There’s no better time than now to map out a solid marketing plan for 2022.
The COVID-19 outbreak has left a significant impact on marketing in 2020 and 2021. Consumers are no longer buying the way they used to, leaving brands with no choice but to change their sales and marketing tactics.
While the pandemic isn’t in our rearview mirror, there have been positive signs of a new normal. Establishments and countries have started to open cautiously. More and more people are going out to eat, run errands, meet up with friends and, of course, do their shopping.
Because of this, some businesses have noticed a collapse in their online traffic and virtual engagement. For marketers, it’s not always easy to keep up with these changes, regardless of your experience level. We totally get that.
However, it’s crucial to stay on top of the latest marketing trends if your goal is to succeed in the fast-paced marketing world. You gotta keep yourself up-to-date with these trends in order to maintain a sense of relevance with your audience.
So, what marketing trends do we predict to flourish in the year 2022? What trends should you be following to put you ahead of the competition? Let’s explore them below!
Short-form video will dominate social media.
Short-form video is the future of social media. Can we say that the future has already begun? Absolutely.
Thanks to the rise of TikTok and Instagram Reels, short-form video has become one of the most popular content types right now. YouTube has even launched its own short video feature, Shorts. Netflix is also launching a short-form video platform known as Fast Laughs.
With 68% of people happy to watch a business video if it’s less than a minute, it doesn’t come as a surprise that more and more companies are leveraging short-form video.
Here’s how you can use short-form videos to attract new people and see deeper engagement levels:
- Behind-the-scenes
Whether it’s a day in the life of your CEO, a video showing how your products are made, or perhaps a Q&A with employees, this type of content is highly engaging to people since they like to see what’s behind the curtain.
- Start a viral challenge
Video challenges are always a fun and engaging way to turn your brand over to your fans and reach new groups of people by inviting them to participate.
- Tease new products
Shoppable content continues to grow in social media, which presents a huge opportunity for you to drive more traffic and sales from platforms that offer short-form video.
- FAQs
If you’re trying to figure out how to boost your brand credibility, creating a snappy FAQ video is the way to go. It can be pertaining to common questions posed to your company specifically or general industry questions that people regularly seek answers to.
- Educational content
Show your audience that your brand is a thought leader or expert to move them along in their decision-making journey. Demonstrate how to style a garment, give away top travel tips for a certain destination, anything informative that relates to your brand.
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Social responsible marketing will prosper.
In case you haven’t noticed, most of today’s consumers are more invested in socially responsible brands.
A report by Nielsen that surveyed 30,000 consumers in 60 countries found that 66% of consumers were willing to pay more for goods from brands that demonstrated social commitment.
What’s more, a study by public relations and marketing firm Cone Communications found that 87% of Americans will purchase a product because its company advocated for an issue they cared about.
Finally, early research from organizations like McKinsey predicted that customers would more heavily support brands that demonstrated their care for all customers, employees and shared causes.
Hybrid events will take over.
The pandemic has made quite a heavy impact on in-person events. We’ve seen a rise in virtual and digital-first events during these past two years. Webinars and live streams took over the event marketing industry, as people didn’t want to risk going to in-person events.
While many in-person events are now open, many people still prefer virtual events, as they offer better flexibility and accessibility. Participants can save time and attend the event from anywhere, using any device!
Event marketers need to find a way to cater to both in-person and virtual audiences simultaneously. Here’s where hybrid events come into the picture.
In a post-pandemic world where social distancing and mask mandates are no longer the norm, entirely virtual events might not uphold their popularity – but hybrid events certainly will. Here’s why:
- Increased reach and more attendance.
- Higher audience engagement.
- Flexibility of the event.
- Reduction of event costs.
- Marketing opportunities.
Personalization will reach new heights.
More than 90% of customers are more likely to shop after seeing personalized offers from a brand, making personalization a vital part of every marketing strategy.
Although it’s currently limited to addressing consumers by their first names and showing personalized recommendations only, things will get more creative in 2022. Personalized marketing will branch out to include more untapped channels such as videos, podcasts, streaming services, articles and more.
So, what’s the deal with personalized marketing? How can your business benefit from it? Below are six reasons:
- Creates marketing that people enjoy.
- Improves the customer experience.
- Targets specific customers.
- Boosts engagement.
- Generates better ROI.
- Retains customers.
Thought leadership > the hard sell
Educating consumers through thought leadership content will be a popular marketing approach among marketers in 2022 and beyond. Every brand can utilize thought leadership to increase trust and awareness, though it works exceptionally well for B2B businesses. Thought leadership requires commitment and dedication to producing valuable content and sharing it with others in the industry.
It is important for thought leaders to be visible as a problem solver through writing, social media promotions, collaborations, speaking engagements and more. Get your name out everywhere.
Below are tips for writing unique, compelling informative articles to raise awareness about your company and its products and services:
- Determine your area of expertise.
- Regularly produce content.
- Avoid talking about yourself too much.
- Address real-world business problems.
- Stay consistent.
- Collaborate with other influencers.
- Create an online presence.
- Establish yourself as a resource.
- Be authentic.
- Choose engagements wisely.
That’s a wrap!
2022 will be a major year for marketing. These past two years have made a lot of significant changes not just in consumer shopping habits, but also in terms of how brands approach marketing.
As a marketer, you should learn to embrace these changes and come up with new ways to promote your business in this so-called new normal that we’re living in. Good luck!
