The world of digital marketing keeps evolving. Until you adapt your business to this year’s marketing trends, innovators are already documenting trends for the coming year.
Well, that’s understandable.
Some key drivers keep digital marketing agencies hunting for new trends and spending 72.2% of their marketing budget on digital channels. They are:
- Google’s ever-evolving algorithm—the search engine giant—is all set to phase out third-party cookies by 2023.
- “User happiness”—it is the reason why Google keeps rolling updates!
- Marketing tech vendors—keep researching tactics to help businesses excel in the digital landscape.
While some marketing strategies never age, others need a revamp. We’ve seen creative agencies leverage a mix of both to stay relevant to their audience.
So, we’ve listed some of the top trends that will skyrocket your leads, conversions, and sales in 2022.
6 digital marketing trends you cannot ignore in 2022
As you look through these trends, you will realize how they follow Darwin’s theory of evolution—businesses that change with these trends survive and those that don’t have to take a backseat. See for yourself.
Trend #1: The fight for SERP position zero is still on.
The one reason why businesses will never stop paying SEO companies is to capture position zero (or featured snippet) on the SERP.
It’s simple: why would you look beyond the featured snippet when you have your answer right there?
However, there’s a catch.
When the answers are available in the snippet itself, the users won’t click on the website to look for information. So, your website, though ranking at position zero, won’t get any traffic.
Nonetheless, search engines care only about the user experience and not how you rank on the SERP! So featured snippets are here to stay.
But what you can do is optimize your content for position zero and make it enticing enough for people to open your website and see what else you have to say. That’s how you can stay on top of SERPs while keeping your traffic glued to your website.
Trend #2: AI will be there for you, always.
Let’s keep it simple.
We know Google’s decision to end support for cookie tracking has made you go bonkers. You’re concerned about not being able to “spy” on your audience anymore.
Guess what? Artificial intelligence has the power to predict your customer’s next move without pestering them with cookies.
Even Google relies on AI to understand the search intent of people. AI helps Google comprehend what users need and how to serve them in the right way.
Tools like Clickflow can make it even easier to optimize content for search intent and rank on page one.
Besides, AI can:
- increase organic clicks for your website,
- help you save on staffing costs,
- level up your business growth, and
- help you gain a competitive advantage.
It is the reason why 54% of the companies in the U.S. are actively leveraging AI.
Trend #3: Customers prefer conversational marketing.
Here’s what the numbers say.
- 79% of customers can consider messaging apps to get customer support.
- HubSpot experienced a 20% increase in qualified leads when they added live chat to their platform.
- 70% of the white-collar workforce will prefer communication over conversational platforms by 2022.
It’s pretty clear why the top digital marketing agencies focus on conversational messaging.
With the use of conversational platforms like chatbots and virtual selling assistants, businesses can:
- provide 24/7 support to their customers.
- give immediate responses to customer queries,
- automate mundane tasks,
- free up resources for critical business operations, and
- derive insights from the collected to make informed business decisions.
Trend #4: Visual search is new but effective.
Businesses are yet to capitalize on voice search optimization, and visual search is already here with new opportunities.
People are using their phones’s cameras as search bars. They scan or upload a photo of an item into Google Lens or Pinterest, and:
- find similar products,
- Look for places to purchase the item.
- search for information related to the item, etc.
Brands like Amazon, Google, Alibaba, Nordstrom, ASOS, etc. are already investing in visual search tools. Why?
Because consumers want to be served that way. With a visual search, consumers:
- get better shopping recommendations. ,
- narrow down their search to selected options,
- find items with ease, even if they have no idea how to describe them, and
- buy exactly what they are looking for.
So, tap into the potential of visual search and optimize your images for search engines.
Trend #5: Hybrid events have become a thing now.
If COVID-19 has ever given a sigh of relief to businesses, it’s because of the surge in the adoption of hybrid events.
While in-person events are more impactful, they come at the cost of our environment. Besides, digital marketing firms emphasize inclusivity—bringing larger audiences under a single roof.
Hosting a hybrid event is a win-win strategy for both businesses and customers.
- People can attend the event from the comfort of their homes.
- Specially-abled people can also participate in the event.
- People remember the brands that follow sustainable marketing practices.
- When people feel valued and inclusive, they might buy from you.
Trend #6: Augmented reality has already raised the bar.
35% of marketers are already leveraging AR and VR in 2021. In 2022, 42% of these marketers will continue to do so with higher investments.
For example, IKEA offers a real-world drive of its furniture to its users. They can literally see how a particular piece of furniture looks in their room.
Lacoste, a sportswear company, uses an AR-powered app to help its customers choose the best shoes for them.
The customers place their foot on an AR-based graphic area. And then, they use Lacoste’s AR app on their phones to see how properly the shoe fits them. It customizes the shoe’s size according to the customer’s feet and displays its features.
Other brands like Cadbury, MTV, the New York Times, and Converse are also reaping the benefits of implementing AR in their marketing strategies.
Some digital marketing trends never age.
Here are some trends you are already following, and you shouldn’t stop in 2022.
- Mobile commerce
- Multichannel marketing
- Voice search
- Video marketing
- Personalization, and
- Influencer marketing
Over to you!
The countdown to 2022 has begun. It’s time you gear up for the coming year and keep up with the fluctuating digital marketing trends.
It’s simple: you must do what’s trending if you want to meet your customers’ expectations. If you don’t, your competitors will. And you do not want your customers to look up to your competitors, do you?
According to Fortune Business InsightsTM, the global can coatings market was valued at USD 1.97 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 2.65 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period from 2019–2026.
