2022 is set to see a lot of change in the world of marketing and advertising. Predictions for the upcoming year see some trends that may seem out of the ordinary from what you’d expect in the digital age. The biggest challenge facing marketers has always been not only getting eyes on their content, but keeping those eyes engaged long enough to make an impression.
These days almost everyone is on their phone throughout the day, and with lockdowns and the world moving online that isn’t expected to change any time soon. So as a business, how are you supposed to get your product or service in front of someone who is bombarded with information long enough to convince them to buy from you?
Let's take a look at some of the most effective strategies for your business to use in 2022.
Email marketing:
Just this year we saw what could happen when some of the most popular and widely used social media platforms simply aren’t there for us to use. On October 4, for almost 7 hours, Facebook owned apps shut down during a massive world-wide crash. For many people not being able to log into Facebook was just an inconvenience to their daily scrolling habits, but for many industries it presented a real problem.
Many businesses use Facebook and Instagram as a major tool to advertise, connect with their customers, and sell their products and services. Luckily, services were restored fairly quickly, so most stores didn’t loose out on a lot of revenue. However, during that time they lost the ability to connect with their followers personally and quickly. This raises the question: How do you communicate with your customers if social media is not your primary medium?
The answer lies in email marketing. Messages are able to be segmented and personalized to a greater degree than on social media. This means that it is easy to get exactly the right message to the right consumer, at the right time.
In the upcoming year, be sure to gather data from your previous email blasts to determine the best practices for your creative and messaging when crafting your email. Information on when emails are opened, bounce rate, and what emails are opened most will help you tailor future messages for individuals you are looking to reach.
Influencer Marketing:
When you think of influencer marketing, you probably think of celebrities endorsing brands on their Instagram for their millions of followers. This form of marketing is very effective, but it comes with a hefty price tag.
For example, a celebrity endorsement from someone like Beyonce or the Rock will cost you around $1,000,000 for a single post. Many of us don’t have the budget, or contact, for that kind of clout.
Luckily there are many different categories of influencers that are able to help brands promote their product. Micro and nano influencers are those that have under 25,000 followers on their accounts. They can be beneficial for your brand in many ways.
One way is that they have an established base following that considers them trustworthy in their industry. Instead of convincing your target that you are the sole leader in the category, you can use micro and nano influencers to help boost your expertise with their base.
These types of influencers often have lower barriers to entry due to lower costs of collaboration. Monetized exchanges are often lower than individuals with larger followings so smaller businesses can afford to work with these individuals more easily. This type of collaboration is also usually mutually beneficial, meaning that instead of a monetary exchange, the influencer may be willing to work with you for free or discounted products.
Using micro and nano influencers is a great way to establish that your brand and products are trustworthy and develop a good reputation in your community. This type of marketing works well because the pitch doesn’t come across as too sales-y. The influencer promoting your brand has a following willing to listen to what they have to say and trusts the advice from the person, elevating your brand to their level.
Interactive and Engaging Content:
The strongest marketing campaigns involve materials that are meant to engage the user in a way that hold their attention and gives them some form of value. It is important to create video, graphics, and other informational content for your consumers to see on your socials, this helps to educate, engage, and guide your customers toward a purchase.
Interactive content consists of marketing materials that offer the consumer something experiential rather than static. To create interactive content that will get your audience to pay attention, you should be sure you pay attention to your target audience. What is relevant to them? What do they engage with? What problems are they looking to solve?
Answering this question you can create relevant and fun materials that directly relate to the people you are looking to reach on a more personal level.
Examples of Interactive Content:
Contests are one of the longest standing forms of interactive marketing. You can do anything from giveaways to social media photos, comments, and more. It is a great way to appeal to the human desire we all share, free stuff!
Quizzes and Polls are another great way to engage your audience. Quizzes add an element of excitement and fun when taking them, the user may be excited to see the answers they got right at the end or want to make it a challenge to get 100%. Polls are also useful because they allow the user to gauge their opinions against the rest of the population. Polls and quizzes can be beneficial for gathering information on your customers too, you can phrase your questions in ways that allow you to get data on this target to use later in other marketing campaigns.
When using interactive content be sure to make sure it is relevant to the audience, this will get them to interact with it at a greater rate than generic video or static images.There are a lot of options to choose from for this form of marketing, pick the ones that you know you can accomplish well and that align with your business.
2022 offers a lot of new in terms of marketing, especially in the digital realm. When considering your marketing strategies for the year, it can be easy to get caught up in the “newer is always better” mantra. New technologies, trends, and platforms seem to be popping up on an almost daily basis, but a lot of the most effective and successful campaigns come from strategies and tools that have been around for a long time. This year be sure to focus on your audience and the foundation that you have established as a business. Understanding your base and who your business is to them is one of the best tools you can have. Optimize and get really good at your base digital execution, and you will likely see a better return on your investment than you would experimenting with every shiny new trend.
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