8 Marketing trends in 2022 to grow your business

Let’s talk marketing in 2022…it’s that time of the year again when we reflect on the last year as we prepare for the new one. No matter which industry you are in, there is always a base marketing trends list for the year and it’s your job to adapt it to your industry.

Marketing in 2022 will require a new approach not only because of the new norms of work from home but also because the end-users and clients are getting more educated and savvier.

2021 forced us to go completely digital and although people are back in the office the digital usage habits are not going anywhere. 2022 is not the time when being online or doing social media marketing is a question, but now rather a norm if you plan on competing and thriving.

Quick Takeaways for marketing in 2022:

• New privacy rules will make data collecting more difficult.
• Branding your business and creating a community will continue to be a major factor in marketing in 2022.
• Creating good and educational content is not optional, especially video content.
• Consumers are expecting a more personalized approach to marketing in 2022.
• Learn to tell your business’ story in order to stand out and grow.
• Podcasts are not going anywhere so start one or get interviews set up.
• SEO and online marketing are even more competitive as 2020 forced everyone to move online but is still a big part of marketing in 2022.
• Email marketing is still important, just more personalized.

So, let’s dive into the 8 trends to grow your business in 2022

          1. The privacy revolution

Privacy laws and regulations are making tracking data about consumer habits more difficult and therefore changing the capabilities of ad targeting. With Apple’s new IOS tracking rules and now Google’s announcement to end third-party cookies support in Chrome browser in 2022, the data collected will only continue to shrink.

What does it mean for your business? You will need to create your own data tracking of your clients and prospect in order to complement other resources’ data. If you do not yet have a CRM or a system to capture your clients’ and leads information details, I recommend starting one now.

           2. Branding and community

Yes, influencer marketing is still growing and not going anywhere, but what can you take from it and apply it to your business? Without having to hire influencers, you can learn from the concept and realize the importance of branding your business and even yourself and/or employees.

Creating a strong brand and recognizable has been optional for smaller businesses in the past, but if you want to stand out and grow in 2022 it’s time to go heavy on branding. However, now branding comes with a twist and if you really want to stand out from the crowd, I recommend choosing one or a few employees to be the face of your business.

With influencer marketing consumers have been used to attaching a brand to a face or faces, so do just that. Find that person in your company that can show the behind-the-scenes, create videos, and interact with your community. This will allow you to attract better leads and create that online community.

          3. Content is still king

A lot of businesses hate this part, but content is still king and now even more. Consumers are stuck online and on so many platforms that it’s important for your business to not only create content but in various forms.

I’m sure you knew this one was coming, but yes videos are still leading and now even more so. Facebook has launched Reels on Facebook (Meta) and is making showing videos on your feed a priority over standard images. Facebook reports that video posts receive six times more engagement than photo or link posts on average while Twitter has seen an increase in video views by over 160%.

Although video content is growing, do not dismiss blogging and participating in forums. Infographics are still important and do very well on Pinterest and the platform is the 14^th largest social network worldwide.

Also, remember your clients and leads are more sophisticated in their knowledge now so it’s important to continue to share information with them and show your expertise.

          4. Personalization is a must

I think we can blame big corporations and AI for this one, but now consumers are used to a more personalized experience, especially online. For example, now that you have perfectioned your CRM and contact list you can personalize the content you send clients and prospects better.

Let’s say you are a realtor and sold a house to a client, the wife was pregnant, maybe a couple of years passed, and you noted it in your system. You can now send that couple an email and see if maybe with the children older they might need more space and send them options of homes available. Even if they are not interested at the time because it was so catered to them and their lifestyle, they will reach out the next time they are in the market or more prone to refer you.

         5. Become a storyteller

Now more than ever consumers like to feel completely engaged with the brands they support and work with. So, learn to become a storyteller of your products, business, and services. Show off how things are made and how they can be used rather than just pushing it at your clients and prospects. Show past projects and behind the scenes on a job site or at the office.

All of these are stories that allow your clients and prospects to connect to your brand and create a stronger sense of loyalty. In turn, this will also create more fans and make them share the content on their own.

          6. The continued rise of the podcast

Let’s be real, podcasts are here to stay! Consumers are loving the concept of listening to information while driving, cooking, working out, etc., and let’s face it, there is a podcast on every subject matter possible.

This concept introduced the Clubhouse phenomenon, an online social platform where people interact in chats but only vocally.

Now, as audio content becomes much more common in the online world, marketers might be wondering if this format could benefit their brand.

Although the audio platforms do not directly show an ROI or conversions, it plays a big role in the branding growth part and provides great engagement and brand awareness.

          7. SEO and online marketing

SEO will continue to grow as everything now takes place online. Google Ads will remain a part of marketers’ budgets and will continue to be competitive. Optimizing websites will need to be a priority in order to stand out in online searches.

Link building will continue to be used to help companies grow authority in search rankings. Of the 48% of SEO marketers that use backlinking and link building, 63% say it’s their brand’s most effective SEO tactic.

Voice searches will grow, so make sure your content isn’t only optimized for written searches but for questions asked to Siri orally.

Also, bots will continue to improve and be used to streamline customer service and interactions.

           8. Email marketing

Email marketing is still growing strong as it may be hard to believe. There are approximately 4.147 billion email users in 2021 compared to 4.03 billion users in 2020. So, although people are using many other platforms and alternatives to market and communicate, emails remain an important part of your business marketing in 2022.

This still goes back to personalization where although it is still popular, the recipients are expecting higher quality and more personalized experience. This can be simple as segmenting by location or interests.

So, marketing in 2022 and growing your business will be a mix of online marketing as well as heavy content marketing in multiple forms. For many, it will require stepping out of their comfort zones, but ultimately, it’s about being transparent and creating connections.

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