#4 Digital Marketing Trends, Visions, and Strategies for 2022

Nothing in life is predictable, but despite all that, having a plan and a vision is still essential! In the best situations, it gives you a roadmap to reaching targets and setting priorities that really matter. In worst-case scenarios, it gives you a solid foundation that you can pivot from and a space to help you decide where to put your energy. With that in mind, let’s see what’s setting all the trends in the world of digital marketing for 2022.

#1 – The rise and rise of social commerce

Selling through social media is something that tech giants are putting more and more effort into, creating features and tools that take this medium to another level. More promisingly, customers are really responding to it! By taking a familiar platform we know so well and creating ways to livestream the selling experience or even buy over chat, brands can capitalise on this and the platform’s trust factor feature to give people fun, convenient, and simple ways to shop.

It’s already working, with 7 in 10 surveyed Australians and 75% of global participants saying they’re very likely to buy off social media in the future. Social commerce or social selling is no longer a gimmick – in 2022, it’s the way your consumers want to buy.

#2 – Long-form content makes a comeback

Despite reports that we all have the attention span of fruit flies when we’re online, long-form content is making a big comeback. We’ve always fought hard for this type of content because of the value it provides to the reader – it’s not just a matter of throwing out keywords to get some SEO value, it’s actually about helping out and empowering the end-user, which brands can really benefit from.

The big change here is that there is so much space for short, snappy content, but there needs to be somewhere for the user to go once this tasty bite is done. You’ve drawn them in with Twitter, Instagram reels, or a TikTok, and long-form content (including video, blog articles, and podcasts) will make them stay.

#3 – Getting active about your values

The pressure on brands and businesses to put their values into action is on – and that’s a great thing. It’s intimidating and it takes considerable effort but that’s not the real point. The point is that your consumers are paying attention, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a massive multinational or a tiny family business. 77% of consumers are motivated to purchase from companies committed to making the world a better place. 94% of Gen Z think companies should address social and environmental issues. Globally, over 90% of consumers will switch brands to support a good cause, and the same number will boycott a brand if they discover irresponsible business practices – with 55% having done just that in the last year.

Digital marketing channels, including social media, are a fantastic way to show how businesses are holding true to their values and get rewarded for it – and a dangerous place to get caught out if you aren’t.

#4 – Marketing automation is a must-have

When marketing automation first launched, most organisations simply didn’t have the volume of digital content needed to make this add enough value. In 2022, this is going to be very different. The sheer volume of communications, content, and engagement that online customer management is demanding is making life without automation a sheer headache. But that doesn’t mean cutting back on content. Automation allows you to compete without driving your team crazy, letting you take much of the grunt work out of marketing while actually making your content higher-quality and more engaging at the same time.

Want to market certain to particular segments? Sure. Want to make that content fully personalised? No worries. Want to stay in regular contact with the right consumer base without spending more time doing it? Done.

Digital Freak is a holistic digital marketing agency that’s all about no-fuss, no-hassle results. We’re here to help you become the brand your audience wants you to be. With social media, website development, inbound marketing, and analytics expertise, we’ll make your business shine online.