experiences.

How to Use Albums:

• Hold an event or workshop in your store and take lots of photos and video.
• Create an album about the event and invite others to add their photos and experiences.

2. Video Content Has the Highest Click-Through Rate
Want to increase traffic to your website? Use videos. That’s because video content has the highest click-through rate of any content on Facebook. And this is particularly true if you have a smaller profile: Those with a community of fewer than 5,000 people have a video click-through rate that’s eight times greater than that for a photo. Also, the most engaging format for videos on Facebook is vertical; this makes sense since most people watch social videos on their smartphones.

How to Use Video:

• Start making daily or weekly videos sharing “floral insider tips” and post them to Facebook.
• Whenever you have a promotion or sale, make a video about it, and post it.

3. Facebook Video Has the Lowest Cost-Per-Click
Another big selling point for making videos and posting them on Facebook is the Cost-per-Click (CPC) rate. Facebook video has the lowest CPC, meaning that video ads are the way to go when investing advertising dollars. And you can easily create video ads that increase traffic.

How to Use Video Ads:

• Drive traffic to your website by creating an ad with a placing a “shop now” button at the bottom.
• Post a video ad about an-instore promotion and place a “get directions” button at the bottom to bring people into your shop.

4. Live Videos are Exploding
Yes, we’re talking about videos again! This time, it’s the live version. Live videos are more popular than ever, as customers appreciate the authenticity these videos provide. In fact, live videos get double the engagement of pre-recorded ones. By creating a live video, you can not only show who you are and what you offer, but you can also connect with your viewers one-on-one, answer their questions live, and build stronger relationships.

How to Use Live Video:

• Do a livestream showing how to create a beautiful arrangement.
• Create a live video when a customer leaves with their purchase, asking them to share their experience.

5. Facebook Reels are a Goldmine
According to Facebook, Reels (short form videos) are their fastest-growing content format by far. And Reels can make you money over and above your business sales. That’s because you can monetize them, where you allow Facebook to overlay ads on your video. It doesn’t take away from your message, and it can net you a lot of extra income.

How to Monetize Facebook Reels:

• Check the Meta business site to find out if you’re eligible for overlay ads on Facebook Reels.
• If you meet the requirements, you can have either sticker ads or banner ads (or both) placed over your videos while they’re playing.

6. Facebook Ad Budgets Will Double
Regarding online advertising, Facebook is still the number one social media platform, far outpacing Instagram. Businesses doubled their Facebook ad budgets in 2021, and this is expected to double again in 2022. That’s no surprise, given how much Facebook puts into developing new advertising concepts and placements.

How to Budget for Facebook Ads:

• Work out what you want to achieve through Facebook ads (Exposure? Engagement? Sales?)
• Determine your ad budget and create a series of ads that will help achieve your goal.
• Focus on video ads as these are the most effective.

7. Adding Links to a Post Lowers Engagement
Here’s an interesting trend: placing a link in your Facebook post lowers engagement. Based on a recent analysis by Social Insider, Facebook posts with links in the body of the post get half the engagement of those without links. So, if you can’t link directly in the post itself, then where can you link? In the comments. You mainly see this in personal posts, but more and more businesses are picking up on this trend.

How to Add Links:

• Create your post but don’t put any links in it.
• Click on the comments and place your link or links in the first comment.

These are some of the most important Facebook trends of 2022. And one word tops them all: Video. So, how’s your video game? Get creative! And here’s to a massive increase in engagement and sales in 2022!