Keep up with the latest Digital Marketing Trends in 2022!
Digital reach and marketing in 2022 are necessary for exposure and visibility. Digital marketing in 2022 and beyond is about taking advantage of changing technology landscape to achieve end goals. During the pandemic, digital marketing agencies experienced strong growth in search engine marketing, social media marketing, and organic search. These digital marketing trends are expected to get even hotter in 2023 and beyond.
Here are the digital marketing trends in 2022 for digital marketing agencies or in-house marketers to help stay ahead of the curve for your business or company and increase the return from investment (ROI).
Influencer marketing (user-generated content):
Influencer content is nothing new, like live video and podcast streaming in 2022, user-generated content marketing has a huge audience appeal. To succeed, businesses use social media to promote their products and stay connected with their users. At the same time, marketers are coming up with creative ways to generate content.
Influencer marketing and customer testimonials are user-generated content that is highly effective and relatable. Digital marketers are shifting focus on user-generated content like videos, images, or reviews that you see your favorite brands posting on social media platforms.
More than 86% of companies are using user-generated content as part of their marketing strategies. Sometimes it's a paid partnership between an influencer and the brand or it’s through a third-party app or platform and other times it's genuine feedback from a fan of the brand. A lot of times video testimonials can be used as content not only on social media channels but websites and case studies. A great example is Lululemon's brand ambassador program, which relies on thousands of ambassadors around the world to represent and promote the brand.
User-generated content is similar to a word-of-mouth marketing strategy because followers follow and trust influencers. When a new brand launches and only a few people know about the brand, using influencer marketing will help marketers build trust and appeal. This form of marketing is brand awareness. Creating social media marketing content with influencers helps influence buyers’ decisions. This is called social proof.
Video Marketing
Video ads are slowly but surely becoming the standard in digital marketing. YouTube is the second biggest search engine driven with video content. On the social media side of things, Facebook and Instagram have introduced stories, and reels, not to mention TikToks. Video ads perform better than text and drive higher conversions. In Australia, users spend 22 minutes each day watching video content. This trend will continue with the rising demand for video content.
Live video views increased by 99% since 2020. Thanks to the global pandemic, mandated stay-at-home orders, and social distancing regulations, people across the globe turned to video to stay connected. Videos are now transforming into new streams like live gaming, cloud learning platforms, and virtual classes. This makes a strong case for integrating videos into digital and web marketing strategies.
Social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, provide new avenues for video marketing. All have live streaming videos now. Not only are the people getting comfortable with video but also loving and enjoying it. Modern businesses and firms should take note of the video revolution and include videos in content creation and marketing strategies.
Audio Marketing
The user demand for live content does not stop with video, audio content is also booming in 2022. More than 100 million Americans listen to at least one podcast each month. Podcasting and live audio have come a long way since the pandemic's start. Audio and audibles are an excellent form of marketing for consultants, speakers and coaches. Audiences are able to consume audio content from any device, doing just about anything.
Twitter recently released a feature that allows users to send audio tweets. Let's not forget about the new kid on the block, Clubhouse, which is an audio app shaking up the voice-driven social media world. People are spending hours live streaming on Clubhouse, an invite-only platform at this stage. Loom is another audio-based marketing tool millions of businesses use. You can create an audio recording of your products and services and send it to businesses via the Loom platform. Additionally, voice search platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are available on any device.
If you are a consulting business and thinking about adapting to online marketing trends in 2022, then consider integrating with the audio and voice trends, like starting a podcast channel for your agency or sending Loom audio messages to clients. The audio market will continue growing in 2022 and cannot be ignored in 2023
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
Digital marketers are now designing websites with chatbots, Artificial Intelligence and smart assistants built into their websites. Chatbots provide essential online support and help with navigation and customer service. When a potential customer or leads lands on the website, they might get stuck at the checkout or they may have a query about the product before they finally commit to a sale. Chatbots increase conversion rates, provide useful support for clients and assist with eCommerce sales. At the same time, they are helpful in influencing and making up the buyer’s mind.
All major websites in 2022 provide online customer service, chatbots, and virtual assistants, which goes to show that customers really appreciate live communication and support. Best of all, there is no need to wait for a reply. In most cases, virtual assistants are able to solve queries on the spot.
Branded Content
In 2022 the traditional direct marketing messages are becoming increasingly ineffective. Marketers are aware customers hate being sold to directly. In order to generate the ROI from marketing campaigns, marketers must connect with their audience on a personal level. In other words, before you can make a sale, customers want to be entertained, they want the brand experience. Brand marketing helps generate hype and deliver an enjoyable experience for the customers using content and without force advertising.
Branded content is more engaging than display ads or banner ads because ads are becoming increasingly common and white noise in the cyber sphere. Times have changed and in-your-face marketing just doesn't produce returns. Users scroll past sponsored ads. Branded content works better because it engages the audience with entertainment, educational, or inspirational value.
The best-branded content out there is subtle, making it hard to realize it's branded content. The LEGO Movie is an entire movie subconsciously making you think about LEGO toys, but you have so enthralled by the story and the experience of the film instead.
The movie is a perfect example of branded marketing when the Lego franchise saw a decline in popularity and turned its fortunes around thanks to the movie and even the TV show. Marketers must concentrate on the best customer experience as part of their marketing campaigns in 2022.
Digital Marketing Trends 2022 Summary
In conclusion, in 2022, before creating a marketing strategy for your business, product or service, invest time and thought in content creation and content marketing. Direct marketing and selling are losing appeal, whereas customers now expect firms to provide the ultimate buying experience in the form of creative ideas and appealing experiences.
Co-written by Raj at IT Support AU – Australia’s Leading IT Services Provider