Plan Your Path: 2022 Marketing Trends
Written by Rachel Richards
In 2021, marketers have proven their ability to adapt to the rollercoaster ride of lockdowns, vaccines, and cautious re-openings. Not to mention, we’ve become more purpose-driven than ever, aligning with the values of today’s socially conscious consumer.
It’s officially a hybrid marketing world. Digital experiences still define this age, but humanity still needs to be at the forefront of your efforts. Here are four online marketing trends that will help guide your growth in 2022.
Strategic marketing takes a front seat
From fortune-telling pugs on TikTok to privacy updates across every major online platform, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with digital marketing these days. It also can be tempting to choose a few new trends or best practices, and then hope you can ride along and gain a performance boost.
But, the cure for complexity isn’t changing for the sake of it. The right approach is creating a marketing strategy. This involves shaping a purpose beyond profits, anchored in data-driven research and a differentiated direction that resonates with your customers. And then, it’s about setting measurable goals and aligning them with tactics (like search engine optimization, digital advertising, content marketing, or social media) that will help you achieve them.
According to Deloitte, high-growth brands (those with 10%+ annual growth) look at purpose in a holistic way, harnessing it to guide every aspect of their marketing strategies. Factors like price and quality are now table stakes. Whether it’s reducing your emissions or creating a more inclusive culture, purpose helps you tackle complexity and rise above the competition.
SEO rises to the top
Who doesn’t want more interested buyers clicking to their website? 61% of marketers would agree, citing that improving search engine optimization (SEO) is their top inbound marketing priority (Hubspot).
Having an SEO expert on your side certainly helps, but there are some basics that everyone can keep in mind. Perform keyword research for your products and services, and place strong keywords throughout your website. That includes your title tags, meta-descriptions, headlines, content, and images.
Link building is also an important tactic in building your domain authority. Writing share-worthy content is still a crucial signal to Google, and so is sending it to relevant websites and getting it posted.
Oh, and if you haven’t thought about voice search, now’s the time to get started. Thanks to this technology, users are typing queries in more conversational ways than ever. Searches like “what’s the weather in Edmonton?” and “where can I find the best restaurant in Calgary?” are becoming much more popular. So, your website keywords should take these phrases into account.
First-party data becomes a first priority
No marketer can ignore consumer privacy in 2022. People want to protect their personal information, and rightfully so.
By 2023, third-party cookies will become a targeting tool of the past. And now, there’s a mad scramble to collect first-party data. Customer relationship management (CRM) software will be important here, so you can create tailored targeting profiles and shape personalized experiences for your audience.
Google’s Privacy Sandbox is also pioneering the way forward. They’re developing the Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), which blends individuals into browsing “cohorts”. This means advertisers can deliver ads that appeal to a group’s interests without revealing users’ personal web activity.
Creators lead social media communities
Influencer marketing is here to stay, but it’s increasingly shifting into the hands of creators. The limelight is less focused on glamourous models, and more on YouTubers, TikTokers, Twitchers, and Instagrammers who have built authentic communities.
According to SignalFire and Hootsuite, 50 million people around the world consider themselves to be “creators”. And social media platforms are taking note, building monetization platforms for brands big and small to connect with them.
Your 2022 social media strategy should focus your influencer partnerships on communities. From passionate mom groups on Facebook to DIY van life enthusiasts on TikTok, creators can help you build relationships and trust with your audience.
Evolve your digital marketing for 2022
Technology is changing faster than ever, but we’re still living and breathing people first and foremost. When creating your digital marketing strategy, our team is big on the big picture. We merge human insights with technical smarts, so you can keep evolving in 2022 and beyond. Contact us today to book your free 30-minute consultation.