The technology landscape is constantly changing, and with the rapid pace at which it is moving, it can be hard to keep up with everything that’s happening.
With all the talks around the web3, AI, decentralization of information, etc., there are many questions around how all of these are affecting businesses, and what do businesses need to do and know especially about digital marketing for business in 2022 to stay ahead of the curve?
In this article, we’ll take a look at how digital marketing is changing and what you can do for your business to keep up with the pace.
- Definition of digital marketing
- Importance of digital marketing
- Digital marketing trends in 2022
- Keeping up with the digital marketing trends
- Choosing a digital marketing agency
What is Digital Marketing?
Just to lay the foundation, digital marketing is the practice of promoting your products and services online through digital channels like search engines, social media, email marketing, online ads, etc.
Since its inception, it is a form of marketing that has yielded tremendous benefits for businesses such as;
- Better conversion rates
- Higher brand credibility
- Increased customer engagement
- Improved customer retention
- Data-driven marketing
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Increased sales, etc.
Why is Digital Marketing Important for Business?
In 2018, almost half of all internet users were using social media at least once per day, and in 2019, that number was up to 57%. That means that if you weren’t doing anything online or not strategic about the online presence and promotion of your business, you were missing out on a huge potential audience, and not reaching as much of your target audience as possible.
Fast forward to 2022, the importance and potential of digital marketing cannot be overemphasized. Businesses need to succeed in today’s market. Chances are, you’re already using digital marketing in some form or another—but you might not be getting the results that you want and this is because you are not flowing with the trends. Hence, the need for this article.
What does digital marketing look like in 2022? What are the trends you need to look at for, for your business? Here are some predictions:
Digital Marketing Trends in 2022
Digital marketing is not just about having a website and a Facebook page anymore—it’s about understanding how to use all of the tools available to you to create an experience that customers love and that will keep them coming back.
With all of the changes that are expected to take place in 2022, here are some trends that may affect how digital marketing works:
1. SEO Will Still Remain Relevant
There are many misconceptions about SEO and digital marketing, but the truth is that they still and will remain relevant. The same rules apply: content is king, and you need to focus on local SEO. SEO is not a one-time thing; it’s an ongoing process that will keep changing along with the times.
Because of the increasing knowledge of the relevance of SEO, digital marketing agencies will be in high demand in 2022.
2. Mobile Search and Mobile Content Will Get Bigger
Mobile search will get bigger in 2022. Mobile content will also get bigger as more businesses develop content for mobile devices.
To make it easier to find things on the go, there will be improvements in mobile search technology and services. This means that you can expect to see your phone or tablet integrated with other types of searches (such as voice or chatbot) so that you can seamlessly switch between them without having to worry about downloading an app or switching browsers.
Mobile content will become more sophisticated because of advancements in AI and machine learning software used by websites like Google Search or Amazon Alexa that continually learn from user behavior patterns over time so they can give better results when someone asks questions based on previous ones asked by others who have similar interests like yours!
3. Video Marketing Will Continue to Grow
Video is one of the most effective ways of connecting with people and conveying information quickly while also providing entertainment value that makes viewers want more information about who you are and what you do – especially when combined with interesting visuals or graphics which make watching fun!
Video marketing will continue to grow. When it comes to video, the future is looking very bright. The number of video viewers for online videos is expected to grow by more than 40% in 2022 according to a recent study by Cisco VNI Global Internet Phenomena Report from 2018 to 2023. As previously mentioned, the era of video content marketing has officially begun and there’s no stopping it now!
Video will be a key part of your content strategy. While you can’t expect everyone on social media or LinkedIn (or even email) to watch a full-length movie before they decide if they want to work with you or buy your product/service; however, you can certainly use short snippets that show off what makes your business great. You can see all of these characteristic features in YouTube shorts, TikTok, etc.
With all these factors at play here’s why we think this trend will continue: videos are easy-to-use platforms that allow customers to relate directly with your brand without having ever met you face-to-face before!
4. User-Generated Content Marketing Will Grow Rapidly
User-generated content marketing is the process of using customers, employees, and fans to share their experiences with your business. This can include videos, images, reviews, and blog posts from people who have experienced your product or service firsthand.
