If there's one thing the COVID-19 pandemic has taught marketers, it's that having a strong online presence is a must. The need to create a website has gone from an option to a necessity. Looking ahead to 2022, your marketing strategy must also keep up with the digital evolution to remain relevant.
This article will examine the ten marketing trends for 2022.
Short-form content is on the rise and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts are some of the top video content channels today. Thanks to its ability to capture attention and generate stronger engagement than other content, video marketing is predicted to play an even more prominent role in marketing by 2022. One strategy is to create more short-form video content, as Instagram's algorithm has been found to heavily favor Reels. In other words, more videos mean more exposure.
In addition, email marketing campaigns, websites and advertising formats will incorporate more video content. The data analytics used to track video performance will become more sophisticated. As a result of improved tracking technology, we will see more companies investing in video advertising.
For example, remarketing is a primary form of advertising that will integrate video marketing in a way you haven't before. By using personalized video content, you will be able to optimize which types of videos you are retargeting with to deliver the ads most likely to convert.
Also, user-generated content will dominate in video marketing. These aforementioned sources will not only save time, but also help with performance. People are becoming more blind to traditional advertising. By leveraging influencers and customer-created videos, you will engage your audience in a much more authentic and meaningful way.
48% of consumers use voice assistants for general web searches. To accommodate this growing number, more marketers will optimize their content for voice search. Unlike text SEO, optimizing for voice search involves a greater focus on long-tail keywords (more than three words) and question queries. Why? When people speak, they tend to ask questions in complete sentences.
To take advantage of the rise of voice search, create content that answers people's questions. Think about common queries that come up in your business. For example, if you're a veterinarian, you can expand your keywords to tailor a more specific intent. Instead of keywords like "veterinarian, cat vet, dog vet," try answering common questions like "What to feed a sick cat that won't eat?" While it seems a bit random, this question is asked more than 1,000 times a month and may lead people to contact your business for more information or to plan a visit.
To stay current with this marketing trend, you can find the most frequently asked questions in your industry at places like Answer The Public or through keyword research tools like Ahrefs, Semrush and Google Keyword Planner. Finally, since half of all searches are conducted on a mobile device, make sure your website is compatible with mobile devices and has a fast loading speed to improve your SEO rankings.
One of the marketing trends that will not only be evident in 2022 but for years to come is virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). We will start to see these technologies used to promote products and services, changing marketing forever.
First, what is the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality? Virtual reality creates a computer-generated reality that builds a fantasy world in three dimensions. Users are immersed in a new universe using virtual reality glasses and can interact with objects using their hands. Augmented reality, on the other hand, is based on the actual real-world setup, but with layers of parts of another world on it. In AR, users connect via phone or tablet to interact with that layered dimension.
Virtual reality and augmented reality are often also referred to as 360-degree marketing. Companies use this type of marketing g to improve shopper awareness and increase purchase decisions. Brands such as TOMS Shoes, TopShop, Oreo, Sephora and IKEA are already successfully using these technologies for marketing purposes.
Want more ideas on how to add virtual reality to your business? Experts suggest that a good starting point for adding augmented reality functionality is to try it on your business cards. A business card can become interactive by highlighting contact information in creative ways when viewed through AR technology. For a more immediate start, social media apps like Instagram allow anyone to create AR filters to share with their audience.
"2022 is the year of the creator," says Brian Mechem, co-founder of leading influencer marketplace GRIN, in these influencer marketing predictions for 2022. Over the past year, the influencer economy has grown dramatically and will continue to do so. By the end of the year, influencer marketing is expected to evolve into a $15 billion industry. This growth is due in large part to the rapid expansion of Tik Tok. Influencers have proven that their fans will follow them across platforms, providing more reach to both creators and brands.
Want to know what's really driving this trend? Facebook plans to pay $1 billion to creators through 2022. With more influencers available and incentivized to offer content, more businesses can find creators suitable for their niche. Nearly half of marketers say they will spend more than 20% of their budget on influencer content, as most see a positive ROI.
Conversational marketing is a way to talk to your audience one-on-one to improve customer experience and sales. These conversations can be done through live chat, chatbots, voice assistants and more.
In 2022, as digital marketing trends increase, we will see more conversational marketing due to its favorable business impact. Better communication with customers means your company can shorten the sales cycle and significantly improve the marketing funnel. Time and money are also important reasons for this marketing shift. After all, 80% of routine inquiries can be answered instantly with chatbots instead of a customer service representative.
