- Digital marketing has become an important part of the small business world and technology trends are shaping the most effective strategies to reach your target audience.
- Delivering more authentic content, offering chatbot services, optimizing voice search, leveraging social media marketing and creating compelling user experiences are some of the key trends to watch in 2022.
- Depending on your business, you need to carefully determine which trends will benefit you the most and which ones to avoid.
- This article is for small business owners and digital marketers who want to know about the top trends and where to focus their marketing efforts in 2022.
Although many marketing principles remain the same from year to year, the tools companies use to achieve marketing success change greatly over time. Newspaper ads were once common. Today, digital advertising and artificial intelligence play a fundamental role in a company's marketing strategy.
Every year there are more and more technology trends that entrepreneurs should pay attention to. Business owners who stay one step ahead can also discover new levels of marketing success. Here are 10 trends we think small businesses should take advantage of in 2022:
- Clean long content
- Chatbots and conversational AI
- Voice search
- Data analysis
- Media Marketing
- New direction of e-commerce
- User experience
- Metaverse
- A future without cookies
- SEO and keywords
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Let's dive into this trend and how your business can benefit.
1. Authentic detailed content
For small businesses with limited financial resources, authentic content is a powerful marketing tool. However, you'll also want it in long form. While 2021 was the year of TikTok and Instagram of three- to five-minute scrolls, 2022 will see the pendulum swing the other way as 1,000- to 7,500-word posts become the norm.
This applies to blog posts and articles, as well as video and audio content. Sharing things your customers care about is a great way to build brand awareness and customer loyalty You can build trust by showing that you do more than just sell.
Whether your content takes the form of social media posts, blogs or email newsletters, make sure you strike the right balance between highlighting your product and providing valuable actionable advice.
Key Takeaway: Complete authentic marketing is a great way to increase interest and engagement with your target audience.
2. Chatbots and conversational AI
According to revenue accelerator platform Drift's State of Conversational Marketing report, nearly 42% of consumers use conversational AI and chatbots to make purchases. However, the majority of small business owners surveyed said they do not use technology. State-of-the-art chatbots and conversational AI can answer basic customer questions at any time of the day or night, even when you're busy with other tasks.
"AI-powered chatbots can be used to support customers, greatly expanding communications strategies with controlled messaging," said Joey Penick, vice president of marketing at Lumen Technologies. "These chatbots have become so realistic that many customers don't even notice the difference, but they offer the added benefit of being able to collect, analyze and provide actionable data that can be used to improve the customer experience."
FYI: Customers speak favorably of AI chatbots because they can answer questions quickly 24/7.
3. Voice search
As mobile devices and voice services like Microsoft Cortana and Google Assistant become more popular, voice search is one area where your small business can stand out from the competition. If your business is online, there's a good chance people will find your website or content marketing materials through voice search in 2022 and beyond.
"A few years ago, we had to adapt to the growing use of mobile devices," said Chris Hornak, owner of the Hands blog. “And now, according to Google, mobile search accounts for more than 50% [of searches]. Marketers need to start adapting to voice search, which currently accounts for 20% of mobile searches and is expected to continue to grow at the same rate as mobile.
According to Hornak, a simple strategy you can implement in 2022 is to answer frequently asked questions about your products on your website. "Remember to be specific and give your opinion."
tip With the rise in popularity of voice-activated devices, focus your content strategy on answering common consumer questions about your product or service.
4. Data analysis
"Most brands are prioritizing data analytics, but marketers still have a long way to go," said Curtis Tingley, senior vice president of product at smart media distribution company Valassis.
"Marketers need to learn how to make better use of the data they collect," he said. “Consumers are constantly sending personal information to the companies they interact with, from their purchasing behavior to the products they prefer and how to reach them through advertising and marketing efforts. By sharing this data, customers seek some form of return, whether it's more personalized advertising or targeted coupons/deals.”
Tingle's observations are important: marketers need to do more than collect data. Data should be meaningful and companies should use this data to improve marketing campaigns. [cm. See also : Predictive or prescriptive analytics? Your business needs both. ]
2022 trends revolve around forward-looking data; Smart, scalable and flexible data; edge calculation for quick analysis; and hybrid computing, combining local and remote cloud solutions. You will also see increased use of machine learning-based solutions including additional analytics; Analysis of engineering solutions; and data visualization for better decision making, management and business intelligence and automation.
Did you know that data analytics can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior, including intent. You should use the information you collect from your website and use it in your marketing strategy.
Social media will continue to be vital to a successful digital marketing business endeavor. By 2022, expect videos, Instagram, live streaming, and podcasts to dominate the list. Facebook isn't going anywhere: it has resilience. LinkedIn will also become more influential, especially as influencers use it to amplify their voice.
Speaking of influencers, 2022 will be the year of experts who have fewer followers but are more dedicated to their cause. Niches matter and those who dominate the empty sea will lead.
Key Takeaway: Consumers value the ability to connect with brands on social media. The same principles apply: effective brand storytelling, creativity, genuine interest and connection with your followers, and continuous development of your industry experience and expertise.
6. New aspects of electronic commerce
The e-commerce trend revolves around Web3 where companies are using the DeFi trend to take their profile to the next level. "DeFi" stands for Decentralized Finance and refers to Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) – a whole new world of business conducted via Blockchain with new marketing opportunities.