The benefits of user-generated content include:
- It builds trust with your audience because it’s coming from a real person (not an ad)
- It’s free advertising that helps you stand out in a crowded market
- You don’t have to pay someone to create new content for you
5. Voice Search and Smart Speakers Will Take Over
You may think that voice search is a new thing, but it’s been around for quite some time. It was first introduced in the late 80s when IBM introduced ViaVoice and Dragon Naturally Speaking products. Human speech recognition software has come a long way since then, and now we’re in an era where voice search has become more popular than traditional typing methods.
While most people use smart speakers to play music or order food items, they can also be used as an effective resource for finding information online. This is why many marketers are beginning to invest more time into creating content that targets these devices specifically, rather than using traditional methods like Google searches or social media ads which don’t take advantage of this technology yet (or ever will).
In 2022, I expect smart speaker usage rates among adults in the U.S., UK, and Australia will be at least 50%—and perhaps even higher depending on how quickly consumers adopt new technology throughout these regions over time. This increase will also be seen in emerging markets like Nigeria, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, etc.
6. Influencer Marketing Will Be Essential
Influencer marketing has become a popular form of digital marketing in recent years. It’s a type of marketing that focuses on using key leaders to drive your brand’s message to the larger market. Influencers are engaged by brands to build awareness and loyalty through content creation, as well as sharing their favorite products with their followers.
Influencers can be used for any number of purposes: They could be bloggers who post about fashion or makeup; they could also be Instagrammers who share photos from their travels around the world; some even craft vlogs or podcasts about topics such as cooking or raising kids! Whatever kind of influencer you choose, make sure that he or she shares similar interests with your target audience so that they can connect easily with them.
Research shows that over 70% of consumers trust recommendations from friends more than any other source—even celebrity endorsements! So if you’re looking for an authentic experience for your users while also driving conversions, consider reaching out to an influential person within your industry who has already built up credibility among his/her peers (and yours).
7. Automation and Artificial intelligence will become more common
The world of marketing and business is changing, and it’s changing fast. The way we’ve done things in the past isn’t necessarily the best method moving forward. As such, you need to be thinking about how to automate your digital marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve.
The use of artificial intelligence has already begun to change many industries, including digital marketing. For example, chatbots can help answer questions from potential customers without having to employ human employees or use up valuable resources like time and money on payroll costs. Automation is a buzzword that has been thrown around a lot lately—but what does it mean? Automation is when software or computers do tasks for you automatically based on pre-programmed instructions. It sounds scary at first because we associate automation with robots taking over jobs from humans—but this isn’t true!
Automation can be used for anything from simple tasks like sending automated emails when someone buys something on your website (which can help increase engagement), all the way up through complex processes like managing entire sales funnels or even creating entire websites using nothing but drag & drop templates and simple customizations!
8. Personalization will continue to grow
This means that businesses need to think carefully about how they can customize their content for each user.
How to Keep Up With the Trends in Digital Marketing (Steps)?
Digital marketing will continue to change and evolve in 2022. The best way to keep up with the latest trends is by creating a digital marketing strategy.
Once you have a strategy, you can now develop and execute it following these simple steps;
- Define your company’s goals and objectives
- Define and identify your target audience
- Define your marketing budget
- Choose the right platform
- Do not rely on just one channel alone
- Research Your Competitors
- Choose a suitable content strategy
- Create Content for each platform that is relevant to your target audience and their interests (e.g., blogging)
- Focus on customer retention and loyalty
- Measure Success & Iterate!
Choose the Right Digital Marketing Agency for Your Business
When choosing a digital marketing agency, you need to consider several factors.
- Experience: The company’s experience and success in the industry is crucial. A company with up to 3 to 5 years of experience in the industry will be able to guide your business through the process of digital marketing and offer better results for your business.
- Testimonials: Check out the testimonials and reviews left by previous clients on their website or review sites like Google Reviews etc., as it will give you an idea about their work ethics, services, customer support quality, etc.
- Portfolio: An agency should have a portfolio with successful projects from different industries so that they can provide you with the best possible recommendations based on that information which suits your needs easily without any hassle or technicalities involved in it because all such things have already been taken care by them before presenting them before clients who are interested in hiring them for their work needs; this also makes sure that there won’t be any kind of issue later since everything has been done beforehand properly which ensures smooth functioning throughout working hours till completion point happens successfully within the stipulated time frame mentioned earlier during initial briefing session between both parties involved.
Do you want to be ahead of the curve and grow your business through digital marketing? Partner with us, we will provide complete digital marketing solutions, including SEO/SEM strategy, website design & development, content writing, and all the necessary digital marketing strategies and solutions you will need to help businesses succeed online. Email us now!
