6 Marketing Trends to Prepare For in 2022

Nov 15, 2021

Marketers face a landscape disrupted by a pandemic, new business models, new applications of tech, and the fallout of regulatory changes.

You can’t go through something like a yearlong (and counting) global pandemic and not expect some things to change. Then again, marketers and change aren’t exactly strangers. Marketing professionals have always lived in a world where consumers’ preferences are constantly evolving and they are forced to adapt. In the past year, marketers have done so in spades, rolling with the abrupt suspension of in-person events, a massive shift toward digital marketing, and — for many — reduced budgets.

As the economic recovery gains momentum, many marketers will likely find themselves with more dollars to spend. But how and where should they spend them? Will people be yearning for a return to the old normal or continue to embrace the habits they developed over the past year? What messaging will resonate and which channels will reach the post-pandemic consumer?

As the marketing gaze turns futureward, here are some trends to look for in 2022.

1. The Future of Events Will Be Hybrid

When the pandemic forced closures and social distancing requirements, marketers faced the cancellation of all manner of in-person events, from store grand openings to big-ticket concert series. In their place, virtual events became a mainstay for engaging with customers and leads. Increased spending on social media and other digital platforms helped make these events successful.

Now consumers — and the marketers who pitch to them — face two warring impulses. The urge to gather again is strong, for sure. But having experienced the immediacy of live events from the comfort of their couches, many consumers are happy to keep things virtual. To cater to both audiences, you’ll need to craft hybrid events. In-person events will have a strong digital component, and technologies like AR and VR can create an immersive experience for those who prefer not to venture out.

2. Content Alignment Will Never Be More Important

Any company that wants to own its industry will need to align its PR, thought leadership, and SEO. Consider this thought leadership Venn diagram, which shows the importance of overlapping visibility, credibility, and authority. If you can align these things, you can easily stand out in your industry.

That means you need to have some source content on your website and other things you own like social or sister sites. Once you get a solid base of authority on different topics, then work to gain added credibility by adding the PR element, where others are quoting or mentioning your content. Finally, make sure that people are linking to your content under certain topics that you can own … which hints at my next point.

3. Marketing Companies Will Take More Ownership

I’m seeing more sales and marketing companies take ownership in the products or services they help sell. This shift makes sense to me, because if you are able to sell somebody’s product and bring in significant revenue, you will ultimately increase the value of that company. If you have an ownership stake, you’ll be even more motivated to knock it out of the park. It’s hugely beneficial on both sides.

If you are in marketing and sales, start looking first at what products and services will benefit from your services. Then identify which of those companies will allow you to put performance metrics in place to gain some ownership as you meet those goals. For example, TechCrunch recently reported on an outsourced CMO firm that created its own venture firm to invest in companies that can benefit from the firm’s resources.

4. Engaging Nonprofits Will Be a Big Part of Marketing Plans

More and more, consumers are looking to support companies that have a mission or give back in some way. This trend is only going to increase, and a well-rounded marketing plan should take part in this development by partnering with nonprofits. This partnership opportunity has the potential to not only grow your business, but also align you with philanthropic missions that are important to you.

Expanding your brand and reach while engaging in advocacy for a nonprofit is a win-win. However, your marketing plan shouldn’t end at simply expressing support for a charitable organization. It should include effective goals such as product placement, affiliate marketing, percentage of sales donations, or corporate sponsorship. According to nonprofit executive coach Mallory Erickson, these types of partnerships can help you reach a new audience around the globe.

5. A.I. Will Make Influencer Marketing Easier and More Results-Driven

The death of influencer marketing, while often predicted, has yet to occur. Valued at $9.7 billion in 2020, the market is estimated to reach $15 billion by 2022, with a near majority of marketers reporting they budget more than 20 percent of their spend on influencer content. Not that influencer marketing hasn’t changed over the years — the recent shift toward micro-influencers and their more highly engaged audiences being one example.

The next shift will be the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence. You can leverage the technology for everything from influencer identification (A.I. can watch and assess millions of influencer videos in ways a human can’t) to performance influencer marketing. In this model, powered by predictive A.I., you pay only for the conversions and sales influencers produce. ROI is practically assured.

6. Marketers Will Find Alternatives to Third-Party Cookies

With Google’s recent announcement, another predicted death — that of the third-party cookie — has been postponed (until 2023). But while the delay means that marketers’ need to wean themselves from 3P-cookies-based targeting strategies has become slightly less urgent, it is no less critical. Consumers are demanding greater privacy protections and control over their data, and marketers will need to adjust.

