This week we are discussing what will change in marketing in 2022: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
First, let’s go over the positive changes we expect to see this coming year.
Direct to consumer e-commerce segments will continually see a boost in sales and traffic from digital marketing. Consumer e-commerce sales, including digital, native, and established brands, are expected to generate $111.54 billion in 2022. The reason for this is a lot of people who weren’t used to purchasing online started doing so after the pandemic. So, if you’re not online, you need to start selling online this next year.
Customers are also heading online first to do their research, even for offline businesses. We see that as a big trend. It’s more important than ever to have a robust online presence, collect reviews, and show up where your customers are.
The next good trend that we expect to see in 2022 is exponential growth in voice search. When we look at the numbers of businesses, we have already seen a 6% increase in voice searches during pandemic months. That trend has continued and will continue into the new year. We’ve also noted a considerable rise in voice search for commerce when people do voice searches. So, make sure that you are trying to leverage voice search commerce. This can bring a ton of extra traffic to your website that you didn’t have prior.
Another big trend that we’re seeing is live videos are booming. People are getting tired of the content that they’re seeing on major streaming networks. Those networks just aren’t keeping up with the demand, so people are left looking for live content. Live video content is doing around 13% better post-pandemic. So, make sure that you’re leveraging live content and do so across all your social media platforms. You can leverage platforms like YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, and Instagram.
Now let’s go over the bad changes expected in 2022.
You can expect competition to increase most niches. Tons of companies were forced to go online after the lockdown. This means that it’s more complicated than ever to fight for a top place online. It will be harder to get results, and you have to put in more effort and play the long game. Remember that SEO has always been a long game and will continue to be one.
This year we’ll also see more of the ugly end of cookies in browsers like Chrome. Personalization for small businesses that don’t buy lots of data will be more challenging. We know this has a significant impact on business marketing strategies in areas like Facebook ads. As scary as this is, you mustn’t worry about the things that you can’t control. Let the major platforms like Facebook, Apple, and Google figure out those problems. Focus your time, energy, and money on what is currently working for you.
One way to proactively face these changes is by using omnichannel marketing. Putting all your eggs in the Instagram or Facebook basket just isn’t working like it used to. Using one primary channel for marketing is no longer effective as it used to be. In 2022 businesses will have no choice but to leverage all the channels they can for marketing. You can learn more about Omnichannel marketing here.
The second way you can proactively face these changes is to leverage conversion rate optimization, allowing you to spend more money on paid ads and scale up faster.
The third thing you need to do is increase the average order value per customer. It doesn’t matter if you are selling services or if you’re selling products. Either way, it’s essential to find ways to upsell your product and increase your sales per customer. If you are service-based, add other products and services as quickly as possible when you make a sale. People are more likely to add those additional products and services when they make their initial purchase. A great way to do this is by focusing on your messaging, sales funnels, and building customer loyalty.
We hope this insight into what is expected in the marketing world in 2022 will help expand your business and help you face this year’s unique challenges head-on.