Marketing Trends to Watch in 2022
If you own a small business, keeping up with the marketing trends can mean the difference between a banner year and failure.
So, what are the hot marketing trends going to be in 2022? We know, we know — it’s hard to believe that 2021 is almost over and 2022 is here. And even though people aren’t deliberately changing up the way they market in the new year, the reality is that trends come and go. What’s popular today won’t be popular a few months from now. In the case of marketing, it might be that what’s effective now won’t even be effective a few months from now.
What does this mean for you as a business that’s trying to market yourself? It means that you need to keep your sights set on the horizon while you still manage your current marketing efforts. You must always be watching to see what’s gaining traction, and remain flexible enough to try new ideas before they explode in popularity. After all, you want to be at the front of the trend instead of lagging behind, right?
That can be hard. Some people are just better suited to change than others. And it can be tempting to hold off on joining a trend until you know that it’s going to be popular. Here are just a few trends we believe are important for 2022.
Personalization is more important than ever.
Personalization has been important since brands started using social media for marketing, but it becomes more important with each passing year. That’s because people are increasingly frustrated with brands that do shameless self-promotion online. They aren’t logging onto social media to be sold to. Instead, they want to connect with your brand as if you are a friend. In order to help them do that, you need to let your brand have an actual relatability factor. This will allow people to know, like, and trust you before they realize what kind of value you have to offer them.
Live content will be a must.
It’s increasingly hard to stand out on social media. People just keep on scrolling past posts that fill their newsfeed. But when you go live, most platforms will send a notification to any of your followers to let them know — and encourage them to join you for a watch party. Then they’ll have the chance to interact with you and feel as if they are part of your brand community. Find ideas for Live Videos here.
Keep your videos short.
With the exception of Livestream video, be sure to keep your videos short. People’s attention spans are short, and they don’t want to sit and watch a video for longer than a minute or two. If you can’t get to your point by then, they'll scroll onto something else. And if your video isn’t being watched in its entirety, then there’s a good chance it will not be favored by the algorithm and could end up getting buried.
TikTok is going to continue growing.
Speaking of videos, TikTok will continue to grow as a platform for reaching people who are interested in your niche. It’s a great way to get lots of exposure very quickly. If you aren’t on TikTok yet, make 2022 the year that you join. The platform makes it easy to record and edit short-form videos that are then shared with not only your followers but plenty of users whose interests are in line with what you have to offer.
Podcasts will continue being popular.
People love listening to podcasts, and as this medium becomes a mainstream part of everyday life, listeners are hungry for more material. Let this be the year that you put yourself out there to demonstrate your expertise in your industry and build a more prominent name for your brand. Learn how ASMM Digital used a podcast to grow our business during COVID.
Influencer marketing is now a legitimate marketing form.
In the past, providing samples of your product or service to people with large social media followings was a niche thing to do, but more businesses are relying on this marketing tactic because they know consumers trust it. They would rather hear about your business from someone they admire than hear about it directly from you. Connect with an influencer (even a small name) who might be available to give you a shoutout in exchange for a free product or a stipend.
Vary your platforms, but don’t spread your focus too much.
No two social media platforms are exactly the same, and their popularity always seems to ebb and flow. By maintaining a presence on as many of them as possible, you’ll reach different audiences. You’ll also establish enough of a following that if one social media platform fades into obscurity (remember when Snap Chat was a thing?) you won’t lose your entire online following. However, if there’s a platform that doesn’t seem to be providing value to you, don’t be afraid to focus less on that one — your efforts are better spent where they’re effective instead of where they’re being wasted.