10 Digital Marketing Trends for 2022: Can you pinpoint where online marketing trends are going in 2022? That appears to be one of the major questions on marketers and entrepreneurs alike. to answer.
From what we know, the restrictions in certain areas of digital advertising will be higher this year.
Following the Facebook Analytica scandal and the skepticism by online platform users over the privacy of their information, you can expect stiff regulations on the use of users’ data across platforms in 2022.
In this article, we delve into the top 10 trends we expect to dominate the digital marketing space in 2022.
1. Data War: Expect Tighter Privacy Restrictions and Promotion of First-Party Data Access
It has been a long time coming since data/information shared by users across online platforms have been used for digital marketing. From Google to Twitter, Instagram, and up to Facebook, the war on data has been enormous.
The users of these platforms have reported many times that they are targeted with adverts that center on some of the activities they must have done in the past, the solutions they have been digging around for on the Internet, as well as future activities.
From the look of things, these online platforms appear to have started digging into the activities and lifestyles of the users. This has created concerns over the reliability of the platforms, as well as the security of the users’ data.
To that end, the fight against illegal use of information shared by users of Social Media platforms like Facebook and Search Engines like Google will be intensified this year.
In addition to the tighter privacy restrictions, transparency would be promoted, as the users would get to use the first-party data model to share the information they like to be shared.
According to this post on 99Designs, (https://99designs.com/blog/marketing-advertising/digital-marketing-trends/) online consumers are increasingly becoming suspicious of the content they are being targeted with.
So, for digital marketers to break even in 2022, they have to focus on building trust and being as transparent as possible when marketing online.
2. The Metaverse: The Rise of a New Internet Experience and Judgement Day for Facebook
Talks about the Metaverse became rife following the rebranding of Facebook to Meta, the new brand name that encompasses all of the Facebook Inc. subsidiaries.
It is worth noting that the Metaverse is a new ecosystem for Internet experiences. Expected to be powered by Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), this new ecosystem allows the users to have “real-life communication” by using wearable devices, such as VR headsets.
The Metaverse also holds lots of other opportunities, including the possibility of making and receiving payments in cryptocurrencies, conversion of valuable items to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), and rewards for the users.
However, it could be “judgment day” for Facebook. For some years now, the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has been under fire following a perceived clampdown on certain information shareable on the platform and the need for new management.
Will Mark be able to navigate the ship and weather Facebook through the thunderous storms of rebranding to Meta and including features that align with the Metaverse?
Many already on the sidelines are keenly observing to see how the company would be able to emerge bigger or shoot itself on the leg.
3. Influencer Marketing is not Going Away
One would think that hiring bran strategists and putting in personal work are all there is to marketing online in 2022. While that is accurate, it doesn’t get rid of some other marketing models, notable among which is influencer marketing.
Across different Social Media platforms, some individuals are looked upon before certain decisions will be taken. These are influencers – people whose actions or say-so could influence the way others do things.
In 2022, we would see more influencer marketing strategists, especially from brands that are looking to reach new audiences.
As much as you are looking to hire an influencer to “influence” or say good about your brand, you also want to make sure that the influencer is on the same page with you.
Ideally, you want to pick an influencer by considering some of these factors:
- The Platform Receptibility: The platform where the influencer dominates is very important. You want to choose a platform where your target audience congregates the most. For example, you will make more sales with influencer marketing for your beauty products on Instagram than on Facebook because Instagram is where the buyers tend to “show off” the products and “pose for the gram.”
- The Number of Followers: The number of followers is also another important factor to consider. You want more eyeballs to come across the products you want to be influenced for your brand. Hence, prioritize partnering with an influencer with tens of thousands of followers.
- The Buying Power: It is one thing to partner with an influencer that has lots of followers and another to make sales. Some influencers attract audiences that are merely following for information. Thus, making sales could be a bit harder if you work with such influencers.
4. Email Marketing: The Money is in the List
Building a platform might be hard, but owning a fraction of the number of online users could be a better way to do that. Email marketing is one of the trends that will shape the digital marketing space in 2022.
However, certain additions are expected in the global email marketing space this year. These additions include:
- Newer Personalization Strategies: Personalization strategies like name tags have been in place, but there is a need for more. You want the emails you send on behalf of your brand to be as personal as possible, considering that personalization is one of the best ways to “speak directly” to your target audience.
- Interactive Email Content: The emails also need to be interactive, making it possible for the recipients to respond or take the action you want.
5. We are Going to Watch more Videos
Video content is one of the trends to watch out for in 2022. This is not a new trend though, but a few additions here and there will make it more popular later in the year. The drift is from static digital marketing assets, such as pictures to videos.
Besides, the proliferation of video platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok is giving more room for the creation of video content.
Anyone can now make TikTok videos and get massive views. Imagine how much this could do for your brand, as you tap into it to promote what you have to offer.
6. Interactive Content is a Fast-Growing Trend to Expect its Boom in 2022
Interactive content is simply any content that allows the target audience or those for whom the content is meant to respond.
Currently, the use of questions at the end of posts is dominating, but newer models are set to displace that.
Here are some of the forms of interactive content expected to dominate the digital marketing space in 2022:
- Questionnaires
- Polls
- 3D images
- Quizzes
7. Social Media Stories Bring a Different Kind of Vibe
The conversation is always different when the content on Social Media platforms is focused on stories. This adds flavor to the erstwhile use of such platforms to communicate and chat with friends and family members.
The ability to hold a decent conversation, hold the audience’s attention, and trigger interests via stories are some of the digital marketing trends we expect to become more popular this year.
It is not only a means of “separating the amateur brands from the pros,” but also one of the ways of warming your brand into the heart of those who would patronize it.
So, how can you use stories on Social Media platforms to make more sales?
- Make the content of the stories very persuasive.
- Use some of the current trends to come up with story ideas.
- Subtly infuse your products while writing the stories.
8. Voice Search will be on Fire
Optimizing blog content for SEO is going to have a fiercer competitor – voice search. With your voice, you can now make queries on Google, find information faster, and improve your online experience without touching your device.
The rule of thumb is to optimize your content for voice queries, making it easier for the target audience to get the information as voice messages.
9. Expect Collaborations among Content Creators
The saying that “no man is an island” is going to be truer now than independent content creators would make strategic collaborations with one another. Some of the reasons for such collaborations are:
- Mutually-beneficial partnerships.
- Monetization options.
- Getting access to high, convertible audiences.
10. Foresight Should Drive Your Digital Marketing Game the Most
Several trends would shape the global Internet marketing ecosystem, but none would be as feasible as being a forward-thinking entrepreneur or digital marketer.
The ability to have foresight should be a priority, as you want to stay ahead of the others.
How can you do this?
- Use Google Trends to identify some of the popular searches made by the target audiences. The information they are looking out for could turn out to be a trend!
- Listen to conversations in your industry, taking note of the questions asked, the answers given, and the projections for the future.
- Get feedback from the existing customers. Use the information to know what they think, as that would help you optimize your brand for more growth.
Final Words
Be strategic with your planning to make informed digital marketing decisions.
Your quest to become a better digital marketer in 2022 or to get newer audiences for your brand this year could work best if you start planning ahead of time.
The year is already moving and so should you make moves to position your brand for the newer milestones scheduled for the year.
Now that you know some of the trends to look out for, start planning and if possible, hire a professional to help you get the most out of your online marketing strategies this year.
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