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Top 6 Digital Marketing Trends to look out for in 2022
Technology is evolving and has taken some big strides in recent years. With it, so do the needs and complications around digital marketing. It’s a constantly changing landscape. From the rise of TikTok to new privacy regulations, content, and forever changing algorithms.
The pandemic has certainly presented some great opportunities in the digital marketing space. It’s not exactly easy to foresee and accurately pinpoint how new trends will play out in the coming year. However, it doesn’t do any harm to be prepared for them.
With 2022 just beginning, here are some of the top digital marketing trends out there to continue and help increase your revenue, raise awareness and reach. If you are looking for a digital marketing agency to help you get there, get in touch.
1. Social Commerce
Social commerce experimentation kicked off mostly in 2021 with large companies taking to Tiktok and Instagram to get their products out there as the pandemic wreaked havoc around the world. This proved to be very successful as it reduced the gap between discovery of a product and conversion of a sale.
What’s great about this trend though is that it isn’t limited to large corporations – it can be utilised by small businesses too. The CEO of Plant Mother came forward and claimed that they had seen “a 100% increase in revenue and a 1280% increase in referral traffic after launching an Instagram shop.” Small brands have found it hard to compete with their larger counterparts when it comes to advertising. Now with platforms like Instagram, it has levelled out the playing field. Instagram has a few features to use to your advantage such as Instagram Shop, Stories, Reels and regular posts.
Also within social commerce, live streaming is picking up steam. According to Social Republic, online consumers were willing to spend “three times longer watching live videos than pre-recorded visual content.” The boost came as a result of the pandemic where more and more consumers tuned in to live streams. A place to view and purchase products and has now been estimated to be worth a billion dollars. Livestreams are not only available on Instagram but also on Tiktok, Facebook and Youtube. Furthermore, as the technology improves, so will your digital marketing opportunities. They are all fairly simple to use and most if not all have the option for Business accounts. Whether you hire a social media agency or have an in-house marketing team, social commerce is worth exploring.
2. Simple Yet Effective
Since the pandemic started, walk-in purchases were no longer accessible so the alternative was (and still is) online shopping. Consumers have a growing list of products and services available to them. The question now is how will your content stand out? The answer is simple – have simple and clear content.
There is no need for the flashing lights and overcrowded descriptions. People are drawn to things they can understand and navigate easily and having clear content will do this. This could look like smooth navigation of your website with clear and concise options to choose from. There is nothing worse than trying to find the answers to your questions on a product but having to go on a treasure hunt just to find it. Thus, website design plays a crucial role on your conversion rate. The visuals and jargon should also be easy to comprehend. Keeping descriptions short if possible to capture the essence of your product/service is a great place to start. In terms of visuals, it may pay to go through the industry and see what is working and what isn’t. It could simply be a colour change, decluttering or even a change in font. All techniques to reduce your bounce rate and minimise wasted social or Google Ads spend.
Google puts alot of emphasis on page experience when ranking websites on the highly competitive search engine. It is defined as a set of signals on how users perceive the experience on your web page. Essentially, a great page is one that loads quickly and visitors get what they are seeking within seconds. That is your best chance to succeed in getting your message across online, keep it simple and precise.
3. Sustainability and DEI
Over the last few years, what has become important to consumers is sustainability and DEI. Consumers want to buy from brands that have good values and impact. Sustainability is all about companies that contribute positively throughout the value chain and life cycle. This can look like environmental, social and economic benefits while protecting public health and environment. DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion, and like sustainability, is not going away in 2022.
Here’s a look at the growing trend of people searching for ‘sustainable brands’ through Google.
But it isn’t enough to just slap on a ‘sustainability’ sticker and call it a day. A term becoming more and more prevalent called “green washing” is essentially the epitome of misleading or empty sustainability statements. Core values need to be at the forefront and spread throughout the entire company to be seen as legitimate. Some have partnered with nonprofit organisations in a win-win for both sides. They get an increase in their customer bases as well as helping those in need.
David Bitton, the CMO of DoorLoop, puts it best. “It’s a win-win situation where you can make a significant contribution to humanitarian efforts while simultaneously improving your brand and reach. However, merely expressing your support for specific NGO’s would not suffice… consider affiliate marketing, giving a portion of your revenue or profit to the organisation and corporate funding as part of your marketing strategy.”
People want to know that the product they have purchased has gone through the most ethical channels. Studies have even shown that people are willing to change to a retailer that reflects their values. If there was any time to look into the switch, the time is now. Are you prepared?
