Top 5 Digital Marketing Trends to Follow in 2022

By: Olivia Bentley

“Good marketing makes the company look smart. Great marketing makes the customer feel smart,” – Joe Chernov.

Today, marketing is so much more than just print and TV or radio ads. Digital marketing is a new ball game with common tactics that apply to traditional advertising, but with a few major differences as well. Here are the top 5 trends you should be implementing if you want to ensure your company is successful with digital marketing campaigns.

Video Marketing

It’s no secret that video plays an important role in marketing. Today there are many different websites and apps that companies use to connect with their audience through video, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. However, heading into 2022, it’s even more important than ever to include videography in your marketing strategy. A Wyzowl survey showed that people are twice as likely to share videos with their friends and family versus sending a blog, social media post or news article link. In that same survey, it showed that 84% of consumers have been convinced to buy a product or utilize a service after watching that brand’s video1.

The key to achieving your desired goals through video is to produce content tailored to your audience. While it’s going to be impossible to please everyone, you should always be creating content with your main target group and their interests in mind. It is encouraged to work with your videographer on the best way to handle this. Some ideas to keep in mind could include, but are not limited to, the setting or location, the actors, shared jokes, etc. Think of GoPro, for example; their videos are typically of people doing stunts and being active, like surfing or cliff jumping. Their audience is typically those with active lifestyles who want to document it without having to worry about carrying or breaking a bulky camera. The videos they make can be commonly found on YouTube and TikTok, which are both apps that people turn to to post or watch videos of all different types.

However you decide to implement videography in your marketing, keep in mind it may take trial and error to get it right. As you put out your advertisements pay attention to the numbers you’re getting back, such as view count, and adjust as needed.

Conversational Marketing

With today’s technology, we’re accustomed to being able to reach our friends and family at a moment’s notice, and communicating with companies and brands should be no different. When it comes to customer service response, research from HubSpot showed that 82% of consumers expect to receive an immediate response from companies, especially those questions related to marketing and/or sales2.

According to a survey done by Broadly, 57% of consumers reported that they prefer to communicate with companies through email. While email is convenient, it isn’t always the most efficient way to ensure a fast response. One way to provide consumers immediate feedback is by setting up a live chat on your website. You can adjust settings to be available 24/7 or strictly during business hours. For example, packaging company Gator Packaging, has a chat feature where users can hop on during business hours to get help from a representative. Another option is a dedicated social media manager who can respond to comments and messages as they come through. Major brands, such as Target, Starbucks, United Airlines, etc. have their Representatives on Twitter who respond to complaints or questions that their customers may have.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer (noun): Someone in your niche or industry with sway over your target audience. Influencers have specialized knowledge, authority or insight into a specific subject3.

Research from Statista shows that in 2016 influencer marketing was valued at $1.7 billion and continued to trend upwards during the following years. In 2021, influencer marketing was valued at $13.8 billion, setting a new record. That means that in just 4 short years it grew by $12.1 billion4.

Influencer marketing is ubiquitous; showing up everywhere from Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, to traditional TV and print advertisements. A couple of big name companies who have partnerships with influencers include Adidas who partnered with influencers for Beyonce’s Ivy Park line; and Coca-Cola who partnered with Olympic athletes for their campaign during the 2016 Olympics. To read more information about what an influencer is, or to see some more examples of influencers, check out our previous post What is an influencer.

Inclusivity and Diversity

When creating ads, it’s important to think about who your audience is, and who you’re using to promote your product or service. Consumers want to look at an ad and relate with the people shown. Try to take into consideration age, race, gender, body type, disabilities, etc. As mentioned previously, it’s impossible to relate to every consumer, so focus on the points that feel most applicable to your brand and image. Going back to GoPro, which was mentioned above, they do a great job of making sure their videos promote inclusivity and diversity. The videos they post on TikTok and YouTube feature people of all different backgrounds; it doesn’t matter if they’re male or female, tall or short, as long as it shows them having fun while getting unique action shots they post it.

Shoppable Content

Long gone are the days where shopping meant having to physically visit a brick and mortar establishment. Thanks to the internet, we have access to stores and shopping 24 hours a day. In 2020, e-commerce sales ended at $4.280 trillion5. Now companies and brands can connect links to their products in posts, allowing customers to shop directly from an image.

Pauline Butor, who is the Head of Youtube Ads and Creative Works for Google in France, believes that storytelling plays a major role in creating content, enticing customers to shop. She also mentioned the ABCD framework6, which can help create effective shoppable content.

A: Attention to hook your customer

B: Brand promotion often

C: Connection to help your customer feel and relate

D: Direction to help your customer take action

Digital Marketing has a lot of opportunities for companies to come across as unique and make themselves stand out to their customers. It’s up to the companies to decide how exactly they want to implement digital marketing into their business. Taking into consideration trends from the previous years, the technology advancements available today, these 5 trends are sure to help your company succeed in getting your desired results this year.

Video Marketing

Conversational Marketing

Influencer Marketing

Inclusivity and Diversity

Shoppable Content

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