With 2021 a couple of weeks in the rearview mirror, it’s time to share what’s driving our marketing strategy in 2022 and what digital marketing trends and ideas we are watching.
In a perfect world, we’d capitalize on all of these – as we are certain you would as well. Ultimately, as everyone does, we make tough choices.
That said, here are 10 digital marketing trends and ideas for 2022 we are closely following.
Video Marketing & Live Video
Video marketing is going to mature in a big way in 2022. There are so many pieces in the video rubicon for today’s marketer, and their relevance depends heavily on the business you are in.
A few areas to consider:
- Live Shopping: May be interesting for many in the B2C space.
- Personalized Video: Already very big and growing, this more where high ticket price tags are involved and the B2B space.
- Micro-Video: Think Tik-Tok and general social video – it continues to grow and gain popularity.
- Collaborative Tools for Video: The tools are a critical element of video marketing. Not only on the creation, but on the video feedback and approval side of things.
Check out this post we put out recently on video marketing trends to watch in 2022.
Hybrid Tools
What happens when we finally begin to feel secure in the office and we are enabled to have a more regular in-person presence? The past 1-2 years have been incredible boosts to remote technologies (and ARK). However, the tools that will remain relevant will need to have value in both online and offline environments.
Tools with hybrid value will be more valuable than ever in the 2022 marketing stack.
For example, Zoom is diversifying heavily – it simply can’t keep its sky-high valuations based on online meetings. At ReviewStudio, we definitely have a big remote value but can be just as valuable for face-to-face review and consolidating feedback.
Experiential Marketing
Your team is likely to be much more comfortable and open to in-person experiences in 2022 – we naturally crave experiences and human interaction. Brands will race to associate themselves with experiences. Digital marketing trends will likely follow experiential-based formats.
Is 2022 the year of the return of the flash mob? Only time will tell.
Rethinking SEO
There’ve been several important changes to how Google search results are delivered over the past year – enough to make the heads of every SEO specialist or marketer spin. When 30% or so of your traffic (and potentially business) comes from organic search, a few percent in either direction can make a big difference. Diversification on inbound channels is essential – especially when playing on rented ground.
The Decline of Facebook + The Metaverse
Perhaps Facebook’s demise is overstated, but they are desperate to stay relevant.
Facebook’s strongest growth is in the 65+-year-old category. It’s also plateaued and declining in use in the US (often the most valuable audience to marketers).
That said, the billions of daily users still give it a moat that is hard to beat.
But even Zuckerberg knows the brand is tarnished and isn’t “bringing the world closer”, providing positive social networking. His Metaverse is going to be a major play in 2022, combined with a whole new market of everything from sponsorships, eCommerce, and NFTs to boot.
What opportunities will the Metaverse bring to marketers? Is this a second coming of Second Life? Back in 2003, Second Life was touted as revolutionary. It has all but fizzled out and certainly hasn’t lived up to its lofty expectations.
While it’s hard to know where the Metaverse will go, it’s also hard to ignore.
VR for Marketing in 2022
As a tangent, VR has been set to explode for a while now. This could be the year. Besides Facebook (Oculus), Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and Magic Leap there are so many companies betting heavily on the potential of virtual reality. It also has a much more mature ecosystem of headset manufacturers, software developers, and an appetite for virtual reality meetings.
With the adoption of VR will come brand-new marketing channels. The resistance, however, might stem from our desire to connect much more in the offline world.
Or AR as the Hybrid Answer
The answer to the Metaverse and mistrust of technology (do you really want to spend time in a Facebook world?), might just be augmented reality. Technology augmenting our surroundings might turn out to be the technology we actually need. There’ve been many attempts here, from Google Glasses to Snapchat.
Eventually, even if not this year, AR will become an essential part of our daily experience. Whether our glasses using AI to assist us when shopping or projecting a colleague onto our eyewear, it has the potential to provide practical applications that VR can’t.
It’s Rumored that Apple is releasing an AR headset in late 2022. That should change the game quickly.
Branded NFTs of Everything
The branded NFT is here already for the likes of Asics or Taco Bell, Hot Wheels, or Coca-Cola. It might have come out of nowhere for those not embedded in the defi and blockchain world. But it’s only going to get stronger in 2022 with forward-thinking brands experimenting with NFTs in wild ways.
And for those not read up – you don’t simply own a piece of digital art. NFTs can be used for loyalty programs, special offers, insider scoops, and yes, purely collectible value for your loyal followers.
The New Normal Ad Campaign
Remember when Covid hit and we were inundated with endless heart-string-tugging images of rainbows, nurses, empty playgrounds, and other depressing/hopeful commercials? As we (knock on wood) start getting back to normal, the inverse will start happening.
And after we enjoy the first few dozen “we did it” and “thank you frontline workers” campaigns, we will crave a good old fashion mindless Superbowl ad. So, get your messaging ready and out early before it becomes passe.
But whatever you do – don’t jump the gun.
Oh, And Email Marketing Never Dies
About 200 million emails are sent every second. It’s much less astonishing when we consider that around between 50-60% of those emails are spam. That said even as the Metaverse takes shape, Tiktok trends, and marketing in unowned space is a must, email marketing remains an invaluable and reliable tool that is your best-owned channel. And it’s evolving. Automation and integrations are getting more advanced. And your email can always include personalized video.
Final Thoughts
So, while live-streaming your NFT drop or integrating AR into your flashmob might not be for everyone, it’s always wise to pay attention to these key digital marketing trends and ideas. These past couple of years have been pretty unpredictable. No one could predict the increase in the algorithm changes or the arrival of Meta. And we are still dealing with a pandemic.
As a grain of salt, as we say here in Montreal, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”, the more things change the more they stay the same. Take care of your customers, be authentic, and provide real value, and the rest is gravy.
