5 Digital Marketing Trends For 2022

2021 was the year of change, and digital marketing felt the shift. From Gen Z users taking over social platforms to more open discussions regarding how Web 3.0 may change our future, there is plenty to be excited about in the upcoming year.

Let’s jump in! Here are the key 5 digital marketing trends for 2022:

1. Hyper Personalised Ads

One of the growing trends we are seeing for brands and creators is hyper-personalised content. It is no longer enough to take a picture with a product: consumers are savvy and want genuine opinions, which is why we saw the boom of micro-influencers in recent years.

In the oversaturated online marketing space, making sure your content is specific to your audience and finds them at the exact right space in time is key. Personalisation is, in itself, an emerging digital marketing trend, that combined with short-form video creates a powerful marketing technique. When done right, it transforms the user experience. Tailoring your marketing campaign to each cultural phenomenon, platform and the way your audience uses that platform will be the driving force behind digital marketing success in 2022.

2. Short Form Video

Short-form video content already is and will continue to be increasingly more relevant in the digital marketing sphere in the upcoming year. Youtube, TikTok, Instagram - they are all investing in short videos that can capture viewers attention from start to finish. In a crowded space of social media, where advertisers now integrate highly-personalised content to transform consumers into brand’s spokespersons, capturing attention from start to finish is key.

Anything from Instagram reels, TikTok videos and YouTube shorts will be very valuable to companies and creators - they aid in displaying a genuine connection between the influencer and a brand. Multiple short-form videos can be created in a single campaign that integrates the product more organically into the influencer’s content and can respond to the fast-paced content consumption of current users.

3. Paid Search & Ad Optimisation

Ad platforms in general, but Google Ads in particular, have made some major updates to the way paid search is conducted:

• Expanded text ads are being discontinued
• Image extensions are available for use once again, meaning search ads become even more visual
• And all signs point to responsive search ads being the way forward

An emerging digital marketing trend for 2022 will be the increased sophistication of ad optimisation testing. An already existing feature is Facebook’s new ad placement customisation. The goal here is to follow the customer journey across different devices (key, as smartphone and tablet search continues to be on a high) and understand the effects of different ad placements.

4. Digital Marketing AI

Artificial Intelligence has been responsible for many of the automation advances in the last few years, and marketing has plenty to gain from it. It’s time for the rise of AI: in 2022 artificial intelligence applications will combine with SEO and other digital strategies to power marketing efforts.

AI can analyse data much faster, allowing it to predict what users will crave next. By taking a look at consumer behaviour and other historic data, AI will guide marketers into creating ads that match each unique user customer journey phase and predict their needs.

5. Blockchain Applications

NFTs, crypto and web 3.0 applications, in general, have been the talk of the town in 2021, but what does that mean for digital marketing trends 2022?

Beyond the financial world, blockchain applications will answer users’ need for transparency and privacy as a prime selling point. Whilst Google has already announced the end of third-party cookies as we know it, others will follow suit, meaning marketing and advertising will shift strategies to build trust with customers regarding their data.

However, in a topic as recent as online currency and blockchain technologies, and even virtual reality, it’s hard to make any concrete predictions.

There you have them: the 5 digital marketing trends for 2022 that will change the industry in the upcoming years. As the clock ticks in the new year, check out the ultimate list of search engine statistics for 2022.