Digital marketing trends for 2022

Meet the biggest collection of trends for 2022 in digital marketing. We have found, translated and analyzed materials from the largest research agencies - use them and draw your conclusions!

Mission is the engine of growth. In 2022 the mission of brands will not be limited to increasing profits. Businesses will have to rethink why they exist and rely on their values when choosing a business strategy.

We were able to find out what values have become decisive for consumers:

• the beauty industry: sustainability and sensible consumption;
• Economy and banking: privacy and data protection, risk management, social and environmental programs;
• Fighting social inequality.

Inclusive Marketing

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) will be crucial for brands in 2022. Fast-growing companies support the principles of inclusion 1.9 times more often than brands with negative growth.

Younger audiences are particularly attentive to a brand's social position.
It is important to "be, not seem. Customers expect brands to fully immerse themselves in social topics - showing their position in the commercial is no longer enough.

Analytics replaces creativity

Analysts, programmers and strategists will be the main creative people in 2022. All thanks to the ability to analyze data.

With the growth of Big Data, businesses can learn more and more about their clients - and use this information to promote them. Brands are interested in specialists who use insights about users for quality promotion. 

This does not mean that creatives are no longer needed. Only the approach to recruitment has changed: the task of 2022 will be to create flexible teams that combine creativity, analytics and deep expertise in the subject of the brand.

Marketing without cookies

Third-party data doesn't produce the same results as before - and with the trend toward privacy, it risks disappearing altogether. In 2022, marketers will have to gather information on their own. 61% of fast-growing companies are already using this strategy.

To do so, respondents advise:

1. Reconsider how much your strategy depends on cookies and third-party services.
2. Develop a single infrastructure for your own customer information. A user-friendly structure will make it easier to switch to first-party data.
3. Gather information through customer value. Motivate customers to leave you personal data through loyalty programs, gamification, consultations, etc.
4. Build relationships with partners. Market giants accumulate huge amounts of data valuable for analytics. Don't limit yourself to your own database.
5. Reconsider your approach to analytics. Doing away with cookies will make remarketing and personalized advertising more difficult. Instead, Deloitte advises working with groups of people based on interests and values. This will weaken ad personalization, but make it easier to work with data.

Establish trust - and stop tapping customers' smartphones

Tracking user activity is a useful tool for personalization. At the same time, constant smartphone "snooping" scares customers and reminds them of the complete lack of anonymity.

Customers called notifications about discounts and arrivals of goods, recommendations on interests - transparent operations that simplify the user experience - useful. But geolocation and activity tracking seemed out of place - especially scary was the gadget tapping.

The conclusion is simple: customers need transparency and complete trust in the brand. Explain why you're collecting information, allow opt-outs, and provide data protection.
Hybrid Experience vs. the global shift to online

In 2 years of the pandemic, consumers are tired of remote shopping - in 2022, brands will have to return to the offline space. How to combine the two worlds?

Hybrid experience is the merging of the user experience online and offline, a symbiosis of digital and physical interaction with the customer. 75% of business executives responded that they will be introducing hybrid experience in the coming year:

• 43% believe it promotes personalization and will make offers more innovative;
• 40% want to help customers feel connected to the brand and community;
• 38% want to provide customers with an inclusive experience - that is, allow them to interact with the breed on all levels.

Hybrid experience requires a whole infrastructure that will integrate the customer experience across different channels of communication. To do this, it is important to understand your audience: for example, young people prefer to shop through social networks and use a voice assistant much more often, while the older generation prefers offline shopping and live interaction with a consultant.

How Artificial Intelligence Will Affect Quality of Service

Businesses are already using artificial intelligence for specific operations, such as timely notifications and mailings. However, its capabilities are much broader: 11,500 users said that artificial intelligence helps them in selecting commendations, makes it easier to return products, allows them to learn more about the product, and so on.

The goal for 2022 is to make the most of artificial intelligence. At the same time, it is important to achieve harmony between technology and human resources.

Automate routine processes to spend more time communicating and building trust with the customer. 

5 digital marketing trends 

1. The Retro Revolution

The pandemic has made us miss the old days and simple pleasures - the very word "nostalgic" is becoming increasingly popular on social networks.

Big brands have already picked up on the "good old-fashioned" trend:

• Tamagochi released a smart watch;
• Cosmetics brand NYX held an online event with the stars of the 2000s;
• For the 50th anniversary of the musical "Grease" Pepsi released a limited edition of drinks in retro packaging, referring to the soda of the 50-60s.

2. UGC will become a major credibility factor

Content from a brand isn't enough to convince a customer:

• Only 19% find branded content trustworthy and authentic;
• Generation Z and Millennials trust brands less than older generations;
• Meanwhile, the Stackla study found that for 50% of users, social media content is the deciding factor for making a purchase.

The brands that can build trust with the customer through user-generated content will win in 2022. To do this:

• Apply social listening: find out what customers are saying about you on social media, what content they share.
• Motivate users to create content. From Tik Tok Challenges to discounts for mentions, communicate the value of UGC generation to the customer.
• Encourage engagement. Repost mentions, reply to posts and comments.

3. Augmented reality

Augmented reality has been talked about for years - but expect post-pandemic brands to try to combine online with offline returns.

Nike and Burberry have already opened stores with augmented reality, Etsy is offering a virtual home tour, and Macy's is broadcasting with online shopping. Facebook's transformation into Meta also speaks to the transition of businesses to ecosystems where reality and digital merge into a single space.

4. Influencer Marketing

"We trust people more than brands," says digital consultant Neal Schaeffer. Collaborating with Influencers increases brand awareness, fosters loyalty and influences your CA's decisions.

5. Social support

Back in 2021, it was predicted that interactions with online support services would increase by 40%. Society has become more edgy since the pandemic, and expects instant support from brands.

Timely help is another factor in trust and loyal relationships. Yet only 13% of customers believe they are getting effective support from brands. How to fix the situation?

• incorporate social listening and monitor opinions on social networks;
• organize a full support service and synchronize customer requests from all sites - so you do not miss an urgent request;
• document your processes. Support should be an organized process - create a methodology and scripts that your employees will follow.