Marketing 2022: The Year to Come

Written by Adam Mohrbacher on January 27, 2022. Posted in Marketing

Marketing is never static. Stay apprised of the latest trends from 2021!

Like many fields, marketing never stays the same for long. New trends, topics and technologies pop up all the time, and it’s important to keep your knowledge and skill up to date, especially if you need to promote your business or agency. And so, let’s look back at the past 12 months to see how marketing changed and what we can do to promote a productive and profitable 2022. 

Streaming Video                    

Customers now expect brands to communicate with them through video. While even a few years ago video was considered a “nice to have,” it became a marketing essential in 2021. For example, did you know landing “pages with videos convert 800 percent better than pages without,”[i] or that “video marketing accounts for 69 percent of all consumer traffic.”[ii] However you look at it, video needs to be a part of your marketing toolkit going into 2022. And before you say, “I’m no videographer,” just know that it’s more than possible to shoot some wonderful, high-quality videos with your phone for a very reasonable cost. 

Content Marketing

Content marketing is by no means the new kid on the block, but there is a reason why it remains standing after so many trends have come and gone. Simply put, it works! For instance, content marketing is “three times more efficient in terms of leads than outbound marketing”[iii] and “92 percent of marketers and businesses report content as a valuable business asset.” Convinced yet?

What’s nice about content marketing is that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Simply refine your processes and optimize your content. Start by clearly defining your audience. Next, ensure your content is relevant. Third, get social! Figure out where your audiences are on social media and start sharing your assets. 

Take care to not post too many updates that focus solely on your company. Social users will not engage with you if you act like a bullhorn or billboard. Develop helpful, educational thought leadership materials. These will help you be seen as an authority in your field and an effective resource capable of solving common problems your target audience may have.

Millennials and Gen. Z

The economic power (both individual and collective) of Millennials and Gen. Z now requires companies to sit up and pay attention to their respective buying preferences. Millennials, for instance, long ago passed the purchasing power of the Baby Boomers, and their economic influence stands at $65 billion.[iv] However, Gen. Z dwarfs them by a sizable margin, with purchasing power of around $143 billion.[v]

So, how do you reach these two pillars of the modern economy? First, prioritize building trust and integrity. Positioning your brand around attributes like honesty, fairness and goodwill is a good strategy for making inroads with these generations, as “90 percent of Millennials and Gen. Z list honest information about products as a top factor in making purchasing decisions.”[vi] 

But you can’t stop there. These generations want to see and understand the people and values of the businesses they patronize. Showcasing your commitment to the environment, social justice and ethical business practices are just a few ways you can accomplish this.

Finally, meet them where they are by cultivating a strong, digital-first business attitude. As digital natives, these demographics desire to work with brands that have a smooth, digital customer experience already in place. Optimize your website if necessary and establish a strong social media presence if you haven’t already done so. Create accounts on legacy platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but don’t forget to also explore younger, more innovative sites like TikTok.  

Conclusion

Part of the fun of marketing is that it never gets old. There are always new strategies to explore or novel methods to deploy. Of course, when you are responsible for running an entire agency, there is often little time to test out new tactics or ideas. But if you can adhere to some of the best practices listed above, you’ll be ahead of the curve and well-positioned to nail your marketing in the New Year.

[i] 60+ Mind Blowing Video Marketing Statistics For 2021 (ppcprotect.com)
[ii] Ibid
[iii] Content Marketing Statistics & Facts in 2020 [Infographic] (review42.com)
[iv] Forget Millennial Purchasing Power. Gen Z Is Where It’s At | Inc.com
[v] Ibid
[vi] Your Guide to Marketing Your Dealership to Millennials and Gen Z – J&L Marketing (jandlmarketing.com)

Tags: content marketing, marketing strategy