11 Future Digital Marketing Trends For 2022

Despite the months' marketers had spent planning out brand campaigns and different advertising approaches for 2022, emerging trends always have a way of throwing a spanner in the works. As much as planning is an important part of marketing, flexibility in the face of change remains the key to success.

Since the pandemic hit in 2020, industries that were once flourishing have been hit hard while new, emerging sectors have seen their success skyrocket. Industries that were able to incorporate digital marketing trends through concepts like curb-side deliveries and the utilization of online platforms to help keep consumers safe throughout lockdown have continued to ride the wave of success built during the hard lockdown.

Tech and entertainment companies that already had a strong online presence were able to extend their reach and grow it to an even larger size due to the people's increasing time spent online. These companies managed to further improve their digital offering and have secured a loyal fanbase that continues to support them, even though the brunt of the pandemic is over.

With the world moving forward and adapting to what the world perceives to be the new normal, the trends that first started two years ago will continue to gain momentum and grow into more innovative ways of living.

Think of how the Metaverse has grown into a more inclusive and easily accessible space. Linking to the rise of NFTs and other forms of virtual assets that can be exchanged in the digital world.

In addition to this, we've seen the rise of privacy concerns, and how brands are looking to enhance and ensure the safety of their online users. This has led to Google no longer allowing the use of third-party cookies, as well as sunsetting Universal Analytics to make way for Analytics 4.

Of course, there’s no denying the increased engagement associated with short-form video content. As a result, we've seen YouTube shorts and TikTok become an incredibly popular content pillar for brands in the digital space.

So on that note, let’s take a look at the future trends in marketing we’re predicting for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023.

Important Digital Marketing Stats for 2022

When it comes to looking at how will digital marketing change in the future, the best way to understand digital marketing’s future growth is to look at facts and figures that are shaping the world of marketing as we know it.

1. Digital advertising and content creation are two of the most in-demand jobs in marketing

2. 93% of marketers choose to use Facebook, making it the most popular advertising social media platform

3. 65.6% of marketers increased their video marketing budget

4. 85% of marketers are of the opinion that customers are seeking a customized experience

5. 49% of consumers say that they purchased a product after viewing an ad on social media

Future Trends in Digital Marketing

Our predictions for the future of digital marketing involve the use of smart technologies to enhance the customer experience. It’s about taking the physical, real-life experience and transforming it into an interactive, digital version. This may seem far-fetched, but the truth is, they’re already taking the world by storm.

Digital Marketing Trends 2022

Digital marketing predictions for 2022 are likely to include new strategies towards social media and email marketing trends, artificial intelligence use, and better ways to approach customer service.

Below is a list of the top 11 trends for digital marketing in 2022:

1. Shoppable Posts: This trend is already on the rise but 2022 will be seeing even more use of shoppable posts. Consumers are constantly looking for the easiest, quickest way to shop. This is why using different social media platforms allow users to simply click on a post and buy an item featured in it. This mirrors the recent information provided by Smart Insights that people are now spending a total of 2 hours and 24 minutes scrolling through their phones on different digital platforms, giving brands a generous amount of time to reach consumers through shoppable posts, meeting consumers where they already are.

2. Voice Search: Data has been illustrating that people are constantly looking for the most convenient way to gain information or news, so it only makes sense that 2022 will be seeing an increase in voice search technology. Marketers will need to optimize their content to voice-friendly terms and phrases to increase their searchability as they are becoming more common in modern households with their usage only expected to increase with further lockdowns or quarantines.

3. Short-Form Video Content: There are two main reasons why short video content has an impact on social media; shorter attention spans and more repetitive interactions. Short-form video has the ability to connect you with your target audience in a new, relevant way. It allows you to build connections and trust - which connects consumers and develops loyalty to your brand. If you haven't yet included short-form video content in your marketing, now is the time. A simple example to illustrate the importance of this has to be videos trending on TikTok, and how quickly people jump on board to be a part of it. Wouldn’t it be great if your brand was the driving force behind one of these?

4. AI-Chat Boxes: Consumers still want a “human-touch” while they shop online. This is why marketers are using artificial intelligence chat boxes to meet customers’ needs. These chatbots are programmed to speak to consumers in comprehensive sentences while answering any questions a customer may have while shopping, giving the illusion of human interaction and involving the customer more in the process. The idea is to anticipate your customers' needs and ensure that the information is readily available to address them. It also ensures that there is assistance available 24/7 and that nobody's query falls through the cracks.

