The best social media platform features for designers in 2022
What to look out for and how it can help interior designers, architects and design brands to up their digital game.
Every year, we’re inundated with different design trends, from simple colours and patterns in interiors to broader style and design ideas in the buildings we live and work in. Interior designers and architects regularly share their favourite looks and projects, often embracing and elevating these trends or sharing their own unique styles to challenge them.
But when it comes to social media, it is easy to default to things we are familiar with or feel comfortable using. However, the digital landscape is constantly changing and as design experts, you could benefit from being on top of the latest trends in social media too, utilising these features to reach new audiences, potential clients and showcase knowledge and expertise. So what is hot and what is not in 2022? We thought we’d share with you our 5 top platform features for the year ahead.
Live interactive audio is on the up
2021 saw the rapid growth of Clubhouse with 9 million downloads last February. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and soon LinkedIn will also be introducing live audio features. If you’re not already using the platform audio features, it might be worth joining some conversations and listening in to see whether your brand could also benefit from starting conversations yourself. You can read more about this in our Journal post dedicated to the topic.
If live audio seems too ambitious, then have you considered podcasts? They’re a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise without the ‘live’ element.
Short-form video is a must this year
TikTok has always dominated the market when it comes to short-form videos but Instagram Reels have taken off and are coming to Facebook soon too. LinkedIn has announced a new short-form video format is in the works too. In other words, this format is not going anywhere, anytime soon! We’ve got an article dedicated to Reels but think about different ways to showcase your services.
From simpler video executions such as building from mood boards through to final project finishes or your top tips for a particular look, there are plenty of creative ways to use this type of format.
It’s also important to note that Stories are declining in popularity with many switching to Reels and seeing better results.
Take a look at this graph from Battenhall Social which illustrates just how Reels are on the increase.
According to their recent report, since 2020, the number of posts published to Reels has grown by 165%. In contrast, the number of Stories is down 16%, Feed posts are down 14%, IGTV posts down 53% and Live posts are down 65%.
Community building - essential to your marketing mix
This is one of the biggest trends for the year ahead and is wide-ranging in how it fits into your own strategies.
Take Facebook for example which has invested in more Group features and there are rumours LinkedIn is looking to improve their own Groups. Twitter is testing new Communities functionality too so it's never been a better time to find like-minded individuals on social.
“70% of people surveyed for a joint report by Facebook and NYU’s Governance Lab indicated that the most important group they are part of operates online.”
Source: Hootsuite Trends Report 2022
Community building comes in many different forms such as ensuring you have open, clear lines of communication with your followers and community. Do you have easy to access contact information? Make sure you activate functionality like Messenger on Facebook, use the ‘Ask me a question’ function in Instagram Stories, and consider a chat function on your website. Make yourself as accessible to potential customers as possible.
Providing value will also help you build your community too. Rather than a hard sell, consider how you can help your potential customers and solve their problems. From running Q&As to developing blog content, giving them a trusted source of information will ensure they keep you front of mind.
And importantly, be genuine and authentic. Building an emotional connection, telling your’s and your brand’s story through things like Reels or Stories will bring your community on the journey with you.
Remember, your community is much more than your follower numbers. It’s the people/companies/brands that are active and engaged around interests relevant to your business category. So for interior designers, think about people not just interested in home design, but craft, art, architecture, homewares and so on.
However, this year, the clear winners in the world of community building are going to be digital creators.
“Instead of trying to build a community from the ground up, the smartest brands in 2022 will tap into existing creator communities to learn more about their customers, simplify content creation, and build brand awareness and affinity.”
Source: Hootsuite Trends Report 2022
Many brands are shortcutting their own community building by tapping into the world of influencers and content creators. The important thing here is to choose creators that can connect you to the right audiences for your brand, can add value and have a genuine community already.
Many promise high reach, but how engaged is their following? Some are even looking to earn affiliate commission so have very specific terms of engagement.
Ask yourself, how likely is your potential audience to show interest in your brand if you partner with that creator? It’s always important to look at the proverbial ‘small print’ despite the promises made.
Social media companies are making it easier than ever for creators to monetise their platforms, whether that's tipping, payment for views or subscriptions and branded content so whilst we definitely see 2022 being the year of the creator, it’s important you find the right ones for you and your business.
Organic reach is in decline
It’s something that makes us a little sad here at Sandford, but the reality is, organic reach is much harder to achieve than ever before. Platforms continue to push for ad spend via both fully planned ad campaigns through to simple boosted posts on platforms like Instagram. Whilst we still advocate for authentic engagement, well-thought-through hashtags and content strategies, it’s worth allocating funds to boost relevant posts, ensuring you have appropriate audiences selected.
Here’s a really interesting graph that demonstrates how marketers are going to be taking ad spend more seriously in 2022.
Sustainability in design is valued more and more by consumers
“Sustainability is key post-pandemic as luxury hospitality and travel brands seek to offer bold and unique experiences”
Source: Walpole UK, Luxury Trends Report 2022
Consumers are definitely becoming savvier when it comes to sustainability and the destinations they are choosing to travel to or eat at. The hospitality design sector, in particular, requires thoughtful and considered approaches to interiors that encourage both new and returning customers into these spaces to provide experiences and not just a seat at a table.
Designers need to not just pay lip service to this, however, as people are much more switched on to what it means to be sustainable. If you have this approach to design at the heart of your business, then 2022 is going to be a good year for you and ensuring you communicate this effectively is important.
Take a look at designer, Tom Raffield’s advice to communicating sustainability in our Journal post here.
How to improve your marketing communication plans in the year ahead
So much is happening every day online, it can feel overwhelming. Having a clear digital marketing strategy and social media plans is becoming ever more important for businesses.
If you feel unsure about how best to make the most of your social channels, then Sandford can help develop the right strategies for your communications and make sure 2022 is the best yet for your business, with digital leading the way. Get in touch!
