We cannot deny how the pandemic affected the economy, businesses and marketing trends. But, overall, online marketing got better traction than other marketing options. I hope you also noticed that during the pandemic, most businesses managed to work remotely and understood the power of digital marketing.
From small businesses to big organisations, digital marketing is becoming an opportunity to enter the market. But, companies need to be broadminded regarding online marketing as there are so many channels, platforms and options available. Knowledge of each forum will help get better ROI and business growth.
Look at Some Trends from Surveys
Salesforce gives a glimpse of the expectations of organisations in their Marketing report. A survey of more than 8200 marketers sheds insight into expectations within the business.
Around 66% of marketers believe they will see an increase in revenue by 2022-2023 and beyond.
90% believe 2020 has helped increase the amount of digital interaction, and this trend continues up to 2022-2023 (one of those habits that aren’t likely to shift).
40% expect to increase data sources over the coming year. It is crucial for more businesses because of the transition from using cookies.
More companies will employ SEO to synchronise with the flow of search traffic
We have to ensure that our sites and content are as easily searchable as possible, especially on Google, which can give short- and long-term results in traffic. Although SEO isn’t new, it is increasingly ingrained in modern-day marketing strategies.
SEO was the 6th marketing trend that respondents were using and leveraging, with just 28% of the marketers stating that they are currently using it. Of these marketers who used SEO, 49% consider it effective. In comparison, 84% of them will continue to invest a similar amount or more in the strategy in 2022.
As Google’s algorithm has evolved, SEO has become more than just churning out simple posts that respond to inquiries. The demand and interest for SEO strategies increase, and so do possibilities for optimising your search. Today, companies have invested in SEO specialists who assist them in everything from search insights reports to multimedia optimisation.
Influencer marketing will grow from being a popular marketing strategy
It was checked with marketers worldwide about what trends they would like to invest in 2022-2023. 34% responded that influencer marketing was high on the agenda ahead of other trends like mobile web design and short-form video marketing.
Although 57% of the marketing professionals who currently use influencer marketing believe it’s successful, 46% are planning to boost their investment by 2022. In addition, 11% think it’s the most profitable ROI-generating strategy they’ve tried.
Why has influencer marketing changed from a fascinating concept to a widely-used marketing strategy? The truth is that influencers are usually experts on their platforms and the subject they speak about. They already have a following that is attracted, interested in their content and is influenced by the content they offer.
Suppose marketers partner with influential influencers and experts in their field. In that case, they can increase their brand’s exposure and gain followers from the influencer’s audience.
Are you unable to afford to hire an influencer or a celebrity who has millions of fans? More than 56% of marketers that spend money on influencer marketing collaborate with micro-influencers. That’s okay.
Micro-influencers promote social media with a lower number of followers (typically from thousands to tens of thousand followers). Though they are less popular, their posts usually impact more due to greater engagement.
They’ve created a niche for themselves in their field. That is why they’ve been playing an increasing role in the conversion of prospects, providing connections to the public and increasing the brand’s visibility.
The video marketer will emphasise short content
A survey found that short-form media was the 2nd most effective strategy marketers are currently taking advantage of.
Over 31% of marketers worldwide have invested in short-form video content. 46% believe the method is successful for effectiveness and engagement. In 2022-2023 89% of the world’s marketers plan to invest in the strategy or increase their investments.
Although long-form videos can provide viewers with the most depth and vast amounts of information on a product or service, they are not the same for everyone.
B2C and B2B marketers have realised that getting straight to the essence with short-form videos can be far more effective.
It’s not just that it requires less bandwidth to make videos in short form. More importantly, this format is compatible with the rapid-paced attention spans of online viewers across various age groups. That is why TikTok, IG Reels, and the likes of Snapchat have seen rapid expansion and increased marketing interest.
Mobile optimisation is going to become even more crucial
It’s not a surprise that people spend more time with mobile devices. Over half of all annual web traffic is from mobile devices, which includes tablets.
In addition, as Gen Z and millennials Gen Z audiences continue to expand their buying power, mobile-optimised digital experience will become even more essential to consider when you are a business owner who sells to these highly connected generations.
Below are just a few of the main reasons:
33% of marketers worldwide invest in mobile-friendly web design.
Most advertisers focused on mobile-friendly web designs plan to continue investing in the same or the more significant amount by 2022-2023.
64% of SEO marketers consider mobile optimisation a compelling investment.
Furthermore, mobile experiences aren’t limited to websites for brands. Still, they’re crucial in other marketing strategies—56% of marketers who work with email focus on providing mobile-friendly email experiences to their customers.
Online events are expected to continue; however, some brands will spend less
In 2022-2023, it’s expected to witness more hybrid marketing strategies, which still allow people to take advantage of virtual conferences, events, and physical venues. In a survey of marketers worldwide, the results corresponded with this forecast.
In 2021, 51% of marketers invested in virtual conferences. But, just 17% of these marketers have plans to reduce their investment.
Although budgets for virtual events, marketers aren’t going to leave the virtual event industry anytime soon. 80% of marketers plan to invest the exact amount or more in virtual events.
More brands will try native ads
Native ads are almost everywhere. It can be on the daily blogs or the mobile app you regularly use. Native ads are contextual and can be displayed or banner ads. These ads fit into the user’s experience and interest behaviour.
In 2021 24% of the global marketers, HubSpot Blog surveyed currently invest in native ads. In 2022, 23% of those who aren’t using it will do so 2022-2023.
