The State of Social: Social Media Marketing Trends for 2022

It’s another year of agility and fast-pace strategies in social media marketing. As brands research, plan and execute on their social campaigns, what will be the essential elements to success in 2022?


Marketing teams must stay informed as they implement their social strategy. In doing so, they must also build up the courage to explore new territories. The best place to start is by diving into the most timely trends discussed in this report.

Super Bowl LVI – Social Media Performance

Three commercials were responsible for 67% of game-day conversations on social media this year, but which commercials were they?

The team at ListenFirst took a close look at the social media metrics across social networks, advertisers, half-time performers and more. 

In the Super Bowl LVI: 2022 Social Media Performance Report, you’ll find insights such as the top performing networks, the most-engaged demographics, and the most-talked about half-time performer. 

Super Bowl LVI kept the social media momentum going for the third consecutive year. We’ll tell you what brands can learn from these trends.

2022 Social Media Marketing Trends Survey

If your brand needs to know what social media trends will shape social media in 2022 and beyond, this is the report for you.

ListenFirst questioned 200 brand marketing and analytics professionals on the future of social media marketing, asking the probing questions marketers most need answered. This comprehensive online study confirmed that despite the ongoing pandemic, brands are more committed than ever to social media as a marketing channel. 

55% of respondents said their brand’s social media spend increased during the pandemic, with 50.5% of those surveyed adding their brand’s social media spend will increase in 2022. 

However, measuring the impact of their social media spend remains a challenge for brands. Only 14% of survey respondents said they can always tie their social media efforts to ROI, while only 31.5% responded “Yes” to knowing how well their brand is performing on social media relative to competitors. Meanwhile, 52% of respondents either wanted more influencer analytics or were unclear if they had enough. 

In order to navigate an ecosystem where social media is increasingly important to brands but best practices around strategy and reporting are often mysterious, these types of insights are invaluable. 

Download the survey results to see how your peers are approaching 2022.

4 Most Under-Used Metrics for Benchmarking Campaigns on Social Media

When it comes to social media benchmarking, one size doesn’t fit all. There are endless metrics you can use to evaluate how your campaigns perform compared to competitors, top performers, this time last year, and the list goes on.  

With a thoughtful approach, benchmarking can be a powerful measuring tool. Join ListenFirst experts Meghan Cahill, SVP of Client Experience, and Devin Carroll, Director of Revenue Strategy, to explore benchmarking best practices. You’ll learn how to benchmark in a way that supports your unique goals. 

In this 1-hour session we’ll cover:

  • Why contextualizing your data with benchmarks is critical
  • Factors to consider when choosing what to benchmark
  • Tips on how to benchmark efficiently and in a meaningful way in ListenFirst
  • Four valuable benchmarking metrics that often get overlooked

5 Steps to Valuable Sponsorships

Finding the right partner to team up with for your marketing or business needs can feel like a daunting task. However, if you’re armed with the right data and analytics, it can be as simple as adding a few clear steps to your planning process.

In this report, you will learn how to source and keep valuable sponsors. We’ll provide guidance on how to best determine which metrics should be considered at different stages of the partnership. By the end of this report, you’ll be ready to create your own successful sponsor campaign.

The Art of Social Media Partnerships

This report is part of our series, The Art of Social Media Partnerships. To explore beyond influencer partnerships, check out 4 Steps to a Successful Influencer Strategy.

4 Steps to a Successful Influencer Strategy

When it comes to marketing, influencers have become one of the most popular ways to expand your brand’s reach and create measurable results. By having the right data at the touch of your fingertips, you can set yourself and your campaign up for success before you even get started.

In this report, you’ll learn the importance of influencer marketing, how to find the influencers that are right for your brand, what information you need to create the best campaign, and which metrics to monitor when measuring ROIP.

The Art of Social Media Partnerships

This report is part of our series, The Art of Social Media Partnerships. To explore influencer partnerships, check out 5 Steps to Valuable Sponsors.