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Digital Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2022


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The past few years have been filled with uncertainty. However, one thing became certain: Digital marketing is evolving and changing rapidly, even in times of crisis. So, to stay relevant, businesses must be equipped with knowledge and information about the latest trends and developments in this field.

The pandemic has caused a rapid shift from offline engagement to online consumption of information, media, and services. Even though digital-based engagement and the use of marketing technologies already existed before, COVID scenarios accelerated this process.

The food, fashion, health, fitness, and education industries are some of the industries focusing on digital marketing trends. And with so many industries adopting digital marketing trends, it is evident that its benefits are numerous. In addition to being affordable, digital marketing trends target the ideal customers, help businesses earn their customers’ trust, compete with more prominent brands, and generate more revenue.

Below is a list of a few digital marketing trends that you should not ignore at any cost in 2022.

AI Trends

Many global industries are leveraging the power of AI to improve their business operations. Furthermore, AI collects a great deal of data about customers and analyses it, which is revolutionising the digital marketing industry. This has greatly impacted the customer relationship management sector. With visual search, chatbots, and conversational marketing tools, organisations can easily communicate with their leads using AI.

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Visual Search

By uploading the image of an unknown object to a search engine, people can find out more about that object and learn more about it.

There are a variety of search engines that offer visual search today, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Using image recognition technology, this feature identifies the object in an image uploaded by a user and displays multiple relevant results.

Optimising the images of your products will help you adapt to this digital marketing trend. The following tips can help you:

  • Provide alt text for images
  • Give the file a descriptive name
  • Create a sitemap for images
  • Ensure that the format and size of the image are appropriate

Programmatic Advertising

By using artificial intelligence, programmatic advertising automates the purchasing of ads. This method allows companies to eliminate humans from their ad buying processes. Moreover, it is a cost-effective and reliable way of marketing.

In addition, programmatic advertising has a higher optimisation scale capacity than human advertising, according to SmartyAds. Paying attention to programmatic advertising is crucial if paid media is your primary means of acquiring customers. RTB is a widely used programmatic advertising technique. Advertisers buy ad impressions from specific publishers in advance using real-time auctions.

Chatbots

A customer’s preference for instant response is 82%. Today, customers expect brands to respond quickly to their inquiries. For this reason, rather than replying to each customer individually, consider using chatbots. When businesses are away or too busy to reply directly to potential customers, this form of artificial intelligence (AI) allows them to interact, connect, and communicate with them. Automated chatbots can boost operational efficiency and build customer engagement.

AI-powered chatbots have been revolutionizing digital marketing by answering hundreds of customer inquiries on websites simultaneously. 24/7 customer service, accurate answers, and recall of customer history are some of the things they provide. As a powerful online marketing trend, many enterprises are incorporated them in 2022.
SEO Trends

Voice SEO

Conversational or natural language searches accounted for 70% of all searches. However, according to Google, 27% of the digital population now conducts voice searches on their mobile devices. The use of smart speakers such as Apple Homepods in global households is increasing as consumers become more comfortable with them. With machine learning and voice AI, search intent is becoming more understandable, and answers are being delivered more accurately.

One example of this is Google’s Rankbrain. It analyses unfamiliar terms and provides users with relevant matching responses based on the best possible meaning. According to Meeker’s Internet patterns report, voice search will continue to be a major trend in digital marketing in 2022. It is imperative for marketers to incorporate voice-driven search into their SEO strategies and optimise their website content accordingly.

EAT Algorithm of Google

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A key ranking factor in 2022 is Google’s EAT algorithm. This algorithm ranks your content based on expertise, authority, and trust. To gain your customers’ trust, you need references and statistics to back up your claims. Then you will also be trusted by Google then.

Information sources that demonstrate a high level of knowledge and expertise are trusted by users. If you want Google to view your website as an “expert,” focus on how your content is written and how your website is designed and laid out.

Social Media Marketing Trends

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Social Media Stories

Story features of Instagram and Snapchat have transformed the way content is consumed. Because stories tend to be quick and engaging, they cater to individuals with short attention spans. With Twitter’s Fleet feature, LinkedIn’s stories feature on its mobile app, and Spotify’s story feature, other social media platforms have followed suit. This digital marketing trend is increasingly becoming popular that you cannot ignore in 2022 since brands are using social media stories to reach potential customers.

