Marketing is one of the most powerful tools for creating strong relationships with customers by raising brand awareness and enhancing your business image. But it is not something static; marketing is dynamic, and the trends tend to change and evolve constantly. If you want to win the hearts and minds of your customers, it’s important to keep up with every innovation the marketing world offers. Moreover, it’s better to always be one step ahead—do research and plan your strategy. That’s why today I’d like to take a closer look at some relevant marketing trends for 2022.
1. Established Trends Versus Innovations.
It certainly can’t be said that all the upcoming trends imply something new. Some aspects of marketing may stay the same but require a new approach; some trends might be things you haven’t included in your strategy before. Nevertheless, I believe a combination of old and new techniques will be a winning mix for success.
2. Improve content quality.
Content can make or break your marketing strategy. You should offer something that is not only valuable but also unique. Moreover, the way you build your content strategy is very important. In 2022, try benefiting more from customer engagement and offering customers the chance to generate content for your business by sharing their reviews, taking part in contests you organize, etc. Such practices can help you get closer to your clients, boost your brand awareness and create valuable content with minimum effort. Also, don’t forget about the importance of social media, and share your content on major platforms. Leverage rich media, add interactive elements, and publish updates daily for the best effects.
3. Use live video.
Live interaction keeps on gaining momentum, so think about how you can integrate streaming into your strategy. Consumers tend to use streaming services and spend more time watching video content as a result. In addition, video streaming revenue is expected to grow up to $81.3 billion by the end of 2025. Answer users’ questions in real time, make live announcements, organize online events and make your interaction more personal—your customers will likely appreciate that. You could also include video advertising in the list of the best practices you implement for client engagement.
4. Add augmented reality elements.
I’ve found that customers appreciate being provided with new experiences. By 2024, the augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality market is expected to be worth close to $300 billion, and the number of AR users is predicted to go beyond 1.7 billion. Moreover, 51% of consumers in a Nielsen study said they were willing to use AR and VR technology to assess products, and Shopify reported that “interactions with products having AR content showed a 94% higher conversion rate than products without AR.” It is predicted that the spend on augmented reality will reach $73 billion by 2024.
With the help of AR, you can provide more information and give customers more of a “feeling” about the things you offer, whether that is through a virtual tour, a detailed review of a product or a trial. Augmented experiences can help customers make decisions faster and help business owners save expenses on logistics.
Brands can go even further and expand their reach to the metaverse, a place where the digital world and real world merge to form a new “phygital” reality. Big players can also generate additional income by means of NFTs, and the smaller ones can use opportunities created by the metaverse to initiate collaborations with world-famous brands.
5. Create podcasts.
Podcasts are a great way to expand reach and to provide your customers with the information they value so much. According to Statista, 48% of millennials and 43% of Gen Zers consume podcasts on a weekly basis. Every one of your podcasts can be monetized if you share valuable details that keep your customers tied to your business and make them come back for more. Statista expects there will be more than 160 million podcast listeners in 2023.
6. Make voice search available.
Modern life requires fast and effective solutions. Providing the option of voice search will allow your customers to reach what they desire even on the go. Apart from convenience, voice search can help increase sales. In 2020, over 20 million U.S. consumers used voice-activated devices to make a purchase, and by 2022, some experts predict voice shopping will reach $40 billion. It can also attract organic traffic and influence your brand’s SEO strategy, so I recommend optimizing your content to voice search queries.
7. Gamify your content.
Gamification elements engage your customers, making them spend more of their time with your brand, obtain a positive digital experience and share data in an entertaining way. The market of gamified systems is expected to grow to $38.4 million by 2026, and in general, more industries will likely adopt this feature in the future, including the public and military sectors. Moreover, I’ve found gamification is an excellent way to attract a major group of consumers: Gen Z.
The Takeaways
All in all, I believe marketing in 2022 is about to become more personalized, customer-friendly and interactive. Due to the pandemic, live streams and online events, such as webinars and product launches, will gain more popularity and also become an integral part of a company’s marketing strategy.
I’ve mentioned only some of the main trends that brands should use in order to boost awareness, engage new audiences and increase sales. So, get ahead of the game and start developing your marketing strategy today to boost your profit in the upcoming year.
