It can be tricky to keep up with the mind-boggling array of digital marketing trends and weekly updates. There are so many working parts and different elements to crafting a successful and inspiring digital marketing strategy and that unique source of differentiation compared to competitors – so it’s a real challenge to keep up with every aspect.
To help with the difficult task of navigating this new digital landscape, here’s a little snapshot of some of the emerging trends for 2022 (and yes this barely touches the surface, there are far more !) to ensure that you are one step ahead of the rest.
- Everyone will continue to flock to TikTok and brands need to take it seriously: When you talk about social media, TikTok is a platform to consider if you’re not already using it. The rapid rise of TikTok has seen the app reach 1 billion users and counting. Its growth is phenomenal and has left other social media platforms quaking in their boots. Influencers have also played a role in TikTok’s rise who make huge earnings through sponsorship deals.
- Consumer social media use is in full bloom: Consumers have enthusiastically embraced social media as a part of their everyday lives. This rapid advancement in consumer social sophistication can be a game-changer for businesses—as long as they know how to keep up and adapt in the right way to the transformative shift, tailoring compelling strategies to adapt to target audiences.
- Being ‘green’ is a turn on for customers: One sector that has come under particular pressure is the fashion industry, as customers value the origin of their purchases and want transparency from brands. Many brands have been caught out for Greenwashing, also known as ‘green sheen’, which is when a company uses marketing and PR to mislead customers into believing their products or services are environmentally friendly, so be sure to be genuine!
- The Power is with the Consumer: Everything is now on the consumers terms and how they choose to interact with their favourite brand. It is important for brands to appear genuine to build trust as consumers seek out transparency they want to know more about the ethos of a company before purchasing from them. Brands are looking to tap into these new emotions and a sense of purpose, telling an authentic brand story, yet still maintaining an element of disruptiveness to be noticed.
- Creating digital communities: All the rage right now are LinkedIn Groups and the rise of the Linked Influencer. Unlocking the power of LinkedIn is on the agenda of all brands right now and is a key avenue to create visibility, content, and showcase thought leadership, grow your network and seek out key decision-makers – building an immense sense of digital community.
- Growth of Conversational marketing: Customers want information FAST and are an impatient lot, which has been a great opportunity for brands to show off their customer service skills. Chatbots and automated direct messages are on the rise, acting as customer care tools to get closer to customers. Customers are hungry for information, their desire to ask questions, be it through social media, WhatsApp Business, social groups and forums all enable brands to answer queries in the online space at the customer’s convenience.
- Social media influencers are still trendy: More brands are tapping into their reach, along with the likes of micro-influencers and brands reaching out to everyday consumers, who hold a lower yet highly engaged following. By brands using them to promote their products their followers are more likely to TRUST their taste.
- Social Stories are a powerful tool: Stories remain a great way to connect with your audience on a more personal level. They allow you to share your brand’s story engagingly and interactively.
- Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are booming: Allowing brands to offer unique and immersive digital experiences, and to engage consumers in a memorable way. From creating virtual tours of your business to show customers how a product works, the likes of ASOS have fully embraced AR, with their “See My Fit” tools which aim to help customers make informed purchasing choices, by showing how products look on models that more closely reflect individual customers.
To stand out across the digital marketing sphere brands should be intentional and creative when communicating their value and purpose, yet in an authentic manner. If you want to learn more about digital marketing opportunities that you could be exploiting then get in touch with andy@owb.uk.com
