It feels like 2021 has just started and we’re only a few months into the year. But, no, we’re almost at the end of the year and talking about 2022 already. It’s fair to assume that businesses have already started planning for the next year in terms of strategies, marketing, models, and so on. If you’re planning your marketing strategy and are looking to include trends, here are some. Let’s take a dive and learn about some interesting marketing trends you must include in your 2022 strategy.

9 Trends to add to your marketing plan for the new year:

• Acquire zero-party data
• Short-form content
• Influencer marketing
• Podcasts
• Personalization
• Storytelling
• Marketing automation
• Virtual meetings/events
• Engage in communities
  

1. Cookie-based tracking….trail lost

If you remember, Google had announced that it would no longer allow cookie tracking effective from 2022. This means it’s bad news for your business. But not to worry, marketers always find a way around, and there is a way around for this as well - Zero-party data. Zero-Party data is that which is given to businesses directly by consumers or potential customers. With cookie tracking no longer available, businesses can invest in surveys, direct brand-to-customer interaction and generated leads to push their products/services.

This also calls for attention to boosting your CRM tools as it would be crucial to manage and track data easily.

2. Shorty got that super thing

Yes! I’m talking about videos. We could spend all day long just scrolling through Reels on Instagram, Shorts on YouTube, videos on Facebook and on TikTok. 

Reels receive about 22% more engagement than regular video content

                                                                                                                                         - Growthoid

Videos have always gained more traction than regular posts. And with videos 15 to 60 seconds long, the chance to reach more audience is only higher. Invest in videos that provide knowledge, are bite-sized, and indulge the audience.

3. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a thing now; it is the present-day marketing strategy. You do not have to only partner with influencers or creators that have tens of thousands or millions of followers. Creators who have a few thousand followers also have a good impact. You could partner with multiple small-scale influencers which will create pools of an audience that’s diverse. This marketing strategy is gaining popularity and businesses at some point are adopting it.

4. Podcasts

Podcasts are on the rise and there are over 2 million active podcasts. The best part about podcasts is that you can listen to them while working, working out, on the go, and so on. Podcasts give you an opportunity to expand your reach to other platforms such as Spotify or other audio platforms. When done right, podcasts can lead to conversions and drive sales to your business.

Nearly six in ten of all US consumers above the age of 12 listen to podcasts.

                                                                                                                                        - Statista, 2021

5. Get Personal but NOT Intrusive

“Hey, Harika! Because you’ve been supporting us regularly, here’s a 50% OFF for you.”

What’s so special about this message? They’re just trying to get me to purchase more, and they might even succeed at it because it is directly addressed to me. It’s as though they are talking directly to me, which makes me feel special and important.

71% of consumers feel frustrated when a shopping experience is impersonal.

                                                                                                                                              - Segment

You cannot ignore something that’s pointing directly at you. What better way to address your thousand customers individually than a personalization strategy in your marketing funnel?

6. Who doesn’t love a good story?

Remember dozing off halfway through reading a textbook? That’s because most of the content was purely informational and it did not keep us engaged to continue reading through. You don’t want your audience to do the same, do you, skipping your content because it’s boring. If you’ve reached this part of the blog, I’m guessing I did a pretty good job of narrating that kept you hooked enough. 

A good story is relatable, connects with audiences’ emotions, and eventually makes them want to buy your product/service. Storytelling is an essential part of your business. People are not as much interested in your product as they are in your story. Narrate your brand’s story in a way that captivates your audiences. Also, talk about customers that benefited from using your product/services; real-life stories are always inspiring and an easy selling point.

7. Automate processes

Automating marketing processes increases efficiency and gives you more time to focus on important tasks at hand. Also, data-driven campaigns are going to be an integral part of marketing in 2022. Automating workflows helps marketers spend less time on repetitive tasks.

Gone are the days where content is one-size-fits-all. Good marketing has become all about personalization and with automation, personalization becomes a lot easier. Automation helps create campaigns or content based on audience, demographics, wherein the sales funnel they are, and other important factors.

8. Meet and Greet … 2020 style

We’ve all explored the amazing possibilities of attending online meetings in the past 2 years. With everyone comfortable with virtual meetings, businesses have an amazing opportunity to host events virtually.

Hosting events online is a great way to gather user data and use it for lead generation or other marketing campaigns. This will eliminate the need for acquiring third-party data and have zero-party data (like we spoke about a while ago).

Online events may not promise immediate revenue, but they sure are a great way to connect with your audience personally and help in long-term business growth.

9. Harness the Power of Communities

You must have definitely attended one or all of these at some point in the past year - Twitter spaces, Clubhouse conversations, Discord communities, Instagram lives, and other meeting spaces.

While these sessions are knowledgeable, they help you in finding your next client, building strong connections, and giving you space to promote your business. 

These are some strategies that you should definitely include in your marketing plan for 2022. Let us know how you liked these and we’ll suggest more for you.

We understand if you are feeling overwhelmed with so much resourceful knowledge at once. You might be feeling confused and a bit worried if you have enough resources or the capacity to implement these strategies. Let us save the day for you! Schedule a free discovery call with us to help you discover your marketing needs.