If you’re like most business owners, you’re probably always on the lookout for the latest and greatest digital marketing trends. That’s because staying ahead of the curve is essential to success in today’s economy.
Fortunately, we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll share the top digital marketing trends for 2020. So, whether you’re gearing up for a new year or want to stay ahead of your competition, read on!
Introduction
At one point, digital marketing seemed like it would be the future of all marketing – but with so many channels to keep track of, marketers may feel overwhelmed and wonder how they can keep up with the trends that will be important in the next five years. Here are the top digital marketing trends you should keep an eye on in 2022.
1. Chatbots Will Take Center Stage
It’s no secret that chatbots are on the rise. In 2022, they’re going to take center stage as one of the most important digital marketing trends.
That’s because chatbots are the perfect way to connect with customers in a more personal way. They can help you answer questions, provide customer support, and even sell products and services.
This year, make sure to include chatbots in your marketing strategy!
2. Visual Search Will Go Mainstream
Visual search will go mainstream this year as savvy brands and marketers jump on board.
But what makes it so popular? Because it’s a powerful way to connect with consumers. When you see an image of a product or service you like, you can instantly find out where to buy it, what it looks like, and how much it costs.
In 2022, visual search will play an even bigger role in marketing. So, if you’re not already using it, now is the time to start.
3. Voice Search Will Become More Sophisticated
As voice search technology becomes more sophisticated, businesses need to adapt their content and SEO strategies to ensure they’re appearing as top results.
For example, by 2022, it is expected that 50% of all searches will be voice searches. So, if your website isn’t optimized for voice search yet, it’s never too late to start!
Some ways you can optimize your website for voice search, include adding a question-and-answer section to your page, using natural language keywords, and making sure your content is short and easy to understand.
Here are other ways to optimize your website for voice search:
- Use long-tail keywords – Brands need to use keywords with intent and use them sparingly throughout the pages. This will give search engines the idea that your website is packed with information that searchers need.
- Turn queries into questions – Instead of using best pizza as your main keyword, try to use a keyword that a user would like to know via voice search. For example, you can consider using “where to find the best pizza in the city?”
- Use conversational language – If you are looking to optimize your pages for voice search, make sure your content is conversational.
4. AR and VR Will Continue to Grow
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are quickly becoming hot topics in the digital marketing world. And for good reason—these immersive technologies are changing the way we interact with the world around us.
For businesses, that means there are a lot of new opportunities to reach and engage customers. VR and AR can be used to create interactive product demonstrations, provide training simulations, and even allow customers to “try on” products before they buy them.
If you’re not already using VR or AR in your marketing plans, now is the time to start exploring the possibilities. These technologies are only going to grow in popularity in 2020 and beyond.
5. Personalization Will Be Key
As we move into 2022, personalization will be key in digital marketing. Tailoring content and ads to be relevant and interesting to individual users is becoming increasingly important in order to capture attention. And as we move into the next half of the year, we can expect to see more personalized marketing campaigns.
This means that businesses will need to get to know their target audience on a deeper level in order to create ads and content that resonates. Additionally, we’ll see more use of AI and automation when it comes to personalization. This will allow businesses to save time and money while still delivering highly-targeted messages.
At the same time, brands will have to be careful not to bombard consumers with too many emails or push notifications. Personalized messages also have the potential to go wrong if there isn’t enough context about what the user wants or needs at any given moment.
This year, we can expect to see even more personalization, including more dynamic and customized content as well as smarter targeting using AI and machine learning.
6. Influencer Marketing Will Evolve
You’ve probably heard the term “influencer marketing” before. It’s a type of marketing that focuses on leveraging the power of social media influencers to promote a product or service. And while it’s been around for a few years now, we think it’s going to evolve even more in 2022.
Why? Because as social media becomes more and more saturated, influencers are going to become even more important in driving engagement and sales. Brands will need to work even harder to find the right influencers, and then create compelling content that encourages them to share it with their followers.
So, if you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve in digital marketing, make sure you focus on influencer marketing in 2022!
7. Brands Will Focus on Purpose
Purpose-driven marketing is becoming more and more important, and brands that focus on their social impact will be more successful in the year ahead. Consumers are looking for companies that stand for something, and are willing to pay more for products and services from brands that share their values.
If you’re not sure where to start, consider developing a social cause that your brand can support. This could be anything from environmentalism to human rights to animal welfare. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something you believe in and feel passionate about.
8. Data Will Drive Decision-Making
All businesses will be using data to drive their marketing decisions from this point forward. This means that the days of making decisions based on personal opinion or hunches are over. Instead, businesses will be using data to understand their customers and figure out what they want and need.
