The world of marketing has changed significantly in the past few years. New digital platforms have emerged, new technologies are being developed, and the way people live their lives has shifted. As a result, marketers need to change their strategies to keep up with these changes.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of our top digital marketing trends for 2022 – so that you can be ahead of the game!
1. Interactive content will become more important
The use of interactive content is growing rapidly, with a report from Vengage finding that almost 6 out of 10 marketers are using videos and images in their digital marketing strategies in 2020.
Infographics have also been a notable growth area, with even the likes of Google investing in their own online graphic designing tool.
And Snapchat has led the way in pioneering new ways of engaging with audiences through face filters, heat maps and augmented reality lenses.
The message for digital marketers is clear. Interactive content isn’t going anywhere, so create your own interactive video and infographic campaigns to stay ahead of the game!
2. The rise in influencer marketing
Influencers are getting bigger and better, with countless examples of them showing companies the power of word of mouth marketing.
And these influencers are becoming more and more influential too, with traditional celebrities like Lady Gaga being pushed to the sidelines by genuine micro-influencers with a smaller but more engaged audience.
And the biggest influencer marketing platforms are also becoming more prevalent, with the likes of Instagram and Youtube launching their own influencer tools.
The message for digital marketers is clear: Integrate influencer marketing into your strategy to grow your brand.
3. The rise of voice search
Digital marketers have been watching the steady growth of voice search for some time. It has grown gradually in the past two years, with people using Siri more and more to find answers on their Apple devices.
But now, voice search is becoming mainstream, with 2 out of 5 adults using voice search once daily. And it appears that this growth is set to continue, with ComScore forecasting voice searches will comprise 50% of all searches by the end of 2020.
So, what does this mean for digital marketing? The phrase “voice search” may soon be a common one if Google search continues to grow. If you aren’t positioning your business for voice search, you’re missing a trick.
4. The need for in-depth content
Machine learning (the technology that powers computers to think like humans) combined with AI is transforming the way we do business. AI is now being used to analyze data more quickly and efficiently, with the goal of generating insights for businesses.
And current research suggests that the coming years will see this process speed up dramatically. In fact, Gartner has predicted that by 2021 at least 50% of all analytics data processing will be handled by machine learning.
What does this mean for digital marketers? The need for in-depth content that provides insights into your products and services will become greater than ever. So try to provide content that gives your audience more reasons to buy from you.
5. A greater need for video content
In 2022, videos will have become a staple part of the digital marketing diet. In fact, Cisco predicts that 80% of consumer internet traffic will be video by 2021.
This growth is partly because people are watching more videos than ever before, with YouTube reporting a whopping 2.3 billion active users every month. But video is also becoming more influential in digital marketing because people are watching videos on social media. For instance, Facebook reports that people are watching at least 100 million hours of video every day on the platform.
So, what does this mean for digital marketers? A greater need for video content that’s suitable for social media platforms.
6. The rise in augmented reality devices
Augmented reality is a hot topic among tech enthusiasts. In fact, Google recently released a new headset that allowed you to overlay virtual objects onto your surroundings.
And it’s not just Google that is investing in this technology. Microsoft has also released a headset called HoloLens, while Apple has created ARKit.
So, what does this mean for digital marketers? The rise of augmented reality devices will see a greater emphasis on using AR to provide consumers with real-life experiences.
7. The continued rise of chatbots
Chatbots are all the rage right now, with over 40% of companies already incorporating them into their strategies. But this isn’t just a passing fad. It seems that chatbots are set to become a regular part of digital marketing. According to research by Hubspot, 57% of consumers are interested in chatbots for their instantaneity.
Chatbots have become even more important, especially during the pandemic when responding to customers’ emergency needs has become even more crucial.
So, what does this mean for digital marketers? The continued rise of chatbots will see brands using chatbots to improve their conversations with customers and automate certain activities such as customer service processes.
8. The rise of visual search engines
Visual search is already making waves, with Pinterest claiming that there are over 600 million visual searches across searches every month. The difference between regular and visual search is that visual search enables people to find an image of a product they want, and then buy it.
And this technique is proving to be increasingly popular. For instance, Pinterest recently partnered with Amazon to provide people with visual search results on the platform. This meant that if you searched for a specific item on Pinterest, you would be provided with results that included items to purchase from Amazon.
So as visual search continues to grow, it’s likely that more brands will adopt this technique to drive sales.
Key Takeaways
So as you can see, the next few years will be an exciting time for digital marketers. We’ll be seeing more automation and innovation, which will enable marketers to handle more data-driven activities.
It’s also likely that there will be even greater demand for video content, as well as augmented reality experiences.
But one of the biggest changes will be the rise of visual search engines, which will enable brands to drive even more revenue. Digital marketers will need to ensure they’re well-versed in all of these changes, as well as being able to present a strong business case for the changes they wish to make.
The changes also mean brands will be forced to make changes in order to adapt to these new technologies. But it’s not all doom and gloom for digital marketers. The rise of voice search, social media video content, and chatbots means that some areas of digital marketing will become even more important.
So, digital marketers have a lot of challenges to face over the coming years, but if they adapt to these changes, then there are plenty of opportunities on the horizon.
