The Marketing Trends of 2022 (Part 1)

Marketing is a field that moves at the speed of light.

And, in 2021, we witnessed the marketing industry's rapid evolution.

Marketers embraced digital transformation more than ever in the last year as they adapted to rapidly changing virtual and hybrid business landscapes in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Then, when countries slowly reopened – and more consumers returned to their homes – some firms experienced declines in the virtual interaction and internet traffic on which they had previously relied.

Now the big question is, what changes are we expected to see in the way B2B and B2C companies advertise their products in 2022. I've highlighted a few in this article;

Source: Pixabay.com

1. Influencer marketing will transition from a trend to a mainstream marketing strategy.

When global marketing experts were asked which trends they expected to invest in for 2022, 34% chose influencer marketing, putting it ahead of other trends such as mobile web design and short-form video marketing.

While 57% of marketers who now use influencer marketing believe it is effective, 46% intend to raise their efforts in 2022. Additionally, 11% believe it is the most profitable trend they have tested.

How and why has influencer marketing evolved from a novel concept to a widely used marketing tactic? Indeed, influencers are frequently kings of the platforms they utilize and the field or subject they discuss. They already have an engaged, interested, and impacted audience that is influenced by the information they deliver.

When marketers cooperate with industry influencers and thought leaders, they can increase brand exposure and earn fans from the influencer's audience.

Are you unable to pay the fees associated with hiring a famous influencer with millions of followers? That is acceptable. Indeed, more than 56% of marketers who invest in influencer marketing do so through the use of micro-influencers.

Micro-influencers are small-scale social media boosters (typically, thousands to tens of thousands of followers). Although they have fewer followers, their postings frequently have a greater impact due to their higher interaction rate.

These influencers, too, have developed a following in their respective industries - which is why they've begun to play a larger role in converting leads, interacting with audiences, and increasing brand awareness.

Due to the fact that micro-influencers are still regarded "normal" individuals (in contrast to hard-to-reach celebrities), their audiences are?more likely to believe their thoughts and recommendations.

While it's easy to focus exclusively on follower numbers when assessing whether an influencer is a good fit for your company, keep in mind that actual influence is measured in engagement rates (clicks, subscribes, and purchases).

2. Video marketers will maintain brevity in their content.

According to a 2021 marketing poll, short-form content is the second most effective strategy marketers are currently embracing.

Over 31% of worldwide marketers now spend in short-form video content, and 46% believe the strategy is effective in terms of performance and engagement. And, by 2022, 89 percent of worldwide marketers intend to maintain or expand their investment in it.

While long-form films can provide audiences with a wealth of information about a product, company, or service, both B2C and B2B marketers have discovered that short-form videos can be far more effective.

Not only does creating a short-form video consume less bandwidth, but it also fits the short attention spans of internet audiences across a range of demographics. This is likely why services such as TikTok, Reels, and – in prior years – Snapchat grew rapidly in popularity and marketing interest.

3. Optimizing for mobile devices will become increasingly more critical.

It's unsurprising that consumers are increasingly reliant on mobile devices. Indeed, mobile devices, including tablets, account for more than half of all annual online website traffic.

Additionally, as millennials and Gen Z audiences continue to gain purchasing power, mobile-optimized digital experiences will become even more critical for business owners marketing to these fast-paced, highly connected generations.

The following are only a few of the reasons why:

Globally, 33% of marketers spend in mobile web design.

84% of marketers who prioritize mobile web design want to maintain or increase their investment in 2022.

64% of SEO marketers consider mobile optimization to be a worthwhile investment.

Additionally, mobile experiences are critical not only on brand websites, but also in other critical marketing efforts. For example, 56% of marketers who work with email are focused on providing subscribers with mobile email experiences.

4. Persistent social media posts may eventually supplant fleeting content.

Source: Pixabay.com

While ephemeral content – which is typically published for 24 hours before disappearing (unless saved or archived) – is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, brands have discovered that permanent social media content – such as standard posts, videos, and live events that appear on a platform's feed and can be viewed days later – may be more effective for their marketing campaigns.

According to a poll, 44% of worldwide marketers intend to expand their investment in permanent social media content, while 8% believe it offers the highest return on investment compared to other marketing techniques. Meanwhile, 25% of respondents identified ephemeral content as the "least effective" trend in which they have invested.

Finally, 37% of marketers intend to reduce their investment in ephemeral content.

If you're concerned with the bottom line and achieving a positive return on investment, ephemeral may not be the greatest technique to pursue.

However, a blend of ephemeral and permanent material typically provides brands both the urgency and engagement of transitory content and the consistent engagement, longer-term brand exposure, and discoverability of non-ephemeral social media content.

Finally, brands should balance the advantages and disadvantages of each format to determine which is the greatest fit for their brand or campaign.

5. Businesses will place a premium on social responsibility.

While 31% of marketers believe social responsibility is useless in terms of campaign engagement or results, 45% plan to continue investing in it over the coming year.

Why? Because, in today's world, social responsibility, ethics, and transparency are important to the modern customer.

During the numerous worldwide events in 2020 and 2021, interest in purchasing items from socially responsible brands skyrocketed.

As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the world, it brought to light the difficulties employees face in the workplace and in politics. Employees became more vocal about their discontent with inequity and poor treatment in the workplace.

Additionally, early studies conducted by businesses such as McKinsey projected that customers would support brands that displayed concern for all customers, employees, and shared causes.

With this in mind, businesses have begun to refocus their social media strategy to emphasize more inclusive activities, promotions, and products, while also emphasizing the causes or missions they support. While this may not immediately result in product sales, demonstrating a sense of social responsibility is both smart and successful.