Digital marketing becomes increasingly sophisticated with each passing year.
Marketers now have to juggle emerging social platforms and increasing rules, as well as content, automation, and personalization, to mention a few, in addition to the basics like SEO, Adwords, branding, and UX.
As we look ahead to the New Year, we asked 30 marketers for their top tactics for expanding reach, spreading awareness, and generating more revenue this year.
So, here are the top ten digital marketing trends for 2022.
1. The Metaverse:
So we’re not talking about Facebook [wholly]. The metaverse is a persistent environment where people work, play, and socialise in the virtual environment of augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D holographic avatars, and video—not simply one-off experiences like gaming.
According to Patrick Casey, director of growth marketing at digital health business Felix Health, there’s a reason the metaverse has been getting so much attention lately, and brands should include it as part of their marketing strategies for 2022.
This is partly due to the fact that it has the ability to provide a completely new set of performance measures.
“Marketers will be able to test how long virtual objects are retained, how much area they take up in a user’s peripheral vision, and even where people glance when viewing an ad,” he added.
“These revelations have the ability to radically remap what you understand about your audience, giving you crucial guidance moving ahead.”
Many firms will test with virtual worlds in 2022, according to Kent Lewis, president of digital marketing consultancy Anvil Media, and even while consumers “may be a few years away from caring about the metaverse,” companies can still profit from a first-mover advantage.
2. Cryptocurrency:
Accepting cryptocurrencies today may help businesses gain more customers only if the demographic is right, according to Andrea Chapman, marketing manager at cannabis website Nature and Bloom.
Cryptocurrencies will continue to grow in popularity in 2022, and clever marketers will keep an eye on this trend toward decentralised economy.
“In terms of payments, cryptocurrencies, for example, are pushing enormous changes in regard to the main processors like Visa, PayPal, and MasterCard,” said Shaun Heng, vice president of growth and operations at price-tracking site CoinMarketCap.
“This will have a significant impact on how products and services interact with their customers, and marketers will be eager to match oneself with the potential for expanded demographic reach.”
3. Non-fungible Token (NFTs):
Non-fungible tokens are a popular component of blockchain (NFTs). Because it has no equals, it is non-fungible, which means it cannot be traded for something of equivalent worth. The US dollar, for example, is fungible. A $100 banknote can be exchanged for five $20 bills. However, owing of the authenticity issue, you can’t trade your grandmother’s engagement ring non-fungible—for anything of equivalent value.
NFTs are the virtual counterpart of non-fungibles, which are blockchain-based digital assets such as animations, graphic designs, GIFs, audio/video files, and memes.
With companies like Campbell’s, Charmin, and Coca-Cola producing NFT collections last year, Jeff Mains, CEO of consultancy firm Champion Leadership Group, believes now is a good time for other companies to figure out how to tap into these digital assets so they don’t get left behind.
Furthermore, as brands such as Adidas begin to collaborate with NFT collections such as Faizan Fahim’s Bored Ape Yacht Club, marketing director at cloud hosting platform Breeze.io, predicted more collaborations—and even brands selling or giving away their own NFTs as a way to foster community among their customers.
4. Zero and First-party Data:
Marketers have another year until Google stops using third-party cookies, making 2022 the most crucial year for data and privacy yet.
“A lot of extremely smart marketers still don’t know that, in reality, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media network you use owns your audience,” said Brian Snedvig, CEO of Jofibo, a company that helps job seekers generate resumes and cover letters. “You have no command over them.” That’s why you should start owning your audience in 2022.”
This necessitates the use of data collection technologies that place a premium on consumer privacy.
“Make sure your campaigns in 2022 help you develop first-party data so you don’t have to rely on other people’s data as much,” Dan Close, CEO of We Buy Houses in Kentucky, said. Email, newsletters, social networking, and CRM systems are all options.
According to Michelle Ebbin, founder of clothing business Jettproof, zero-party data, or data provided directly by the user through internet interactions such as surveys, is equally significant.
“While it will take more effort up front, the data marketers are able to obtain directly from their customers may play a major role in building more personalised and customised campaigns,” said Justin Smith, CEO of OuterBox, a digital agency.
Brands must also ensure that their agencies “have a solid strategy in place for sponsored content and measurement after the change [away from third-party cookies],” according to Close.
Marketers may also use Google’s Privacy Sandbox to test new ways of accessing consumer data without risking privacy, according to Ebbin.
5. Supply Chain Buffering:
Even though the 2021 holidays are gone, headlines regarding supply chain bottlenecks and associated poor impact on customer experience continue to dominate the news. As a result, Chelsea Cohen, co-founder of Amazon inventory management app SoStocked, suggests that marketing goals and stock capacity be aligned.
Brands will also profit from keeping a 30-day buffer supply.
“Your buffer stock, or reserve inventory,” Cohen explained, “protects you from stocking out through unexpected upsells.” “It ensures that there is always enough merchandise on hand to satisfy delivery deadlines, so customers won’t have to wait longer for their orders while you replenish.”
6. Simple Content:
While content marketing has always been a staple of digital marketing, 2022 could be the year in which marketers embrace content simplicity and clarity.
Hilda Wong, founder of content agency Content Dog, remarked, “The internet is today inundated with content.” “Your customers have a lot of content to select from, so yours has to stand out in order to get discovered.”
What strategies do companies use to achieve this? They don’t require a lot of flowery text, as an example.
“You need to keep your content as clear as possible,” she continued. “It does not have to be difficult. It must be comprehensible to the general population. Clear information will help you reach a wider audience.”
Tim Clarke, head of sales and marketing at SEOBlog.com, agrees that marketers should concentrate on giving people meaningful experiences—and that they desire straightforward content.
“Everything will be algorithm-driven in 2022, and brands must create a user experience that customers demand, or their content will become less relevant,” he said. “The amount of information available on the internet is immense, and absorbing all of it is getting increasingly difficult. As a result, presenting useful yet straightforward material will be a sensible choice to stand out from the crowd.”
2022 digital marketing trends [recap]
Some of these trends may be easier for your company to adopt than others. In some cases, you can make a mental note of them as general guidelines to keep an eye on—but remember, the sooner you can act, the better. Your current year’s strategy should always consider future years!