2022 Digital Marketing Predictions & Recommendations
#1 Video Marketing (our top recommendation)
For those of you who regularly read our blogs, this should come as no surprise that we’ve placed video in the top slot for our predictions for 2022. We’ve been talking about the importance of incorporating video into your overall marketing strategy since 2018. Now, with the rise in popularity of short-form video content (a.k.a. TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts), video marketing will play an even bigger role in the coming year.
Pro Marketing Tip: Looking to grow your social media presence? The algorithm heavily favors video – which means more reach and more exposure for you and your business.
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, said recently that the platform is embracing a paradigm shift where users are asking for more entertaining video content (based on what they’re liking, saving and sharing). More importantly he stated that users today are gravitating towards videos that are innovative, creative, funny and entertaining, so simply hitting record and uploading a basic video is no longer effective.
We’ll also see videos used across multiple marketing channels including email, websites, Facebook/PPC ads, etc. Why? Simply put ... they’re more effective. Data analytics used to track video performance continues to become more sophisticated, so both large and small businesses alike are choosing to make the switch from static advertising (picture and text) to video.
Fun Fact: Marketers report that more than 85% of U.S. consumers 13 years of age and older watch streaming or online video weekly with 67% watching daily.
In summation, video must now become a key component of your overall marketing strategy. Your audience’s attention span continues to get shorter and shorter so the need for quick, short, entertaining videos is also a must to keep your brand/business top of mind.
#2 Email Marketing (no, it is not dead ... in fact, it is stronger than ever)
Email remains at the core of business marketing strategies, with 89% of marketers saying email marketing is their primary strategy. It is an incredibly effective tool to remain top-of-mind amongst your clients, nurture prospective leads through the sales cycle, drive traffic to your website, and deliver timely, relevant market data, service offerings and blog content.
Even more importantly, you own this list of contacts (and the analytics that go along with it). So, our recommendation for 2022, is to really dive into these lists, clean them up, do proper grouping and tagging based on data from website visits, click-through history, and email preferences.
Lastly, be sure your email campaigns are mobile friendly and personalized for a more authentic and cohesive client experience.
Pro Marketing Tip: The quality of your email marketing campaign always trumps quantity. Pause and let that sink in ......
The goal is to build trust with your audience so that they become loyal, paying customers and advocates of either your personal brand or business.
#3 Social Media Marketing
From Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat to options ranging within those channels - for example, organic options including Facebook groups, page posts, stories, live streams, and Messenger to paid options - like Facebook and YouTube ads, the features are endless when it comes to connecting and engaging with your audience on a deeper, more personal level.
Our recommendation always with social media is a), to know and understand what social media channels your audience is on and b) develop a cohesive content marketing strategy that engages your audience on those specific channels. Don’t feel like you have to be on “all channels” or following all trends. Test and tweak until you find the mix that works best for you.
It’s more important that you meet your customers on their preferred channels and provide products and services that specifically address their needs and pain points.
Here are a few new features we’re looking forward to experimenting more with in 2022:
Facebook Groups – while this feature has been around for a while, Facebook recently introduced numerous new features to make groups more robust and appealing to both admins and members alike. Additions include being able to create subgroups—both free and paid—Shops for selling merchandise, community fundraisers, and a host of admin features.
Live Audio Rooms – this feature continues to roll out to users on Facebook. Take advantage of this format inside your Facebook group to connect more intimately with members. It’s super easy and you don’t have to get camera-ready!
Facebook Live – let’s not forget about live streaming in addition to audio. Live video is still very powerful and the next best thing to being in person. Live video provides a wonderful opportunity to connect in real time with your followers.
#4 Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing is all about getting your website to appear at the top of the results page (on Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc) when someone searches for your brand, your products, your services, and other relevant words and phrases on their mobile device or desktop. It includes both organic search and paid ads (called PPC ads or pay-per-click).
Driving traffic to your website through SEO (search engine optimization) is a solid marketing strategy that's not going anywhere.
Here are a few of our recommended tips for 2022.
Blogging: If you haven't yet, create a blog for your business so you can rank for more keywords related to your products, services and industry.
Your blog should consist of topics that are customized to your specific area or niche. Think about what clients typically ask you and then fulfill their needs through your blog with helpful tips, articles and links.
Pro Marketing Tip: Take advantage of Google’s free Keyword Planner Tool to help you narrow down keywords that are ranked highest for your business and build a blogging strategy around those key words/phrases.
For a more advanced, pricier “paid” tool, we recommend answerthepublic.com. They provide you with the top asked questions on the internet pertaining to your key phrase.
Keep artificial intelligence in mind: Be sure to write good meta descriptions and produce helpful content that people will want to spend a lot of time consuming.
Have a mobile-friendly website: Nearly 60% of all searches are now carried out on a mobile device. Confirm your site is mobile-optimized to avoid hurting your SEO.
We hope you found this information helpful. By turning these trends into action, we are confident your business with thrive in 2022.
If you have further questions, or need assistance with developing your marketing strategy, please email us at hello@onyx-communications.com.
We wish you all the best in the new year!