5. Artificial Reality: The growing popularity of artificial reality will lead companies in 2022 to incorporate this trend more than ever before. AR will allow consumers to see products in 3D before making the final decision regarding whether or not to purchase a specific product. Product customization and even one on one interactions are all possible using this technology – and have already been used by brands worldwide. Without having to leave their homes, customers will have the experience of shopping in-person through artificial reality.

6. Virtual Reality: Similar to artificial reality, virtual reality will see increases in marketing use in the year 2022. Companies will be able to create the illusion of in-store shopping for customers through the use of devices such as VR glasses. This ties in with the rise of distanced marketing and the upcoming metaverse boom that we are anticipating.

7. Interactive Content: Marketers are finding new ways to keep consumers interested through interactive content. Approaches such as online quizzes, polls, and shoppable posts will be commonly seen throughout eCommerce social media platforms as well as their websites. With pretty much everyone now vying to attract user attention due to increased online usage, it’s crucial that you ensure your brand is creative and stands out from the competition. Creating interactive content that matches your brand identity and ethos will help with this.

8. Social Messaging Trends: While some social media platforms are perfect places for users to chat with their friends and family, other platforms such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are now being utilized for networking purposes by business owners. In 2022, marketers will likely be using these social messaging platforms to help reach their target audience as well as network with other brands at the same time.

9. Programmatic Advertising: A method of eliminating the guessing game of ad placements, marketers will now be able to buy an advertisement in real-time situations, placing ads in desirable places while their target audience is present. This is also a great strategy as brands will be able to spend budgets more wisely when it comes to marketing their products.

10. Artificial Intelligence Growth: Generally speaking, artificial intelligence growth will continue to rise in 2022. Marketers are discovering new technologies to better handle customer service along with using AI to obtain in-depth information quickly. Whether it is for gathering consumer data, tracking sales and user patterns, freeing up time for employees by removing repetitive tasks or looking to implement improved email marketing trends; 2022 will be taking full advantage of artificial intelligence.

11. The Metaverse: We're not only talking about Facebook here. The metaverse refers to the world of augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D holographic avatars, and videos - and it's not just a gaming experience, but a permanent environment where people work, play, and communicate. Marketers will be able to experiment with how long virtual objects are stored, how much they can get into a user's peripheral vision, and even where users look when they come across an ad. This knowledge has the potential to be a complete experience. Change what you know about your audience, and put an important direction forward.

2022 Digital Marketing Inspirations

Businesses in need of inspiration for their own advertising strategies or that are looking to follow the digital marketing trends 2022 has to offer can take inspiration from some other successful campaigns earlier in the year. Below are a few examples eCommerce brands can pull ideas from:

Anthropologie Uses Shoppable Posts: Clothing brand Anthropologie has connected a link to their bio, allowing consumers to shop all images they’ve posted simply by tapping on the link. Also, this allows consumers to easily find products of interest and purchase them in an organized quick manner after seeing them, drastically reducing the number of clicks between a decision and a purchase.

IKEA Uses Augmented Reality: With consumers unable to enter stores because of lockdowns and quarantines, IKEA has taken on augmented reality to give their customers an in-person experience while they shop online. After downloading the IKEA app, users are able to preview what a piece of furniture would look like in their home with a 3D generated image of these products. In this instance, IKEA has created a safe and convenient way to help consumers with their shopping experience while also ensuring that they can stay safe and avoid having to travel.

The Amanda Foundation Uses Programmatic Advertising: The Amanda Foundation, an organization created to help save shelter dogs, has been using programmatic advertising to reach their target audience. The foundation collects data on consumers’ browsing history, then pays to place specifically targeted ads during real-time customer searches. Not only does this help consumers find what they are looking for but also creates a more effective advertising campaign for the brand.

Why digital marketing is the future

eCommerce brands will need to continue to search out different trends if they want to see successful results in 2022. Along with this, companies should study other brands in their industry along with performing testing of different potential marketing strategies to align with the trends predicted in the digital marketing future. Businesses that are putting in the effort to transform their digital presence and strategies will create a strong footing for themselves in their respective industries, as well as be able to better cater to consumers’ needs as the moment dictates.

Contact our digital marketing team today to find out more about how you can leverage the latest marketing trends to make smart business decisions.