There are technologies like P2P shared registries that make doing business faster, cheaper, safer and more transparent. Blockchain provides smart contracts that verify, guarantee and enforce transactions. Of course, there are also cryptocurrencies, or digital currencies, that replace real money to attract a different kind of consumer. [Related: Should Your Small Business Accept Cryptocurrency? ]
For example, New York-based Magnum Real Estate Group recently listed three of its retail buildings on Manhattan's Upper East Side for sale in Bitcoin. At the same time, blockchain technology offers a real opportunity for agents to communicate and share their experiences while receiving financial rewards.
Brands are using NFT as a unique digital asset as a trend to promote their next generation products.
7. User Experience
Today's customers expect an engaging, easy-to-use and flexible online experience, whether it's an e-commerce store or a website. In 2022, expect a further push towards fluid and engaging UX, with a focus on interactive, experiential, user-friendly and personalized experiences.
"We know consumers love engaging content that speaks directly to them," said Eilon Steinhart, founder and CEO of Eclipse Foods. “We are working to develop a marketing strategy that engages users based on the on-site experience. However, creating great content that engages users isn't the best user experience; It's about speed, visual stability, compatibility with mobile devices and safe browsing. Incorporating these techniques into your content marketing strategy will increase visibility and engagement."
Metaverse is a modern, futuristic combination of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), resulting in a new immersive 3D experience where users merge the physical with the digital.
Examples include interactive ads such as those for NASCAR on the interactive gaming platform Roblox. Users can create their own avatars, allowing them to "feel" the experience without purchasing it. This has led to a new term in the marketing industry, "gamification," where marketers and brands use games to advertise their products. According to technology firm Wunderman Thompson, this vibrant advertising trend is dominating the film and music industries.
In retail, brands are also using technologies such as augmented reality to create blended shopping experiences where shoppers can use their avatars to "sit" on clothes, "sit on" chairs, "live" in a certain geographical area, etc. .
Takeaway : Metaverse is one of the biggest marketing trends of 2022, and we're just getting started. It blurs the line between physical and virtual, leading to a new direct-to-avatar (D2A) business model.
9. A future without cookies
In the last two years there have been many complaints about privacy in data collection. To remedy the situation, Google is leading the ad tech industry with a cookie-free future in 2023. By the end of 2022, Google will introduce a new technology that heralds the end of experimental cookies. Although cookies are activated based on information provided by the customer, such as personal email, the cookie option must contain a lot of quality primary data to be successful.
How will this affect companies and advertisers or sellers? Careful companies will want to note in the near future where cookies will give way to alternative cookies as customer privacy concerns and regulations like GDPR intensify.
10. SEO and keywords
SEO strategies and keywords continue to hold their own. Google's Pages algorithm is scheduled to launch in March 2022. SEO tools will evaluate loading speed, interactivity, visual stability, and HTTPS security, among other metrics.
Google is also paying attention to mobile devices to rank mobile-optimized websites using the recently released Mobile-First Indexing (MFI). For marketers, this means as much focus on mobile UX as it does on websites, if not more. Meanwhile, Google's new Unified Multitasking Model (MUM) encourages publishers to make simple questions more complex. MUM gives value to approved content.
advice If you want to rank #1 in Google search results, use Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, and Chrome Experience Report to check the security and performance of your pages. As always, high quality content is important to Google.
Relevance of marketing principles
This trend is expected to affect marketing in 2022 and beyond, but that doesn't mean you should immediately abandon what you're doing and switch to using other and more advanced technologies to effectively market your business.
"The fundamentals of how a brand is sold and built haven't changed in the last 10 or 15 years, no matter what everyone says," said Allen Adamson, assistant professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. from metaphor. "The device usually exaggerates what it does, which is always correct."
Adamson explains that while new sophisticated marketing tools are introduced every year, word of mouth is still important. A few decades ago, consumers might have asked their friends where to go for the best burger in town. Now, Adamson says, people quickly search the web and read reviews of burgers in the area "asking all their friends."
Changes in technology do not change the fundamentals of marketing, but new technology exaggerates all successes and failures. In the past, serving a customer a bad hamburger would cause disgruntled customers to tell their friends not to eat there. Now one angry Yelp review can alienate hundreds of potential customers.
Understanding new technology tools can bring great benefits to your business, but if you don't understand how technology can help you, there's no point in adding new tools to the suite. Adamson, who as president of Lander Associates North America has advised companies such as Marriott and HBO, says many companies are too caught up in the latest and greatest marketing tools.
"It's like watching an 8-year-old football game: it's just a ball and nothing lasts," he said. "Everyone is chasing a shiny new object." Whatever technology you buy, if you don't know how to use it properly, it won't give you a competitive advantage in the market."
You may not need to work on some of the trends discussed in this article. On the other hand, adding a chatbot or using more authentic content to your current marketing mix can take your business to the next level of customer engagement and financial success.
How to decide which new marketing technology to apply
Determining which technology to implement in your operations depends on your business needs and your customers' wishes. It's better not to embrace a new marketing trend, especially if you don't understand and use the technology properly, but you're doing it because other companies are using it.
"As we move faster and faster in a technology-driven world, SMBs need to prioritize technology trends that can help them grow their business," said Ryan Gould, vice president of marketing strategy and services at Elevation Marketing. . . "How did they do it? They should ask the following four questions:
- அம் முர்க்கு के?
- What is the gap in my business?
- Will this technology help close the gap in my business?
- Do I have the resources to support this technology in the long term?»
Using Gulda questions for verification can guarantee that you don't have to follow marketing trends that don't suit your business. Follow the marketing trends of 2022, but before you act, look at the state of your business.
Лия Zitter, Кили Кулигоский и Николь Фаллон contributed their contribution to the writing of this article. Interviews with sources were conducted for earlier versions of this article.