8 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch In 2022

digital marketing trends to watch in 2022
We know it’s not shocking to hear that social media usage is rising, but here’s a fun fact: As of July 2021, there are 4.8 billion active social media users globally! This means that 54% of the world’s 7.83 billion population actively uses social media. To see success this new year, businesses need to shift their attention, time, & budget towards digital marketing (no matter the industry).

To help your brand stay ahead of the game, we’ve put together 8 digital marketing trends that can’t be ignored in 2022.

Here’s a quick summary:

  1. More Video Content, More Results
  2. Social Media Becoming the Go-To Shopping Outlet
  3. Conversational Marketing Building Customer Connection
  4. Facebook (or Meta) Remains King of Social Media
  5. All Eyes On Paid Social Advertising
  6. Influencer Marketing On The Rise
  7. Attention Spans Going Down, Engaging Content Going Up
  8. Don’t Count Out Long-Form Videos Just Yet!

1. More Video Content, More Results

Did you know Facebook gets 8 billion video views per day? Video content has been dominating for a while now, and the trend is definitely here to stay. “84% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video”, according to Wyzowl.

2022 won’t be about just any video content – we mean high-quality videos that stand out in your audience’s social media feed. As predicted by Forbes, social media networks, and even streaming TV platforms, will be introducing new advertising products that emphasize video. If video content is not already a core piece of your 2022 digital marketing strategy, it’s time to think again!

To get you started, here are some engaging video content ideas:

  • Vlogs
  • Webinars
  • Interviews or Q&As
  • Testimonials
  • Product tutorials
  • Company culture clips
  • User-generated content
  • Product reviews
  • Contests and giveaways
  • Live streaming
video marketing trend 2022

2. Social Media Is Now A Go-To Shopping Outlet

After 2020, people had no choice but to turn to digital platforms for shopping. Whether it’s shopping for clothing, groceries, or home goods, social media has been thriving as a shopping outlet, and this trend is only expected to accelerate going into 2022. To be specific, the number of US social commerce buyers has risen by 12.9% to over 96 million, according to eMarketer.

social commerce buyers trend

Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest have all announced new commerce features. From Pinterest introducing Slideshow (pulls products from your catalog into a carousel ad), to YouTube testing shoppable live streams, and more! Businesses cannot afford to ignore the rise of social commerce in 2022.  

    social commerce rising 2022

    3. Conversational Marketing:
    Building Customer Connections

    The global pandemic has massively changed the way we operate, promote, & sustain a business. We saw a shift in consumer behavior, creating new trends throughout the past two years that no one could have seen coming. Going into 2022, take advantage of this time to reconnect with customers and start to gain an understanding of your audience’s needs and wants. 

    To build a strong customer connection, follow an approach that, according to Inc. Magazine, is expected to be a top digital marketing trend in 2022: conversational marketing. Implementing personalization and a dialogue-focused communication style will be key in 2022 for a boost in customer engagement, customer experience, and revenue! The goal of conversational marketing is to utilize multiple marketing channels to meet your customers’ needs. Everyone likes to feel heard, appreciated, and supported, right? Your customers are no different! Integrate different types of conversational marketing into your overall strategy and assess throughout the upcoming year how that has impacted your customer connection.

    Below are a few types of conversational marketing to try out:

    • Personalized emails
    • Live chat
    • Customer service chatbots
    • Educational videos
    • Voice applications (i.e. Alexa, Google Smart Assistant)
    • Text messages
    happy customer, digital marketing trend 2022

    4. Facebook (or Meta) Remains King of Social Media

    With 1.8 billion daily active users, Facebook has been and will continue to be dominating the social media landscape as the world’s #1 social media network. Sure, Facebook may spark some negative press every now and then, but that hasn’t hindered the platform’s growth as the number of Facebook users has grown by 77% from 2015 to 2020. It’s safe to say Facebook will remain king of social media going into 2022 (& likely the next few years to come). 

