As marketers and entrepreneurs, we are always trying to stay up to date on the latest trends in digital marketing. However, in this fast-paced world, it can be difficult. We’ve rounded up the top 6 current trends in digital marketing that we’ve seen throughout 2021 and will continue to see in 2022.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
I’m sure you’ve heard of Denver search engine marketing. Everyone has been talking about the importance of SEO for years, and that will continue in 2022. What’s different is that search engines are focusing less on keywords and more on content. Don’t get me wrong; keywords are still important. However, search engines like Google are valuing well-researched articles and regularly updated websites. The Content Marketing Institute found that “Content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing and generates 3x as many leads.” Add content marketing to your digital marketing strategy in 2022!
Personalization
Personalization is a necessity now, not just an option. Consumers need personalization to filter through the thousands of ads and messages they see every day. Cut through the noise and stand out to your clientele. Personalization can come in several forms, but here are three easy things to start doing.
Mentioning People by Name
This technique is pretty basic. Many companies are doing this now in email campaigns, ads, and more. It’s important to mention people by name because it catches their attention. They automatically stop for a second to read what you have to say because the message is speaking directly to them. Don’t miss out on potential customers by skipping over this simple tip.
Offer Specific Recommendations
Let’s take a retail store, for example. If you know someone who has been looking at summer dresses, send them an email with more summer dresses to look at. Many email platforms have the capabilities to tell you what pages on your website people look at (also known as page views) so you know the correct email/recommendations to send them. This process can be automated, so there’s no excuse not to implement this strategy.
Human Interaction
You can use many live chat tools to put on your website for customer questions or comments. These can be automated or handled by a representative. However, it’s worthwhile to have a way for customers to reach out to a live person. That could be via social media direct messages, live chat, or phone. Being able to talk to someone live creates personalization like no other. The customer can ask questions specific to their situation, and the representative can give extremely personalized answers.
With great personalization comes excellent customer experience. Keep people coming back for more of what you have to offer. Efficiency, convenience, knowledgeable service, friendly interactions, and easy payment options are all things that make great customer experiences. Those are things that people value, so you should consider how to improve your customer’s experience.
Influencers
Influencer marketing uses popular individuals on Social Media Marketing Agency in Denver to promote a product or service. This strategy works because the influencer has built a large amount of trust with their following. The recommendations they make (AKA your product or service) is a form of social proof to your brand’s potential customers. Social proof is the idea that people will follow the actions of the masses. If their favorite influencer recommends a product or service, they are likely to check it out.
There are a few steps to take before utilizing influencer marketing. You have to find the right influencers and decide how you are going to pay them. Consider how many followers they have. Do you want someone with 10 million followers or 5,000? There are pros to both. According to a study by influence dot co, here is the average price for influencers:
- The overall average price was $271 per post.
- The average price for micro-influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers was $83 per post.
- The average price for influencers with more than 100,000 followers was $763 per post.
Consider your budget and what you are willing to pay to get your brand out there. You also have to determine the goal of the promotion and the message you want the influencer to send. Some influencers prefer to put their spin on your message, while others like to have a script. Find the influencer that aligns with your company values and that works best for you.
Omni-channel Marketing
This strategy was popular in 2019 and is still relevant today. Omnichannel marketing utilizes many platforms to connect with potential customers in different places. A customer might use YouTube but not be on Instagram. If you’re only on Instagram, you’re missing out on potential business.
Here are a few ways to connect with customers in different places:
- Social Media
- Apps
- Blog
- In-Store (if applicable)
- Messaging
- Catalogs
- Billboards
The key with omnichannel marketing is to have a cohesive brand voice and message. You don’t want to confuse your customers with different messaging between your blog and Instagram account. Your engagement rate, purchase frequency, order value, and customer retention rate will be higher when you have a clear message flow.
Shoppable Posts
Shoppable posts first made an appearance in 2018 as a test and have since changed the game of social media. Shoppable posts allow consumers to purchase a product from a company without ever leaving the social media platform. The goal is to reduce the frequency of customers abandoning their carts.
According to Massimiliano Tirocchi, CMO and co-founder of Sharemint, “Social media platforms like Facebook are making it easier for consumers to go from discovery to purchase without ever having to leave the platform, creating a simple and seamless path to purchase. With social commerce continuing to grow into 2022, retail brands will have to adapt to these platforms with new rules.” If you sell products, consider including shoppable posts in your digital marketing strategy.
Interactive content
Interactive content is relatively new to the digital marketing world, but it’s here to stay. Interactive content performs much better than what we’ll call “old school” content like graphics. Now, graphics are still great content. You just want to mix in some interactive content to keep consumers engaged.
Live Video
Have you experimented with live video? If not, you need to hop on this bandwagon because live video is here to stay. According to Marketing Insider Group, “people spend three times longer watching live video than they do watch a pre-recorded video.” This is because they feel like they are part of the conversation. They can ask questions, make comments, and send reactions to what you are saying.
Plus, live video gets more views because of this little thing called FOMO. If you tease a few days before that your live video will announce something huge or contain information that they can’t get anywhere else, people aren’t going to want to miss it. They want to be the first to know, so they will prioritize watching your live video.
AI Content
Have you noticed the increased use and creation of filters, stickers, and interactive content like polls, quizzes, and questionnaires on social media, specifically Instagram Stories? It’s not a random coincidence. AI content performs well for any company.
You can use AI content in many ways, but an important one to keep in mind is that it can be a tool for customer feedback. Post a few Instagram stories of your products with polls saying “this or that” to get an idea of what your customers want. You can also use the questions feature to figure out pain points and typical questions to address on your website, blog, or social media.
Digital marketing is constantly changing. Keeping on top of the trends and deciding whether they are suitable for you to use is exhausting. Some trends won’t work for some companies. You have to test different strategies and see what resonates with your audience. We hope to inspire you to consider current trends in digital marketing and which ones make sense for your company to start using. Which tip are you going to implement first?
