Can you believe 2021 is almost over? For most of us, this is the time of year where we plan out our 2022 sales and marketing strategy. And, of course, that strategy must include social media marketing.

When it comes to social media, Facebook remains the clear leader with 2.9 billion active users. And while Facebook has seen its share of controversy this year, the social media giant shows no signs of slowing its massive expansion into new markets and new technologies.

That’s why in every December issue of LivRio, we cover the top Facebook trends for the coming year. By knowing them, you’re one step ahead of the competition—and one step closer to growing your business to new heights! Here are the top five Facebook trends for 2022:

1. E-Commerce

Facebook introduced its Facebook Shops at the beginning of the pandemic, giving customers an online storefront to browse and purchase products directly on Facebook. This made shopping seamless for customers and has been hugely popular. In 2022, Facebook will expand e-commerce even further with more shoppable posts, streamlined payment processes, simpler ways to discover new products, and more product alerts as a person scrolls through their Facebook stream.

2. Live Shopping

One of Facebook’s key areas of e-commerce focus will be Live Shopping, a way to create live-streamed shopping events. Brands can showcase their products right from their shop, interact with customers in real-time, and sell right from the live broadcast. Live Shopping is already a huge trend in China, and it’s becoming more popular in Western markets. How fast is this trend growing? Facebook expects Live Shopping to be a $500 billion global revenue stream by 2023.

3. Augmented and Virtual Reality

If you’re not yet familiar with the term “metaverse,” you soon will be! Facebook changed its name to Meta in 2021, and in doing so, staked its claim in this arena. The term “metaverse” was first used in science fiction, and it’s certainly something new and exciting. Simply put, the metaverse is a shared virtual space that allows internet users from around the world to engage in virtual experiences through artificial intelligence, virtual reality, machine learning, wearable tech, and much more. In the coming year, you can expect to see Facebook release the next stage of its AR (augmented reality) glasses, as well as more social and workplace tools for its Oculus VR headsets.

4. Algorithm Changes

If you were on any news channel or site this year, you saw the “Facebook Files” exposé, which revealed how much the company was aware of the negative impacts its apps can have. It remains to be seen how Facebook will respond to this; however, they will likely be working on ways to make it easier for users to get rid of content they don’t want to see on their feeds. For example, they can provide a simple option to switch off algorithms that send constant negative or damaging content to a user’s feed. In this way, Facebook will give users more control over what they want to see

when they log in.

5. Building Digital Identity through Avatars

Avatars are already a big deal on Facebook. Users love to create these personalized emojis to make self-expression that much more fun online. And in the coming year, Facebook will be taking avatars to a new level: They are developing technology to create more 3D versions of avatars to be shared across a user’s

Facebook profile and their virtual reality/metaverse presence.

How to Tap into These Trends in Your Marketing

Now that you know the key 2022 Facebook trends, how do you use them in your marketing? Here are a few simple ways to tap into some of these trends:

1. If you haven’t done this already, set up a Facebook Shop on your page. Facebook has made this simple to do, with articles that walk you through how to set up your shop, create a catalog of your products, and customize and design your shop to fit with your brand message.
2. Once you have your Facebook Shop set up, try your hand at Live Shopping. Again, Facebook has many guides and tutorials to help you do this, so you don’t feel overwhelmed by the tech. But even if you don’t want to dive into Live Shopping right away, you can still host a live event on your Facebook feed, show some of your beautiful arrangements, and have people leave comments on which ones they want to purchase.
3. Check out how you may be able to use Augmented Reality on Facebook. The simplest way to start is by using AR camera effects on your Facebook ads. These effects let people interact with your products on the mobile Facebook news feed. The more people “see” your stunning flowers in their homes, the more likely they will hit “BUY.”

Good luck with your 2022 Facebook marketing! If you have any more questions about social media marketing, let us know, and we’ll make sure to answer them in an upcoming edition of LivRio!