Digital marketing is evolving at a rapid pace. In order to stay ahead of the curve, it’s important to understand the latest trends and strategies that will be influential in 2022. We’re talking through some of the most important digital marketing trends that you need to know and sharing tips on how you can implement these trends into your own marketing strategy.
Digital Marketing in 2022
As you plan for the year ahead it’s important to adjust your marketing efforts to reflect changes in the digital marketing landscape. Here are some of the key trends that we expect to see in 2022:
E Commerce is on The Rise
Ecommerce is booming and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, it’s estimated that global ecommerce sales will reach $27 trillion by 2022. If you’re not already selling products or services online, now is the time to start!
If you’re just starting out in the ecommerce space, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure that your website is optimized for mobile devices. Second, create engaging product descriptions and images that will tempt shoppers to buy. And third, use marketing automation tools to streamline your sales process.
Zero and First-Party Data Should be a Priority
With the change in third-party cookie use, zero and first-party data is becoming increasingly important. Zero-party data is information that you collect directly from customers, while first-party data is information that’s collected by a third party but shared with you.
There are a number of ways to collect zero and first-party data, including surveys, contests, and email signups. It is critical to consider consumer privacy preferences and laws when collecting this information.
Once you have this data, you can use it to create targeted ads and personalized content. It’s also important to keep in mind that customers are more likely to trust brands that have personal information about them.
Email Marketing Remains Popular
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. In fact, 60% of customers say they have made a purchase from a marketing email, compared to just 12.5% on social media. So, if you’re not already using email marketing, now is the time to start!
Email marketing is also one of the best ways to build customer loyalty. By sending regular emails containing valuable content, you can keep your customers engaged and encourage them to return to your website.
Omnichannel Marketing Will Continue to Evolve
Omnichannel marketing is the practice of using multiple channels (e.g., online, in-store, mobile) to reach consumers. It’s been growing in popularity over the past few years and is expected to continue to do so in 2022.
There are a number of benefits to using omnichannel marketing, including increased brand awareness, improved customer loyalty, and higher conversion rates. In order to take advantage of these benefits, you need to create a cohesive marketing strategy that spans all channels.
Consider ways you can reimagine existing initiatives to make them more omnichannel-friendly. For example, you could create a cross-channel ad campaign that uses similar messaging and visuals across all channels, optimizing for the preferred user experience of each channel.
Machine Learning and AI in Marketing
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important in marketing. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2022, 85% of customer interactions will be managed without human involvement.
Machine learning and AI can be used for a variety of tasks, including content creation, personalization, lead generation, and customer service. If you’re not currently using these technologies in your marketing strategy, now is the time to start!
Content Alignment Will Become More Important
As more and more brands compete for attention, it’s becoming increasingly important to ensure that your content is aligned with not only your brand identity but with the customer journey.
There are a number of ways to ensure alignment, including using customer personas, developing buyer’s journey maps, and creating content templates. It’s also important to make sure that your team is on board with the content strategy and is able to produce quality content regularly. Can’t handle increased content volume? Sounds like a good job for AI.
Influencer Marketing and Brand Partnerships Grow in Popularity
In order to reach their target audience, brands are placing higher importance on influencer partnership. There are a number of benefits to partnering with influencers, including increased brand awareness, improved SEO, and increased sales. In order to get the most out of your partnerships, it’s important to choose the right influencers and to create a strategy that aligns with your overall marketing goals.
Short-Form Content is here to stay
Short-form content is becoming increasingly popular, especially on social media. This type of content is perfect for highlighting your brand’s personality and sharing quick, digestible tidbits of information about your products, services, and brand.
In order to produce quality short-form content, you need to have a good understanding of your target audience and what type of content they prefer. You also need to be able to produce content quickly and efficiently.
Not sure where to start with short-form content? Try these tips:
- Experiment with different content formats, including videos, infographics, and social media posts.
- Tell stories that connect with your audience on an emotional level.
- Highlight your brand’s personality.
- Consider a video-first approach as platforms place high importance on this content format
Accessibility Should be a Top Priority
As the world becomes more digital, it’s important to make sure that your website and marketing materials are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
There are a number of ways to make your content more accessible, including
- using alt text for images
- adding captions to videos, and providing transcripts for audio files
- Using color contrast tools to ensure that all elements on your website are easy to see
Web Optimization Strategies Still Provide Opportunity
In order to reach their target audience, brands are placing higher importance on optimizing their websites. From working to improve UX design to optimizing for SEO, there are a number of things you can do to make your website more user-friendly and search engine friendly.
If you’re not sure where to start, try these optimizations first:
- Optimize your website for mobile devices
- Improve your website’s loading speed
- Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions
- Add relevant images and videos
- Use keyword research to determine which keywords to target and develop an SEO strategy to support it
Once you’ve set your business goals for 2022, use these marketing tactics to help you achieve them. Need a little strategy guidance? We’ve got you covered.