4. Micro-Moments
Google tells us this is when we make decisions in an instant. For example, people reflexively turn to a device. How many times have you caught yourself swiping through Instagram stories. It is as if we always have to be doing something, learning, discovering, or buying something. What is interesting is that in these micro-moments, there is an increase of expectation and a lowering of patience. From the daily use of smartphones, we have trained ourselves to receive things immediately. Immediate responses, immediate information and immediate delivery. The success comes from creating a strategy to understand these and meet the buyers needs in their micro-moments. Your strategy can begin with social media listening. Here you are basically ‘listening’ to your consumers via their comments on social media around the brand and the industry.
And why should marketers care about micro-moments? It means that your competitors’ customers are fair game. If you can get ahead of the game here, you definitely have a shot at making that much-needed sale.
Capturing your readers’ eye and attention within moments is key. So you have to ask yourself – what are the questions they are asking? From there, you can create and secure short ads that meet these queries at the exact moment they are needed. But when it comes to digital marketing, it can’t be too plain or you will fade in line with others. For example, a logo and a 50% discount isn’t going to cut it. Add a little colour, and product description. Indeed, it is all about the micro moment, but it has to be fully comprehensible and relatable.
It is one thing to create web traffic though an SEO agency, Google Ads management, or a social media agency. However, to capture attention in these micro-moments, conversion optimisation is key.
5. Metaverse and VR/AR
Last year, the announcement of Facebook changing names to Meta came along with confirmation of the project called the “Metaverse.” According to Wired, the metaverse is basically a combination of VR & AR technology becoming more widely adapted in society. We’ve seen it with the likes of Fortnite where it is accessible through your gaming consoles, PCs, and phones.
We’ve seen it time and time again with new technology. When something new comes through, early adaptors are rewarded handsomely for their efforts. There is plenty of information available to assist you in the planning of your strategies. Additionally, plenty of apps that already operate in augmented realities.
With the Metaverse, there is the opportunity to observe many areas of interest. Patrick Casey, the director of growth for Felix Health mentions that you “will be able to experiment with how long virtual objects are held, how much space they take up in a user’s peripheral vision, and even where users are looking when experiencing an ad.” If there was ever a time to start looking into this, it is now, while it is still being developed.
6. Gender Neutrality and Accessibility
A growing and ongoing trend that needs to be addressed is gender neutrality and accessibility in products. Becoming inclusive of all, you are essentially increasing your audience. All-inclusive messages and products present a big opportunity to scale. We’ve already seen major brands move away from traditional messaging of gender roles to stop the alienation of their consumers.
Some things to think about if you’re not sure where to begin is by asking yourself some of these questions:
- Is my product or service catered to a specific gender and does it have to be?
- Who are we targeting and why?
- How can we redefine the audience of whom are most likely to purchase our product/ service?
- Is our product inclusive of those with disabilities? If not, how can we fix this?
In regards to accessibility, there is definitely a lack when it comes to disability-friendly products and services. There are over 1.85 billion people with disabilities in the world. According to Svetlana Kouznetsova (consultant to businesses on improving accessibility), “they control over $1.9 trillion in annual disposable income. Their families and friends add another 3.4 billion potential consumers. Together, they control over $13 trillion in annual disposable income.”
This opens up a whole new target audience that is largely untapped potential. Those who normally wouldn’t choose your service or products are given the opportunity to explore it. An example of this came from JCPenney, who are a large department store located in the States. They released a children’s and adults clothing line in July 2021 of ‘Adaptive Clothing and Accessories’ that caters to those with disabilities. Some of the adaptations are “easy-access openings, sensory-friendly seaming, hidden abdominal access and no tags.”
Conclusion
There is a fine balance between not trying enough and trying too much. 2022 is a year for exploring new tech as well as simplifying your message. Think of Apple. It has built a stellar reputation and devoted fanbase on simple elegant designs and messaging. You do not need all the bells and whistles but you certainly can’t afford to miss out on new trends. These trends and technology are things such as social commerce and metaverse hype. 9/10 times, early adaptors get rewarded for their efforts, and these are trains you don’t want to miss.
In addition, society in general is becoming more aware and conscious of sustainability and inclusion. People essentially want to associate with brands they share values with. In a sense, it makes people feel good about themselves when they support a brand who does good for everyone. Do you not think that is an opportunity to focus on in 2022?
How does your marketing strategy stack up for 2022? IM Creative is a New Zealand based digital marketing agency that can help take your brand to the next level. Get in touch for a free digital strategy plan.
