As we delve deeper into yet another year of #COVIDlife, you’re probably well aware that ‘digital’ is the new black. But how can your digital (and traditional) marketing live up to its full potential and still break through the noise – especially when every brand and their dog are competing in the same marketplace?

We’ve compiled five marketing trends we think you need to know about in 2022.  

1. Digital media is where it’s at.

The event industry continues to be turbulent as ever. With COVID throwing curve balls at us on the regular, digital advertising is one of the most agile forms of paid marketing you can use, right now. It can be difficult and expensive to change what you’ve already sent out in print media, whereas social media marketing allows you to change copy and creative assets on the fly, at no extra cost. If your event gets postponed, it’s easy to turn on and off ads and simply replace them with new ones, saving time and cash. 

Don’t dismiss the value of your subscribers. Whilst not paid digital, you should absolutely still be communicating to your most loyal fans – your subscribers. Email newsletters continue to be one of the most successful channels to push web page views and convert ticket sales. Consider using a paid digital campaign as an acquisition tool to help build your subscriber base – especially if you’re a young brand or promoting a new event. 

2.  Authenticity is highly valued.

Customers appreciate human connection – which can sometimes be really hard for a brand to do in an online space. Human connection and authenticity helps consumers relate and trust a brand. To create brand authenticity you should:

• Be honest – Transparency is key. Transparency helps with customer loyalty as it demonstrates that your brand is trustworthy and that you value the relationship to be open and honest about whatever might be impacting you right now.
• Consider upping your use of video content, or static imagery as a fallback, especially those that feature you or your team – people love to see other humans on the other side of the internet. It helps them get to know the brand and let’s face it, customers choose suppliers for the humans that work in the business, as well as the service you provide.
• Be consistent – Make sure that your content is consistent across all media platforms. Have your colour palette saved somewhere and use language appropriate for your brand and your audience.

3.  Haven’t tried TikTok? You could be missing out on a potential audience.

Speaking of video content, are you on TikTok? TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms of all time, gaining 8 new users every second. With the ability to create paid and organic content, the app is great for generating awareness.

Some ways that your business could use TikTok:

• Influencer marketing: Influencers are a great way to drive engagement and gain a following.
• Ads: Did you know you can pay for a brand Takeover? Much like Facebook advertising, you choose your target audiences and interests, load up your ad and your ads will target that demo and your ads link directly to your website. 
• Branded filters/effects: Create a filter/effect that features your brand.

4. Personalisation is key!

This year, more than ever, brands need to walk with their customers on their journey. Predictive technologies like AI make it easier to target and segment audiences. These technologies can also help you better personalise ads for customers as well as understand what your target audience needs in real time. Capturing consumer data is really important. It can help you remarket to your current audience as well as reach more potential customers.

5. Access and inclusion is important.

Have you noticed more brands are including image descriptions on their social media posts? It’s really important to consider access requirements in your marketing. By using image descriptions, closed captioning and alt text, you’re making sure that your brand is inclusive and accessible.   

Here are some things to consider: 

• Use a descriptive title for links
• Get rid of flickering content
• Simplify your website – white space is good
• Make sure your font sizes are big enough
• Consider downloading accessibility software.

Those are just some of our predictions for 2022. So, go forth and make your marketing amazing! Looking to give your marketing a boost? We can help! Contact us today to have a chat.