Businesses will have to rely heavily on digital marketing in the post-pandemic world. As a result, enterprises need to create a robust digital marketing strategy to drive customer engagement and revenue growth.
Several trends in digital marketing are likely to dominate the market in the coming years. This article lists a few prominent ones among them. I’ve broken down the key digital marketing trends to be aware of in 2022.
AI Chatbots
AI-driven chatbots, voice search, and image recognition will revolutionize the way businesses interact with customers. As a result, integrating AI into digital marketing is one of the most prominent digital marketing trends in 2022.
Chatbots can be integrated into websites and mobile apps to provide 24/7 customer support through live chats. Chatbots can also be integrated into social media platforms like Facebook Messenger for automated customer service.
AI-driven voice assistants like Siri and Alexa have gained massive popularity over the past few years. According to a report by Gartner, 30% of web browsing sessions will be done without a screen by 2022. This means that users will leverage voice search tools more extensively for shopping online and finding local businesses near them. Voice search is optimized separately from traditional text search because it uses long-tail keywords (conversational phrases) instead of generic keywords.
Personalized Marketing
With increasing competition among brands for customer attention in the digital space, personalized marketing will grow in 2022. A study by Segment reveals that 74% of consumers get frustrated when content is not personalized for them. Personalized marketing offers more than engaging content; it helps create a solid emotional bond among consumers and brands by providing individualized experience across all touchpoints.
Voice search optimization
Voice search has become a standard feature across households and smartphones.
In 2018, nearly half of the US population used voice assistants for different purposes. The increasing use of voice assistant tools across households and smartphones has become a new trend in the eCommerce industry.
Next, businesses should ensure that they are using fast web hosting services to optimize their website speed as it is an important ranking factor according to Google’s algorithm. Also, enterprises need to make sure that all the content presented on their website is unique and informative as it will improve its chances of appearing as a top result for voice searches.
Marketing automation tools
Email marketing automation tools are already helping digital marketers and businesses send automated emails to customers based on their locations, demographics, and buying habits. Such an automation tool can improve the overall efficiency of your email marketing campaigns by up to 40%.
Marketing automation is a critical aspect of digital marketing because it can streamline processes and create an efficient workflow. It also allows you to deliver a personalized experience to the customer at scale.
Google Ads is one of the most prominent and popular PPC advertising platforms. Google Ads works on a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model where advertisers bid on keywords relevant to their target audience. Therefore, marketers must be cautious about the keywords they choose for their ads as it will significantly impact their ROI. AI-based tools allow marketers to optimize their advertising strategies to utilize real-time data like several searches, competition, etc.
AI can analyze data from various sources like Google Analytics, CRM software, and eCommerce platforms and provide insights on customer buying patterns, patterns in abandoned shopping carts, and other important metrics that would help marketers improve their website performance.
Video marketing
Video marketing is growing in popularity because of its ability to engage customers. A recent survey found that 59% of executives prefer watching videos rather than reading text online.
Furthermore, it’s easier for customers to retain information from videos. Over 90% of customers recall a visual message within three days of viewing it compared to 10% for text-based content.
Finally, Google favors video content and ranks it higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). So it’s no wonder that over 80% of marketers plan to use video marketing in the next 12 months.
The downside of video marketing is that it can be more expensive than other content formats. Also, the production process can take longer, depending on the type of video you want to create (there are several types: explainer videos, testimonial videos, educational or how-to videos, among others) and how much time you want to dedicate to the project.
Email Marketing
According to recent research, over 90% of marketers consider email their top channel for customer retention.
Email marketing is effective because it helps businesses build a deeper connection with their customers. Email is a versatile channel used for various marketing objectives, from brand awareness to customer loyalty.
As consumers become more demanding and picky about the information they receive from brands, email remains a critical marketing channel. However, with email marketing being used by over 87% of marketers worldwide, it’s safe to say that this trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Short videos
Social media has become a dominant force in marketing over the last decade. But as social media trends shift, so do how brands interact with consumers.
Short videos on social media continue to be popular with consumers, especially Generation Z and Millennials.
When it comes to video content, viewers look for fast, engaging, and easy-to-digest clips that offer a glimpse into people’s real lives or brands. These short, DIY videos are perfect for reaching younger consumers looking for more authentic, unpolished content.
NFTs and crypto
Cryptocurrency has been around for a while, but it feels like we’re only just scratching the surface of its implications in social media. New platforms and tools are being created to support the use of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, and we think it’ll be big news this year.
The main thing to consider is how your business can create shareable content or experiences that genuinely add value for your audience. That’s where NFTs come in—they provide an excellent tool for companies that want to start selling things beyond products and services, whether that’s brand assets or exclusive access to events and experiences.
The next step is to work out how you can leverage crypto in your marketing strategy. For example, you could offer people a discount for paying in cryptocurrency or encourage peer-to-peer payments with your brand hashtag on Twitter—the possibilities are wide open!
Final words
By now, most marketers know the importance of digital demand generation. It’s the process in which marketers create awareness about a brand through customized promotions and offers for target customers. The advertisements are designed to trigger user engagement and push them towards conversion.
Studies have shown that digital demand generation strategies can improve customer lifetime value by 16% and acquisition cost by 2%. However, creating an impactful digital demand generation strategy is not easy without the right tools.