Why is there a growing popularity of this method? It’s effective. For those who utilise native ads, more than 36% of them say it’s efficient, and nearly 5% say it’s their most profitable ROI-generating strategy.
Suppose you pay for your business to be featured on a website owned by a third party. In that case, it is spending money on native advertisements. Native ads are made to blend in and present your brand’s message to a new audience that would otherwise not know about your business.
Contrary to traditional advertising designed to disrupt and make a statement.
Actuality, most consumers see native ads at a higher rate than banner advertisements. Since native advertisements do not “feel” like traditional ads and aren’t as tangible, people have a higher likelihood to engage with these ads.
Search for relevant publications for your business to incorporate native ads into your marketing. Make sure you sound natural and refrain from appearing pushy or marketing.
After catching up on the main points of our Marketing Strategy research, keep reading to view categories of trends.
Video will continue to be the most popular format for marketing content
In HubSpot’s 2021, Not Another State of Marketing Report, video marketing was the most effective marketing method. This year, as per the study, this hasn’t changed.
The search for the most effective content video marketing strategies comes first, before blogging or email marketing.
Video Marketing Trends Fast Facts for 2022
As per the study, 5% of respondents utilise video as part of their marketing strategies, and 76% of those who use it consider it the most effective form of content. Additionally, that one out of four marketers who utilise video (or 27 per cent) believes it’s the type of content that provides the highest return on investment.
“Video creates a deeper connection with your potential customer base, and it is easy for brands to repurpose video content into podcasts and text-based content,” Neil Patel, CMO and Co-Founder of NP Digital, says.
“But on the flip side, if you create text or audio content first, it is harder to turn it into video. So in 2022, look for brands to create more video content. It will be done in the form of just straight video, short clips like reels and even live streaming.”
Before, video production, as well as marketing techniques, were a bit limited because of the cost of equipment and resources. Nowadays, it’s more affordable. With lower prices, it’s easier to integrate with your marketing campaigns.
“2022-2023 will be the year of video. Why? Because organisations have finally gotten more comfortable with it and realise it’s a way to engage their audience, communicate offerings, and provide infotainment,” says Aytekin Tank, the founder and Director of Jotform.
“Our company, Jotform, has been ramping up our video efforts on YouTube. We have over 16,000 subscribers and have seen a huge increase in site traffic and signups from investing in the video on this platform,” Tank says. “Like many B2B and B2C companies, we’re going full force with video and expect to ramp it up even further in 2022.”
It’s not necessary to hire an agency for production or marketing agency. All you require is a smartphone, like an iPhone or an iPad, and budget editing software.
Blogging won’t be going away
Blogging has been an extensively employed strategy for marketing since the companies began to create sites of their own. But, the age of this tactic isn’t a sign that it’s outdated. Blogging has been utilised for a long time simply because it does the job.
When 48% of companies use a content marketing strategy blog, 56% of blogging marketers claim it’s beneficial, and 10% believe it’s the type of content with the highest return on investment.
This information from marketers shouldn’t be very shocking. A recent survey of consumer opinions revealed that most readers regularly read blogs throughout the week, and they’ve purchased items from a company after reading the company’s blog.
Besides bringing engagement to your customers and possibly conversion, blogs can also get an essential benefit to your website or pages: search visibility.
Conversely, websites with solid blogs are more likely to rank and can apply less complex SEO strategies than sites with weak blogs.
Imagine it in this manner. Suppose a potential customer wants to work with an SEO agency. Your site includes a blog that provides digital marketing strategies, or tips agencies employ. In that case, the client might stumble upon your blog post or site through a Google search, then read the article and look around your site.
They may decide that they would like to reach out to your agency for a consultation or assistance with SEO services.
Case studies continue to generate leads and build brand trust
Case studies that are longer-form give potential buyers a profound and unique analysis of how people or brands gain from service, product or strategy. Many businesses post these on their website pages to convince prospective buyers quickly. Others might make them available as PDFs for free, which require lead conversion before they can be downloaded.
While many marketers, including those from B2C industries, don’t use case studies, those who use them find them compelling. 64% of marketers who have launched case studies said they found them helpful, while 15% stated they had the highest ROI of the formats they utilised.
Furthermore, the use of case studies for content marketing is increasing. 37% of marketers plan to employ case studies in their marketing strategies for the first time in 2022.
Keyword optimisation is the top priority
One of HubSpot Blog’s most important strategies is the keywords search report. The report outlines all terms we’d like to use and all blog posts we’ll need to develop or modify to rank for these keywords on Google.
Suppose you do not have a team of content writers. In that case, an enormous amount of time or an SEO professional to write a gigantic search insights report, don’t fret. It’s not either expensive or lengthy. While more than 50% of SEO marketers utilise search insights studies, 55% said they had tried to improve their content using keywords driven by search.
For example, you could make use of tools such as Ahrefs as well as SEMRush. These tools help to conduct a quick SEO. Especially keywords related to your company, products or forthcoming content to discover ways to improve your content using optimised keywords for titles or subheads, body text or descriptions.
Link-building helps brands gain authority and also increase their search ranking
When good ranking sites start linking to your site, Google’s crawlers will notice your site is reliable and have a solid reputation within your industry, resulting in Google’s ranking increasing. That’s the aim of link-building or getting other websites to link to your site.
Though writing high-quality, shareable content and sharing your content with other websites, research shows that the effort and time will pay off.
48% of SEO marketers use backlinking and link building, and 63% believe it is their most efficient SEO method.
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