2020 didn’t exactly go as planned. The pandemic affected us all one way or another, may it be on a personal level or a professional level.
As the virus spread, it forced many businesses across many different sectors to quickly adapt to fast-evolving consumer needs and habits. And by doing so, it completely disrupted the digital marketing landscape.
Indeed, massive layoffs due to COVID combined with strict lockdown measures have pushed more businesses than ever to turn online. In fact, according to ROI Revolution, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce has surpassed levels not expected until 2025!
As a result, millions of new companies are now trying to leverage digital marketing to sell their products or services. This means that online competition has never been so fierce, making it more difficult for digital marketers to make their brands stand out in saturated markets!
But the good news is that there are always opportunities for the most innovative and flexible businesses out there. The key is to always look forward and be one step ahead of the competition.
That’s why, in this guide, we’ve listed the most powerful digital trends for 2022 and beyond so you can be one step ahead of the competition! You’re welcome 😉
Voice Search
Voice search has been gaining traction over the last few years, and the trend is here to stay.
As a matter of fact, according to Comscore, voice search accounted for 50% of searches in the US in 2020. And this figure is only predicted to increase, with voice shopping poised to jump to $40 billion in 2022 in the US and UK alone. That’s $38 billion more than in 2020!
This trend is mainly fueled by the improvement in voice AI and machine learning. But it’s also driven by the fact that Google voice search is now available on mobile devices in 119 languages.
What’s more, 55% of all American homes will own a smart speaker by 2022. As smart speakers become commonplace in households, they’ll, too, contribute to fueling the voice search trend.
This means an increasing number of digital brands will have to adapt their SEO strategy and optimize their content for voice search. Therefore, if you’re not already adapting your digital marketing strategy to voice search, you need to get to it.
As the usage of voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa, or Cortana continues to increase, now is the time to set yourself up for success and stay ahead of your competitors with voice search optimization.
Artificial Intelligence
“AI latecomers will find themselves at a serious competitive disadvantage within the next several years.” Techgrabyte.
If you hadn’t noticed yet, artificial intelligence is already being used extensively across many sectors, including digital marketing, and is fast becoming the driving force behind many brands. And this trend is not going anywhere.
Artificial intelligence encompasses any technology and algorithm designed to create smart machines capable of performing tasks usually requiring human intelligence.
Now, the power of these algorithms is that they can gather online data across marketing channels, analyze it and learn from it. And by analyzing and learning all about customer habits, behaviors, and search patterns, artificial intelligence allows brands to better understand their customers.
This, in turn, enables companies to:
- Better identify their customers’ pain points and required solutions.
- Make accurate predictions.
- Improve their marketing strategy.
- Enhance their customers’ experiences.
Some examples of how artificial intelligence can improve your digital marketing efforts include:
AI-enabled Product Recommendations
Many companies such as Apple or Amazon use artificial intelligence to drive sales through personalized product recommendations. In fact, a whopping 35% of Amazon’s total sales come from AI-enabled product recommendations!
AI-powered Chatbots
Another great example of how artificial intelligence can significantly improve your digital marketing efforts is chatbots. Indeed, chatbots enable businesses to support their customers 24/7 and provide instant answers without any waiting time.
And as machine learning rapidly improves, artificial intelligence-powered chatbots will continue to deliver much better solutions to consumers than generic chatbots. In fact, 49% of consumers who have had AI-enabled interactions with a brand found the conversation trustworthy, up from 30% in 2018!
AI Content Creation Optimization
Artificial intelligence also allows for the optimization of content creation. Indeed, AI-enabled tools such as Clickflow now enable content creators to instantly find the best headings and keywords for their next posts, helping them rank better on search engines.
As the range of AI applications for digital marketing purposes rapidly expands, it’s becoming critical for your business to harness the trend. This way, you will be able to consistently provide outstanding customer experiences and stand out from your competition!
Marketing Personalization
While personalization is not a new trend, it will continue to be the focus of brands’ digital marketing strategies in 2022 and beyond.
- Let’s look at some key stats:
- 71% of consumers report feeling frustrated when a shopping experience is impersonal.
- 70% of millennials are frustrated when brands send them irrelevant emails
- 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that offer relevant product recommendations.
- 83% of consumers are happy to share their data with brands for a more personalized experience.
- Personalized calls to action convert 202% better than generic calls to action.
- Personalized and segmented marketing campaigns allow for an increase of revenue of up to 760%!
Need we say more?
Note that Millennials and Gen Z are the driving force behind personalization. Now, together, they represent 65% of consumers, stressing the importance of implementing personalized marketing.
Therefore, personalizing your offers, experiences, communications, and recommendations is absolutely critical if you want to thrive in the coming years.
Some brands that have nailed personalization include Netflix, Spotify, and Starbucks.
Indeed, Netflix and Spotify use machine learning to customize their new title suggestions. Every time Netflix users watch a movie, the algorithm collects the data and recommends new titles based on past behaviors and interests. And the same thing happens every time a Spotify user listens to a song.
As for Starbucks, the brand relies on its gamified app to record past purchase history and make suggestions based on that.
Video Marketing
Traditional Videos
One of the fastest-growing trends in digital marketing is the rise of interactive content. As a result, the coming years will see an increasing shift (initiated a few years ago) from traditional text-based content towards dynamic content offering immersive experiences to consumers.
Now, videos are already one of the most popular interactive content forms, fueled by their easy-to-digest and entertainment factors. In fact, video consumption currently rises at an incredible rate of 100% per year, and online videos make up 82% of all consumer web traffic.
What’s more, 72% of consumers prefer to watch a video to learn about a product or service rather than reading about it, and social videos get shared 1200% more than text and image posts combined.
As demand for interactive content keeps growing, video consumption will continue to increase over the next few years.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
But while traditional videos will continue to be the content of choice for consumers, virtual and augmented reality and 360-degree videos will keep gaining traction in the future.
Indeed, in 2021, consumers crave unique experiences. Therefore, they’re more likely to connect with brands that offer these types of immersive interactions. After all, a staggering 61% of consumers prefer retailers offering augmented reality experiences.
The great thing about immersive video ads is that they are more engaging than billboards or text-based ads and can help you create an emotional connection with your audience by providing this superior entertainment factor.
Google even reports that 360-degree videos increase the likelihood of viewers taking action by 41%.
Some successful augmented reality video ad campaigns include the Virtual Easter Egg Hunt by Toys “R” Us or the Ikea’s Place a Tree on It AR campaign.
If you’re curious and would like to learn more about the virtual and augmented reality video trend, browse our latest blog on why you should use augmented reality for your business.
Ready to Jump on the Bandwagon?
Want to harness the power of video marketing and immersive technologies before your competitors do? That sounds like a great strategy!
As mentioned above, video marketing is the future of marketing. And combined with virtual and augmented reality, it can significantly help boost your brand awareness and help you stay ahead of the competition. This will, in turn, increase your bottom line.
We know it might seem daunting if you don’t have any video marketing experience. However, we’re here to help.
Whether you’d like us to handle your video marketing projects and turn your content into innovative, engaging, and top-notch videos for you or just need some resources to learn more about video marketing and virtual and augmented reality, we’ve got you!
Here are some free resources for you to browse:
And if you’d rather have a chat with our team to see how we can help, you can contact us directly on the website. We always keep our cameras running 😉
