Marketing trends come and go, constantly evolving as brands strive to better leverage the latest technologies and respond to shifts in the marketplace. It’s not just about making a splash or creating attention-grabbing content anymore. After making target audiences aware of their existence, businesses must then connect with prospective customers in meaningful ways, build a reputation as a trusted source of information, and nurture those relationships.
That’s a lot to accomplish when so many consumers are preoccupied with managing the effects of the global pandemic on their lives. To reach people in this climate, brands would be wise to leverage emerging marketing trends that promise to give them an edge over the competition. Here we examine the top 5 trends we think will shape marketing this year.
1. Zero & First-party Data
Marketers still have another year until Google phases out third-party cookies, which means 2022 will be the most important year for data and privacy yet.
“A lot of really good marketers still fail to realize that, in reality, your audience is owned by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media network you use,” said Brian Snedvig, CEO Jofibo, which helps job seekers create resumes and cover letters. “You don’t have control over them. That is why 2022 should be the year you begin to own your audience.”
That means brands must integrate data collection methods that prioritize consumer privacy.
“Make sure your campaigns in 2022 assist you to create first-party data so you don’t have to rely on others’ data as much,” said Dan Close, CEO of real estate business We Buy Houses in Kentucky.
Options include email, newsletters, social media, and CRM tools.
2. Social Ecommerce
Social e-commerce is the convergence of e-commerce and social media.
Social e-commerce was already set to be the next trending marketing strategy for the coming years. However, the pandemic brought explosive growth to online shopping and accelerated the rise of social e-commerce.
Based on buyer behavior in 2021, retail experts are forecasting social e-commerce sales to increase by more than 35 percent. By 2025, predictions show social e-commerce is set to grow by nearly $80 billion. This means 5 percent of the country’s retail e-commerce sales will be coming through social.
According to research conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Sprout Social, 73 percent of businesses already include social e-commerce in their marketing strategy, and 79 percent expect to sell on social in the next three years.
Your brand’s social e-commerce strategy should incorporate user-generated content and niche-specific influencers.
3. The Continued Growth in Influencer Marketing
According to Market Watch, the influencer marketing industry nearly doubled in value between 2019 and 2021, growing from $6.5 billion to $12.8 billion.
Meanwhile, experts at Collabstr project influencer marketing will be a $15 billion market by the end of 2022.
"Influencer marketing is becoming a necessary component to a successful organic social media strategy,” said Emma James, Social Media Lead at NP Digital. “Users are more likely to trust a person they follow on social media than a brand, so brands that are creatively leveraging this tactic are the ones that are making waves."
Consumers have taken more initiative when researching products before buying in the past two years.
If they see one of their favorite influencers using your product on social, they’re more likely to buy it.
Find out what types of influencers your target market follows and put your product in their hands. If you’re working on a budget, don’t forget about micro-influencers who won’t cost you thousands of dollars.
This year, we will see creators and influencers taking more control of the economy in their respective industries.
The creator economy is rapidly expanding, as more brands partner with influencers to stay relevant, build partnerships, and connect deeply with their audience.
4. Mobile Will be Key
It's no surprise that consumers are spending more and more time on mobile devices. In fact, more than half of annual online website traffic comes from mobile devices, including tablets.
And, as millennials and Gen Z audiences continue to grow buying power, mobile-optimized digital experiences will be even more vital to consider as a business owner who markets to these fast-paced, highly connected generations.
Above are just some of the reasons why:
- 33% of global marketers invest in mobile web design,
- 84% of marketers that focus on mobile web design are planning to continue to invest the same amount or more in 2022
- 64% of SEO marketers call mobile optimization an effective investment
And, mobile experiences aren't just important on brand websites, they're also important in other key marketing strategies. For example, 56% of marketers who work with email are focused on delivering mobile email experiences to subscribers.
5. The Year of Video
In HubSpot's 2021 Not Another State of Marketing Report, video marketing was the most effective marketing format. And, this year, in another HubSpot survey, that hasn't changed at all.
When looking at the most effective content strategies, video marketing appears at the top before blogging or even email marketing.
The survey found that 59% of survey participants use video in their content marketing strategy, while 76% of marketers that leverage video call it their most effective content format. Not to mention, one in four marketers who use video (or 27%) say it's the content type that yields the biggest ROI.
In the past, video creation and marketing strategies were limited due to costly resources and production. Today, it’s much more accessible. With a lower-cost barrier, video has become less intimidating to incorporate into your marketing efforts.
"2022 will be the year of video. Why? Because organizations have finally gotten more comfortable with it and realize it’s a way to engage their audience, communicate offerings, and provide infotainment," says Aytekin Tank, Founder & CEO of Jotform.
Source(s): Wordstream, Neil Patel, Forbes, HubSpot
