The world of marketing is ever-changing, and it can be hard to stay up to date. Luckily, you don’t have to do all the heavy lifting yourself. Marketing experts are constantly on the lookout for new trends, and this article shares what could be some of the best ones to look out for in 2022.
Why does knowing about upcoming trends matter? Well, no matter how good your current marketing strategy is, it won’t do you any good if it’s not built around a modern approach that resonates with real people who will pay money for your products or services. Trends come and go almost every year, but some stand out as truly unique and will be at the forefront of business culture for a long time.
Hiring a marketing agency could become one of the best moves for a business owner. With a team of experts and skilled professionals, marketing agencies are well-equipped to stay on top of trends that come and go. Being able to spot the latest trend and use it to benefit your brand will give you an edge over the competition.
This guide will take a look at different marketing trends that are relevant right now and will continue to impact the way you run your business for years to come.
The Rise of the Micro-Influencer
You’ve likely heard the term ‘micro-influencer’ thrown around as a marketer. You’ve probably wondered what it meant and why it’s different from a macro-influencer. Well, here’s the scoop:
- A micro-influencer is an individual who has a smaller but much more engaged following on social media. In contrast to macro and mega influencers (who tend to have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers), micro-influencers generally have between 1,000 and 1,00,000 followers with high engagement rates (i.e., likes, shares).
- Micro-influencers are super important because they can help your brand drive conversions in a way that you couldn’t achieve with traditional advertising. In fact, according to one study by Twitter & Annalect of nearly 500 campaigns run by leading brands across several industries, campaigns with micro-influencers generated conversion rates that were 6X higher than the benchmarks reported for other forms of digital marketing.
- To find these influencers, check out their profiles on Instagram or Facebook to see how many followers they have and which content gets the most engagement. Sometimes they’ll even include this information in their profile bio.
The B2B Shift to Data-Driven Marketing
To keep up with constantly evolving marketing trends, you must start using data to drive decision-making. If you want to be a step ahead of your competition and make sure your business is prepared for whatever lies ahead, here are some ways that you can use data for maximum efficiency:
- Use data to predict future trends. Data doesn’t just help you understand what your customers like now; it can help you predict what they will like in the future. With such insights at hand, you can adjust your strategy accordingly and always stay ahead of the curve.
- Use data to create new products. It’s also important that businesses use customer insights when they are creating new products or services. That way, they know what their target audience is looking for and how best to meet those needs before launching a new product or service into the marketplace.
- Use data to refine existing products and services based on customer feedback. You can improve them over time as well as add features that have been requested by clients or other stakeholders such as investors.
The Importance of Omnichannel Marketing
You’ve probably heard the term omnichannel marketing thrown around, but what does it mean? In a nutshell, it’s a consistent flow of customer data across all channels. This allows brands to connect with customers in a personalized way that adds value to their customer experience.
According to HubSpot, “95% of marketers say omnichannel marketing is critical to customer engagement and acquisition.” But how can you effectively incorporate omnichannel into your marketing strategy?
First and foremost, listen to your customers. Find out what they need from your brand through feedback and surveys, then use this information to fuel your strategy. When you have a solid understanding of what people want from you, it becomes easier to develop campaigns that resonate with them individually rather than creating generic ads for the masses. Omnichannel marketing develops relationships and provides value through every interaction with your brand.
Investing in Mobile Advertising
Mobile ads are a must if you’re looking to stay ahead of the marketing curve. Brands slow to adapt their ad strategies to mobile audiences have already suffered losses in the market share. And will continue to do so as users spend more time on their phones than on desktops or laptops. With that said, there’s a dearth of quality mobile advertising out there—and this means there’s a huge opportunity if you can do it right.
Whether you want to produce your ads or hire an agency, take care in crafting your mobile ad copy and make sure it’s shorter and punchier than its desktop counterpart. Additionally, include more visuals to appeal to visually-oriented smartphone users. While desktop users are often content with text alone, mobile users expect something interesting going on in the visual space. After all, it is probably covering half of their screen.
Mobile placement also requires clever strategy because people interact with smartphones differently than they would computers. For example, some apps might be used exclusively through notifications rather than the icon itself (such as Facebook Messenger or Instagram). Whereas websites usually require manually clicking an icon before accessing them directly from a browser.
Focus on where users are most likely to see your ads and place them strategically at those high-traffic locations. If your ad doesn’t show up when someone is using Facebook Messenger even though they open it every single time something’s happened, then what good is that ad?
The Rise of AI and Machine Learning
Personalization has become the buzzword for marketing departments, with customers now expecting to receive content that is both relevant and tailored specifically to them. AI can help businesses understand their customers’ needs and preferences more deeply, enabling them to provide a more personalized experience.
AI will also allow brands to automate marketing processes and make more informed decisions based on data analysis. As a result, businesses will be able to boost productivity and save time spent on repetitive tasks. In fact, according to Accenture research, AI could increase profit margins by 38% by 2035. This could entail automating mundane tasks such as posting social media updates or sending follow-up emails.
In 2022, AI will likely transform the way people engage with brands online. For example, through chatbots that mimic human conversation. Therefore, companies should start considering how they can incorporate AI into their business strategies or risk being left behind by their competitors in the years to come.
It should be no surprise that the marketing landscape is always evolving. As technology advances, customers’ needs and behaviors shift, and product offerings become more diverse or specialized, trends come and go. Marketers need to be aware of these trends to make smart choices about what to prioritize in their efforts.