This shift toward data-driven decision-making is already happening. In fact, a recent study found that nearly three-quarters of businesses believe that data is essential to their success. And with the rise of big data and artificial intelligence, this trend is only going to continue.
Thus, if you want to stay ahead of the curve, make sure you focus on gathering and understanding your customer’s data. This will be the key to success in the year ahead!
9. Omnichannel Will Be Essential
This year, staying ahead of the curve will mean mastering omnichannel marketing. This involves creating a seamless customer experience that spans across all devices and channels.
For example, if a customer starts browsing your website on their phone, they should be able to seamlessly transition to browsing on their laptop or tablet and continue where they left off.
This trend is becoming increasingly important as more and more people shop online. In fact, a study by Google found that 82% of shoppers use multiple devices to research and buy products. So, make sure your marketing strategy takes omnichannel into account.
10. Collaboration Will Be Key
Collaboration will also be key in the world of digital marketing. Gone are the days when a single marketer could do it all on their own; successful campaigns will require input and support from a variety of team members. So, be prepared to work collaboratively.
Collaboration will take many forms, from working with other brands to create joint marketing initiatives, to teaming up with agencies and freelance professionals to get the job done. It’s also important to be open to working with your customers and clients in new ways, empowering them to help shape your marketing strategy. Hence, get ready for a year of teamwork!
11. Artificial Intelligence Will Be Incorporated into Marketing Strategies
By 2022, 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human.
In order to keep up with this shift, businesses need to start utilizing artificial intelligence in their marketing strategies. AI can help gather data and customer insights, automate tasks, and personalize content.
However, it’s important to create the right infrastructure around the use of AI or it can have unintended consequences. If not used correctly, AI may amplify biases rather than challenge them.
That’s why it’s crucial that we create an environment where there is diversity in training data sets so that any biases are eliminated. When considering how to leverage artificial intelligence, companies should look at its current state as well as potential future developments and explore ways they can integrate both into their digital marketing strategy going forward.
12. Marketing Automation Will Make It Easier to Get Your Brand Known
In a world where the average person is bombarded with over 5,000 marketing messages per day, it’s more important than ever to automate your marketing efforts.
Marketing automation can help you target the right people with the right message at the right time. Plus, it can save you time and money by automating repetitive tasks.
When it comes to marketing automation, Chatbots are a big thing, which is why we have put them on top of the list. Chatbots will replace customer service agents. Virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home have made their way into our homes and now chatbots will make their way into our businesses. By 2022, 80% of customer service interactions will be handled by chatbots rather than humans.
13. Video Marketing Will Dominate
In the past few years, video has taken over the internet. More and more people are watching videos online every day, and businesses are taking notice.
Video marketing is one of the most effective and easiest ways to reach your target audience. It’s engaging, it’s visual, and it’s easy to consume. If you have not started adding videos to your marketing strategy, you’re missing out a lot.
For instance, if you want to post a tutorial on fixing Mac won’t open dmg issues to promote your computer repair services, then make a video instead of the traditional how-to posts. This will give you an edge over your competitors since your customers will remember you.
14. Brands Will Rely on Big Data
Big Data is the ability to collect and process large data sets. And this year, big data is becoming increasingly important in the business world.
In fact, according to a recent IBM study, 90% of the world’s data has been generated in the last two years alone. This trend is only going to continue as we move into the future.
Businesses that are able to harness the power of big data will have a major competitive advantage. For example, by using analytics software to identify opportunities for increased sales or cost savings on operational costs, businesses can make more informed decisions.
Big data will also enable businesses to better understand their customers’ needs and deliver personalized customer service.
One challenge that comes with big data, though, is finding ways to analyze it all effectively. One solution could be predictive analytics. It is a software program that uses machine learning and statistics to predict future events based on current trends or patterns in the past.
Predictive analytics can help you identify which customers are likely to churn, how many new subscribers you can expect each month, how much revenue your business will make from a certain marketing campaign, etc. Predictive analytics may also be able to offer insight into your company’s profitability down the line, helping you create a more accurate budget.
Conclusion
It’s impossible to ignore the importance of digital marketing when you look at the stats on internet usage around the world. In 2017, 43% of all time spent online was dedicated to social media, and in 2015 it was estimated that there were 2 billion active social media users globally, which means that this channel will become even more important in the years to come.
With the marketing industry changing so quickly, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the trends and changes in this field. Luckily, with this post on the top digital marketing trends for 2022, you’ll be able to stay ahead of the game and make sure your business is on the cutting edge of digital marketing strategies.
