As 2021 has come to a close, we have seen a massive shift in consumer behaviour when it comes to our reliance on technology for almost everything we do in our general day to day, from entertainment to shopping to education. If there is anything that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught marketers, is that having a strong online presence is a must. As we look back on 2021, it’s important that we identify the trends that are gaining traction and how marketers can take advantage of these trends to boost their results in 2022.
This blog will examine a few of the most polarising trends that you should consider for your business in 2022.
1. Video Marketing
If there is a winner of 2021, it would have to be video. With everyone online all the time in 2020, video became more crucial than ever for marketing and communication, and it hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. A research study conducted by Cisco found that by 2022, video will account for 82% of all online traffic (Cisco, 2020), and is the most popular way for consumers to learn about new products (see diagram).
Currently, we are seeing the rise of short-form video – Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts popularity has grown significantly over the past two years and are some of the top video-based content channels in the world. With Instagram in particular, it has been found that the algorithms of the social platforms heavily favour Reels over normal posts, so it’s in your own interest to create more short-form video content – more videos mean more exposure.
Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-video-marketing-new-data
Table of Contents
According to a new voice technology survey from Adobe, 48% of consumers are using voice assistance for “general web searches”. As a result of rising numbers, more marketers are adapting by optimizing their content for voice search. “Unlike text SEO, voice search optimization involves a greater focus on long-tail keywords (more than three words) and question queries. Why? When people speak, they tend to ask questions in full sentences.” (Wix.com, 2021). In order to leverage the increase in voice searches, businesses or marketers should create content that answers people’s questions.
To stay up-to-date with this marketing trend, you can find the most asked questions around your industry on places such as Answer The Public or through keyword research tools like Ahrefs, Semrush and Google Keyword Planner.
As discussed in previous blog posts, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a prevalent tool being used across businesses, industries and marketing tools around the world. AI has been implemented into ‘Conversational Marketing’, which is a way to talk to your audience one on one to improve customer experience and sales. These conversations are done through live chat, chatbots, voice assistants and more.
Better communication with customers means your business can shorten the sales cycle and significantly improve the marketing funnel. These tools also help save time and money as about 80% of routine queries can be answered instantly with chatbots rather than a customer service rep.
Although social commerce isn’t a new trend, it has finally gained traction as a mainstream form of shopping and is predicted to rise significantly in the next few years. We have seen two front runners that have accelerated this trend, being Instagram and TikTok. Instagram Checkout has made it easier for brands to advertise and sell their products directly through the platform.
Source: https://business.instagram.com/blog/updates-to-checkout-on-instagram-and-shops-features/
On the other hand, TikTok has changed the game when it comes to influencer marketing with tools like Creator Marketplace, where brands can find creators that align with their products and interests, and Tik Tok Shopping, which allows brands to more meaningfully engage with customers right through the app.
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/277045/us-social-commerce-revenue-forecast/
There are so many incredible opportunities for businesses to take advantage of, many of which are not mentioned in this blog article. With that being said, there is a lot for businesses and marketers to be excited about as we process into an ever-growing digital landscape. If you would like to learn more about exciting marketing trends we will see in 2022, please see the resources below.
Awards aren't everything. But we are pretty proud to be Perth's most awarded Google Premier Partner agency. Over the years we have been recognised by both Telstra and Google in their award categories, which are highly competitive. Here's a few of our PPC advertising accolades we are particularly proud of.