To use this marketing trend effectively, personalization will be a crucial factor. Increased automation through the use of AI will lead to conversions based on users' previous experiences with a company. Another direction we will see in conversational marketing is the use of video chats. Unlike text-based chat, it will become more common for customer support and sales reps to set up video calls.
Web developers and engineers are no longer the only ones using artificial intelligence and machine learning. Marketers will also increasingly use these technologies in their day-to-day marketing efforts.
Martech Advisor summarizes that "artificial intelligence in marketing uses online and offline customer data along with concepts such as machine learning, natural language processing, social intelligence, to gauge the future actions of your audience. It allows you to target audiences with the right message at the right time through the relevant marketing medium to guide them through the marketing funnel."
More specific areas where companies can use artificial intelligence and machine learning to solve marketing problems and improve processes include:
Viewers find live streaming highly engaging. In fact, the time spent watching live content has increased by 250%. This format and growing marketing trend is a great way for brands to showcase their personality and values in an authentic way.
Not only will live streaming make users better engage with brands and feel more comfortable making a purchase, but it will also change online sales. More and more channels are launching integrated shopping features that allow brands or influencers to recommend a product and share a direct clickable link during live streams. Social commerce is a term commonly used to describe this form of social shopping experience, and in 2022 we will continue to see it gain momentum.
Features such as Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Twitter Live and YouTube Live are the most famous for this type of marketing. These features will become even more common and sophisticated in various industries as the year progresses.
Screen fatigue, the pressure of being in front of the camera and the flexibility of consuming audio content have driven this marketing trend to the forefront this year. Podcasts, social media audio and editorial listening all fall under "audio content," something we'll all be seeing a lot more of in 2022.
Since podcasts can create awareness and dramatically increase recognition, more companies will follow this trend.
The rapid rise of social audio app Clubhouse is further proof that audio content is a growing marketing trend. ClubHouse isn't the only hot spot where live discussions take place. Instagram rooms and Twitter spaces also demonstrate the demand for audio content on the web.
Adding audio to your marketing mix will expand your content marketing strategy and even boost your website's SEO. Google is now starting to rank podcasts on the search results page (SERP). Therefore, having podcasts or videos embedded on your page can help you increase your ranking potential. Also, consider transcribing your podcasts into blog posts to help voice searches pick up more natural language.
This marketing trend is low cost and has great rewards.
Driving traffic to your website through SEO is a sound marketing strategy that isn't going anywhere. In 2022, SEO will still be a leading source of new business and traffic for most companies.
The main change for this 2022 is that we will see an increase in featured snippets. Featured snippets are displayed in the first result in search engines and show a small part of your article. They are proven to receive a higher number of clicks to your website and contribute to your credibility.
Be prepared for increased featured snippets by following best practices, which include bullets, numbers and complete answers to organize your content and increase your chances of getting a snippet.
Blogging: if you haven't already done so, create a blog for your company so you can rank for more keywords related to your products, services and industry.
Keep artificial intelligence in mind: RankBrain's artificial intelligence algorithm looks at your click-through rate, how long users spend on your site, and how valuable and well-organized your information is as crucial ranking factors. Make sure you write good meta descriptions and produce useful content that people will want to spend a lot of time on.
Write long-form content: Search engines favor long-form content of 2500 to 3000 words or more. Spend time writing engaging content that covers a topic from beginning to end.
Have a mobile-optimized website: nearly 60% of all searches are now conducted on a mobile device. Confirm that your site is optimized for mobile devices to avoid critically damaging your SEO.
Follow the EAT principle: EAT stands for expertise, authority and reliability. Search engines take these into account when determining rankings. Work to develop a strong EAT around your company as a whole and the authors who write your content.
An inclusive marketing plan is not just about displaying diverse images on your website or social media pages. As a marketer, you must already see how our world has changed and understand that being inclusive and respectful of everyone is the new norm.
Consumers are looking for brands that practice what they preach and are aligned with all values. If you are looking for customer loyalty and lasting respect from users, you must be an authentic brand. Let all individuals and groups recognize themselves in your marketing efforts and know that they can connect with your business.
Sonia Thompson, CEO of Thompson Media Group, explains:
"Truly inclusive brands walk on all levels. That means building an inclusive culture, building inclusive teams, developing deep degrees of customer intimacy with the diverse customers they serve and having quality relationships within their communities as well."
