Last month, Meta released Culture Rising: 2022 Trends Report (formerly known as Topics and Trends). It highlights four global themes broken down in 20 associated trends.

The report is meant to give marketers and brand leaders a look into the cultural changes that happened in the past year. And perhaps more importantly, provide foresight into how those changes will affect global culture and trends for the next 12-18 months.

Meaning, there’s a lot of valuable insight for business owners looking for the trends that they can take advantage of this year. One drawback: it’s… a lot. Like, 57 pages a lot.

But here at The Manual, we got your back. We combed through the report and compiled four important takeaways for small business owners and entrepreneurs — what you should think about and how you can apply these trends to your business.

1. Diversify your team and promote inclusivity in your marketing.

The first global theme on Meta’s list: “diversifying identities.” From gender identity and body positivity to racial equality, Meta tracked a rise in online conversations surrounding topics of self-expression and the diversity of groups we identify with.

And when it comes to your business, that means consumers want to see diversity reflected in your team and your marketing. They want to see themselves reflected in the people who serve them and know that your business is interested in serving their communities.

Listen, we get it: diversity and inclusion can feel like a big value to tackle. Start small — take a look at your team and think about ways you can bring in different perspectives. Or for your next marketing campaign, feature customers who are typically underrepresented.

2. Embrace nanocommunities.

Despite what the name suggests, nanocommunities aren’t small — we’re talking about online communities with hundreds and thousands of members that have been growing since the Internet began.

What started with discussion forums and chat rooms have morphed into Facebook Groups, Instagram hashtags, and Discord servers. Just as we build communities in person, we’ve developed online support groups based on the interests we have and the topics we enjoy discussing.

Since the pandemic, we had to shift the majority of our community engagement online. And according to Meta, the importance of these nanocommunities is growing because of that move. So for business owners, these nanocommunities can provide both a great marketing audience and a place to gain insight into what your ideal consumer wants.

If you run a landscaping business, you might want to keep track of what’s going on with #landscapedesign on Instagram. Or if you own a makeup studio, listen to the biggest beauty podcasts to keep on top of what your clients want. It’s all about staying connected to your audience.

3. Invest in a happier team.

By this point, if you own a business in the US, you’ve probably seen or experienced the effects of “The Great Resignation” and the labor shortage. But those are only signs of a much larger pandemic response – people are becoming more conscious of what they want out of life. And for many, that extends to what they want out of their careers.

According to Meta’s report, there were marked increases in conversations surrounding topics like “work from home,” “flexible location,” and “workforce development.” It’s becoming increasingly obvious that workers want flexibility when it comes to where and how they work. And that wherever they choose to work, they want the opportunity to grow in their career and develop themselves.

In short: hybrid workplaces are where it’s at. So if it’s a possibility for your business, consider going remote or hybrid full-time. You also want to build pathways for employee growth, so start planning concrete ways for your employees to develop their skills and reach management levels.

4. People want to shop local — they also want convenience.

Take heart, fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners — more people are turning to their local businesses than ever before. According to Meta, 58% of their respondents stated that they make the effort to shop locally, even if it costs more.

So the customers are there. But there’s something else they want: convenience. The pandemic has only added to the popularity of online shopping, with online sales increasing 34% over 2020. And online retail is turning over faster than ever, with deliveries that used to take weeks now hitting hyperspeed and appearing within a few hours.

People are getting used to the convenience of short delivery times, as well as the increased utilization of “Buy Now, Pay Later” plans and QR code scanning. In other words, even as a small business, you want to make it easy for your customers to buy from you.

You don’t have to promise instant delivery. But you can institute curbside pickup for online purchases. Or, if you run a service business, think about updating the purchase page on your website to make the process as simple as possible.

At the end of the day, Meta’s report shows that people are looking for ways to connect and support each other. They’re learning about themselves and embracing paths that help them reach their goals. So when it comes to what your business can do, look at how these themes can align with your own values. The world is constantly changing, but we can change with it.