Influencer Marketing

As a trend in digital marketing, influencer marketing has been around for a few years. However, it has gained traction in 2022. Influencers are entrusted by brands to share their messages with their followers.

A report states that 63% of respondents tend to trust influencers more than brands. In addition, 58% of people who follow an influencer made a purchase based on the recommendation of the influencer. Globally, businesses are predicted to spend $10 billion or more on influencer marketing due to the rise of Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok influencers.

Social Commerce

Despite its long history, social commerce has only recently caught on. Instagram and TikTok have given new meaning to social commerce. 90% of Instagram users already follow active shopping brands, and many visits these profiles daily. Instagram offers a number of features that can be used to sell:

  • Live Shopping
  • Instagram Checkout
  • Reels Ads
  • Shop Tab Ads
  • IGTV Ads

And as for TikTok, in 2022, they launched TikTok Shopping, which allows creators to add a shopping tab. Plus, a Shopify integration displays products from a creator’s Shopify catalogue on their TikTok profile, just like Instagram’s Shop tab.

Other Digital Marketing Trends

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Green Marketing

In green marketing, products are developed and advertised based on their perceived or real sustainability in the environment. This is also known as eco-marketing or environmental marketing. Sustainability in manufacturing includes more than green marketing. It encompasses the following:

  • Recycled and recyclable materials
  • Use of biodegradable materials
  • Using packaging as little as possible
  • Avoiding the waste of products by developing repairable ones

Using green marketing can open up new markets for your business and give you a competitive edge over your competitors. Additionally, it can boost your brand’s image and increase brand loyalty.

According to a report:

  • A total of $128.5 billion has been spent by consumers on green fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).
  • 90% of Millennials believe that products containing sustainable or environmental ingredients are worth more.
  • 48% of Americans say they will definitely or probably reduce their environmental impact by changing their consumption habits.

So, implement green practices into your company culture, and promote eco-friendly initiatives and programs in your marketing.

Video Marketing

It is estimated that video marketing will have a significant impact on marketing for at least the next five to ten years. According to a survey:

  • Video is used as a marketing tool by 60% of businesses
  • Video is regarded as an extremely or very important part of marketing strategies by 61% of marketers
  • The return on investment for video is 74% higher than that for static images
  • Among potential customers, 52% say that videos help them build trust.

So no denying that video marketing is the most important trend that a marketer or business owner can not afford to ignore in 2022.

Gamification

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A trend that has been popular for some time now is gamification in digital marketing. Engaging customers and interacting with them becomes easier with video game elements in digital marketing. Gamification can help you reach younger consumers and stand out from the competition since consumers are becoming younger.

Below are some tips for optimising your digital marketing campaigns with gamification:

  • Simplicity is key when it comes to game mechanics
  • Use a countdown to create urgency
  • Make levelling up more rewarding
  • It should be fun to play the entire game, so players can spend a good amount of time enjoying it.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

The purpose of user-generated content is to show off the interests and support of customers for brands. Image sharing, video sharing, reviews, and audio sharing are examples of UGC.
More UGC created by customers increases the brand’s credibility and SEO, which enhances its online presence and helps them rank higher in search engines.

Content Marketing

The content marketing trend for digital marketing in 2022 is expected to continue, despite the fact that it is nothing new. Engaging customers through digital content, such as videos, blogs, or social media posts, leads to conversions.

In content marketing, the following factors are important:

  • Identify your target audience
  • Speak clearly and concisely
  • Ensure that facts are accurately conveyed

Mobile-First Design

Mobile media time has increased to 70% for consumers over the past few years. On their smartphones, consumers are spending more time surfing the web, watching videos online, and shopping for whatever they need.

A poor mobile user experience on your business’s website may lead potential customers to leave and find a similar store instead. While a responsive website design on an e-commerce website will prevent you from losing sales since it adapts according to the device the user is using.

Bottom Line

While many digital marketing trends in 2022 are extensions of earlier years, it is important to remember that consumers are constantly growing, evolving, and adapting. To keep up with the demands and needs of the market, brands must remain dynamic and in sync with their customers’ needs.