      FB users 2015-2020
      Try to leverage Facebook’s ongoing release of tools that are designed to make a difference for businesses looking to build stronger connections with their audiences. This can include tools such as Facebook Groups, Facebook Live, or Live Audio Rooms, for example. In 2022, maximize your organic Facebook presence to increase consumers’ confidence in your brand. Equally important, make sure you’re using Facebook paid social advertising to reach beyond existing followers. Despite the few challenges advertisers saw throughout 2021, Facebook ads have become more effective than ever.

      Check out this article from Social Media Examiner that guides you through five ways to upgrade your Facebook marketing strategy for 2022!

      FB users 2015-2020

      There’s a common misconception that social media marketing is only effective for e-commerce or B2C brands when, in reality, 83% of B2B marketers in North America now use social media advertising to reach their target markets.

      SocialMadeSimple has even helped franchise staffing agency, NEXTAFF, generate leads valued over $100,000 in just 90 days using only paid social advertising.

      If you aren’t already implementing paid social advertising in your digital marketing strategy, you will not want to miss out in 2022. I’m not saying to spend all your marketing dollars to run ads on every social network, but identify an approach that makes the most sense in accordance with your business and its audience. We already know Facebook has been and will continue to lead the social space, so try utilizing Facebook advertising this upcoming year. Here’s a guide to help you get started: How to Get Started With Facebook Ads.

      6. Influencer Marketing On The Rise

      During the pandemic, we saw that consumers began trusting influencers more than brands. You can count on seeing a lot more of this as the trend matures in 2022 and US influencer marketing spending rises to $4 billion, as predicted by eMarketer.

        Facebook ad campaign for the holidays

        Since influencer marketing tends to be more effective for some business types than others, assess your business’s overall goals and determine if partnering with a social media influencer makes sense for your brand. When partnering with an influencer, start by reviewing your marketing goals, and clearly identifying who your target audience is. 

        The main questions to consider when partnering with a social media influencer are:

        • What kind of audience and niche do I want to reach?
        • Does this influencer have followers in that niche community?
        • Does the influencer have actively engaged followers?

        7. Attention Spans Going Down, Engaging Content Going Up

        Attention spans are shrinking and the demand for short-form, engaging, creative content (or as Hubspot calls it, “snackable” content) continues to expand going into 2022. How can you create social media content that is easily digestible, educational, and consistently engaging to your audience? When planning your social media content strategy for 2022, that should be at the top of your goals. 

        Below are some basic, yet effective, examples of “snackable” content:

        • GIFs
        • Memes
        • Infographics
        • Quote graphics 

        We saw the impressive growth of both TikTok and Instagram Reels, and watched short-form videos take over social media. As users scroll endlessly through their feeds, you will need to rely on content that is straightforward, educational, and visually engaging to fully capture their attention. 2022 is all about learning the best ways to build a relationship with your customers.

        Facebook ad campaign for the holidays

        8. Don’t Count Out Long-Form Videos Just Yet!

        Yes, it’s true that TikTok made last year the year of short-form videos, but is long-form video content making a comeback?

        Facebook ad campaign for the holidays

        Well, for starters, TikTok has expanded to 3 minutes and Reels went to 60 seconds so it’s looking like we shouldn’t count out long-form content just yet. In addition, an example of long-form content that seems to be on the rise is podcasting, as supported by YouTube and Facebook’s introduction of Live Audio Rooms. And finally, another example of long-form content that has been trending (still) is live video, and there are more platforms than ever adopting this feature. Even Amazon has hopped on the trend! Using the Amazon Live Creator app, brands and influencers can now connect with shoppers in real-time and drive sales through Amazon Live.

        Despite the fact that “snackable” content has been proven effective, depending on your business type and your marketing goals, long-form content could very well do a better job of reaching that goal.

        Try integrating both short-form and long-form content in your 2022 digital marketing strategy see which performs best with your target audience, and expand your strategy from there.

         

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