You could begin by increasing your efforts to gather and fully exploit first-party data — after all, first-party cookies aren’t going anywhere. Or you can use tools like Google’s Privacy Sandbox or FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts) to achieve personalization and consumer targeting without intruding on user privacy. Regardless, CRM tools, surveys, and interactive content will become increasingly instrumental to marketing success.

As brands vie for consumer attention in these still uncertain times, marketers will find themselves in a familiar role: change agent. By taking these six trends into account, you’ll be able to stay ahead of the curve.

8. Optimizing for semantic search

The future of SEO in 2022 also includes semantic search. Semantics is the study of words and their relationships and what those words mean in specific contexts. Regarding search engines, semantic search focuses on determining the context and intent of search queries.

Semantic search is critical for 2022 because it focuses on delivering the best user experience for your audience. You create content that’s focused on your audience and giving them the best experience on your site.

So, how can you optimize for semantic search?

Write for users, not search engines: Many companies make the mistake of writing for search engines so they can rank better in search results. Instead, you should focus on writing for users. Search engines are smart enough to pick up on what users want, so creating content geared toward users will help you rank.
Answer your audience’s questions: If you want to provide content that works for your audience, you need to answer your audience’s questions. So, if someone wants to know how to bake a cake, your content should explicitly tell your audience how to bake a cake.
Add structured data: Structured data is valuable for helping you provide your audience with useful information. This type of data includes information like product ratings or recipe cooking time. You can provide your audience with helpful information that makes them more likely to click on your listing.

9. Optimizing for Google Discover

Next on our list of the latest SEO trends is optimizing for Google Discover. Google Discover is a curated feed of content relevant to the user’s search behavior and online browsing that appears on the Google homepage on mobile.

You want to optimize your content to rank in Google Discover so people most interested in your industry and business can potentially see your content in their Discover feed.

So, how do you get your content optimized for Google Discover?

One key element for helping your content appear in Google Discover is adding visuals to your content. Since this feed uses visuals when displayed to users, you’ll want to ensure you add visuals to content, so you have a cover photo to appear in the feed.

Additionally, you’ll also want to ensure you’re creating targeted content that appeals to your audience. When your content is targeted, it’s easier for Google to understand the context and recommend it to users.

By creating well-optimized content, you’ll increase the chances you appear in Google Discover feeds and reach more qualified leads.

10. Providing a positive user experience

For the future of SEO in 2022, you need to focus on a positive user experience. With more people shopping online, it’s fundamental that your site provides the best experience.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are staying safe by shopping online and getting products delivered to their homes. If you look at Black Friday alone, sales jumped from $7.5 billion in 2019 to $9 billion in 2020.

This trend will continue well into 2022, as more consumers shift to shopping online to get what they need. To prepare for this trend, you need to ensure that your site provides a positive user experience for your audience.

You can provide a positive user experience by:

Ensuring your site is secure with a secure sockets layer (SSL) for safe shopping
Verifying your site loads quickly so users can access information fast
Creating navigation that makes it easy for users to find products quickly

11. Integrating omnichannel marketing

Last on our list of SEO trends for 2022 is omnichannel marketing. While SEO is an extremely valuable and fundamental strategy for your marketing plan, it’s not the only one. People will discover your business through multiple channels, so you need to take an omnichannel approach with your marketing.

People can discover your business through channels like social media ads, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, or organic social media posts. If you aren’t optimizing for these strategies, though, you make it harder for new people to discover your business.

Additionally, once people discover your business, you want to keep them interested. That’s where marketing channels like email marketing and social media marketing can help you nurture leads towards converting.

A multi-channel marketing strategy helps your SEO because it enables you to drive people to your site. Whether you send them an email to your latest blog post or share it on social media, you create new opportunities for people to visit your site.

Prepare for the future of SEO in 2022

Now that you know the latest SEO trends, it’s time to start preparing your site for the future of SEO in 2022. If you aren’t sure where to start, WebFX is here to help.

We have a team of over 300 SEO experts that can help you optimize your site to rank better in search results. With over 20 years of experience, you can feel confident that our award-winning team of SEO experts can help you drive success with your SEO.

Ready to get started? Contact us online or call us today at 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist about our SEO services!

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New Wave Strategic Marketing is a full service marketing agency born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. We are no strangers to drive and ambition, and we are especially passionate about helping our clients reach their digital marketing goals. Driven by our belief that new media and technologies is constantly on the move, changing the way average consumers think, purchase, and choose who they will go to for services. In this age of distraction, our focus is to ignite your organization’s potential, reach your business goals, and to create a loyal community surrounding your brand.

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