7 marketing trends you should know about for 2022
And just like that 2021 is over and 2022 has begun.
Around this time in January, we try to look ahead and run through what we think are the priorities for your digital marketing plan.
So, we’ve pulled together our top seven marketing trends that brands and marketers need to consider in 2022.
1. Video marketing is not going anywhere
According to HubSpot, in 2021 93% of marketers who use video said it was an essential part of their marketing strategy. Video marketing is not a new concept in itself, however, with constant developments in social media apps and the way we consume videos, it is important to keep up with video marketing trends. The explosion in popularity of TikTok and Instagram reels demonstrate the value of understanding trends. Video marketing is so valuable due to its ability to make advertising digestible for an audience and the opportunity it presents to create awareness of a brand without needing a big budget. For marketing professionals, 2022 will be the biggest year for video content yet.
2. Data and analytics are key
87% of Australian marketing job postings in 2021 listed ‘data analysis’ as a required skill according to a study done by the University of New South Wales. Data and analytics in marketing are becoming pivotal in achieving better results. Success depends on marketers having the skills to bring data analytics into critical business decisions according to the study.
Marketing analysis tools are improving rapidly, allowing marketers to have far greater access to data. Therefore, understanding how to assess and use reporting data effectively will be essential for success in 2022.
3. Build a community within a market
Social media has shown the value in creating space for audiences to build communities. Brands working to create communities with their consumers are finding customer retention to be sufficiently increased. It can cost businesses five times more to build a relationship with a new customer when compared to cultivating the loyalty of an existing customer according to Forbes.
Making personal connections with customers and rewarding loyalty will remain vital aspects of marketing. 71% of consumers said that they would be willing to spend more money to support a brand that they know and trust. This demonstrates the real value of dedicated content marketing towards customer and brand relationship development.
4. Social commerce is only expanding
Influencer marketing is set to be worth over $15 billion by the end of 2022 according to Top Business Women. With this, the ability to create sponsored advertisements that fit seamlessly into social media feeds is a skill that is becoming increasingly useful. Instagram and TikTok are seeing the rapid rise in influencer marketing continuing, making this skill increasingly useful. Through effective targeting of audiences and careful creation of the content, this style of marketing allows consumers to find the product/service on their social media without the frustration of constant obvious paid advertisements for brands they aren’t interested in. Developing ongoing relationships with influencers can allow brands to establish their loyal customer bases in their audience. 2022 will see the focus shift to this style of marketing relationship.
5. Diversity is a necessity
Diversification of marketing is becoming more and more necessary for businesses trying to grow. Offering consumers inclusive advertising is now an expectation from many consumers, therefore, demonstrating diversity will win the praise of consumers. Brands such as Etsy (with the ‘Gift Like You Mean It’ Campaign, see it here) and Amazon Prime (with the Lion Mane commercial, see it here) created campaigns that were diverse, equitable and inclusive. The campaigns demonstrated brands abilities to successfully connect with a wider audience than they were able to with previous campaigns. Forbes found that over 38% of consumers said they are more likely to trust a brand that shows diversity in ethnicity, gender, disability, age and size in their campaigns. As consumers and target markets are diversifying, their experiences and backgrounds become harder to target without careful consideration and an inclusive approach for all.
6. Consumers want brands to be socially responsible
Consumers are increasingly valuing social and environmental ethics along with convenience. According to Deloitte, 94% of Gen Z consumers now expect companies to take a stand on important societal issues, and 90% say they are more willing to purchase from an organisation they deem beneficial to society. We have seen many of the highest-growth brands committed to achieving equitable outcomes, with the rise of ‘carbon neutral’ companies, ‘sustainability’ sections on websites and evident ‘conscious’ decisions being marketed. Some companies that are now carbon neutral and emphasising sustainability are Aesop (see here), Alpha-H (see here) and Girlfriend Collective (see here).
7. Building your own data is essential
Finally, in 2022 we will see the real value in establishing internal data channels. HubSpot found that 83% of marketers conducted marketing research in 2021 and 88% of organisations use market research to make informed business decisions. With the developments in online privacy making it slightly harder to gain data from audiences (thanks iOS14 and iOS15+), the value of brands establishing their own data from audiences is becoming more necessary. This development allows for better privacy for users, but less opportunity for marketers to target customer bases.
Building owned assets such as emailing lists and offering customers incentives for the completion of surveys will allow businesses to build the necessary data they need to effectively reach their target audience. The primary sources of customer retention for 2021 were email marketing (58%), social media marketing (37%) and content marketing (32%). These trends are showing no signs of decreasing, hence the importance of developing data collection for organisations going into 2022.