Marketing Trends for 2022
Before smartphones, there were landlines. Before landlines, there were telegraphs. The way we communicate and receive information about the world around us is steadily evolving. As technology progresses, so has the world of marketing. Traditionally marketing only covered print, billboards, radio, and television. Today, marketing includes all those elements, plus social media, web design, email marketing, branding, and so much more!
As we approach year two of the (not so) post-pandemic world, and wrap up loose ends of Q4, now is the time to focus on the future of digital marketing and how that looks in 2022!
Social Media
There are so many apps, so many updates, and so little time. Did you hear that Facebook is changing it’s name?
Shopping
Shop until you drop is the motto when discussing social media marketing trends for 2022. Virtual shopping became vital during the pandemic, and according to Red Website Design, social e-commerce buyers increased by 25.2%, reaching 80 million people. Popular apps like Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok took note of this, and are introducing live shopping features on their dedicated apps.
Keep it Short
Bite-sized content is the next runner-up. People are spending more time on social media but less time engaging with photos and long-form videos. We saw a snippet of this with the emergence of Snapchat and now with the global takeover of TikTok. Recent studies show that the average person’s attention span has reduced to 8 seconds.
AR
Augmented reality and Virtual reality are becoming mainstream and social networks are hopping on the trend. Instagram introduced AR features in 2017, but by 2023, AR expected to bring in $70-75 billion in revenue. A great example of how this will be implemented is Steve Madden’s latest #SteveMaddenverse campaign. It will allow digitized products, filters, including an AR shoe try-on feature.
Paid Ads
2022 is all about privacy. We will all see a continued push for privacy when it comes to data collection and usage, especially with paid ads. Typically once users search, for example, a birthday cake recipe, they’ll begin seeing ads for cakes on Facebook, Instagram, or even a random clothing website. While this helps businesses sell, consumers do not like the invasion of privacy. To combat this issue, Apple has integrated an ‘Allow app to track’ or a ‘Do not track’ feature. As companies make more efforts to get rid of the third-party cookies that collect data, advertisers are extremely concerned. Google’s Privacy Sandbox is working on new ways for businesses and advertisers to still show ads that resonate with their audiences without the use of third-party cookies. Advertisers will have to start looking to first-party data for better insights on their audiences.
Web Design
- Inclusive visuals – Showcasing more diverse people from marginalized groups in marketing visuals.
- Accessibility – This “trend” is here to stay. A website that lacks accessibility makes it that much harder for disabled adults to purchase products, sign up for services, newsletters, etc.
- Fun data visualizations & bold backgrounds – Making complex data fun to look at and easy to understand to engage audiences.
- Colorful icons and illustrations – Eye-catching graphics; that make sharing marketing messages a great communication tool.
- Branded memes – Memes help us all relate to one another, using funny out-of-context images that relate to real-world situations. But remember, don’t go overboard! A little meme can go a long way.
Email Marketing
Marketing emails in 2022 should be optimized for mobile to ensure users have a positive experience when viewing them – from their desk or on the go! You will need to focus on building trust with customers through organic traffic and user-generated content, such as reviews and positive comments. The overall tone and messaging should be relevant and even personalized to the target audience you’re trying to reach; including clear graphics, easy-to-read text, size, and color. All of these features tie into an excellent user experience and is critical for any email marketing strategy in 2022.
Branding
Branding is what sets you apart from competitors; a catchy name and a nice logo will no longer suffice for modern consumers. 2022 branding trends focus on where, how, and why consumers prefer the content they view.
- Logo Adaptability– Remember to create different logo sizing depending on the medium you are using, smaller logos for social media, bigger for commercial ads. McDonald’s was the first to showcase adaptive logos amidst the pandemic by pulling apart the golden arches.
2. Brand Inclusivity – Popular brands like Fenty Beauty, ThirdLove, and Aerie, are the poster child for diversity and inclusivity by providing a wide range of clothing sizing, real models, and makeup color ranges to fit everyone! A survey by Accenture showed that 70% of millennials will choose inclusive and diverse brands over those that are not (Accenture, 2018).
3. Nostalgic Brand Marketing – By using nostalgic brand marketing, you can invoke these old memories and attach positive feelings to your products and services. Therefore, you can improve the chances of boosting customer trust and brand recall. A great example of this would be Apple’s most recent Keynotes, bringing back the colorful iMacs into a modern design and using a somewhat of a Steve Jobs look-alike in the recent presentation working out of his garage, while using an original iMac.
A Final Note
Remember, just because these are listed as trends, it doesn’t mean you need to drop everything you’re doing. If your current strategies are working, keep it up! Maybe you don’t need to change your logo to look more bold or nostalgic, but it might be a good idea to audit your website for inclusivity and accessibility. It’s always good to keep an eye on trends and see how they fit into your market and how these changes can benefit your customers.
Strategies not working the way you’d hoped? Reach out to the Firefly team today, we’re happy to help!
Resources
https://blog.red-website-design.co.uk/2021/09/10/social-media-trends-2022/
https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/12-email-marketing-trends-for-2021-and-prepare-for-2022/
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/26-predictions-for-social-media-marketing-in-2022/608443/
About the Author: Megan Wells
