Digital Marketing Trends That’ll Rule In 2022 And Beyond!

In a world reeling from the effects of the global pandemic, marketers are now looking for new cost-effective digital branding and advertising trends. Searching for the latest digital marketing trends based on the advancement of technology, changes in social media platforms, and budget allocation, to identify new opportunities to tap into, is the need of the hour.

Without further ado, let’s look at these new trends in digital marketing that’ll help you to harness the power of the digital world and adapt to the changes in customer behaviour.

1. Into The Metaverse

Metaverse is the world of virtual reality, holographic avatars, hyper-realistic video games, and augmented reality, all focused on social connection. The latest in digital marketing trends, marketing, digital branding, and advertising campaigns in the Metaverse cost less, compared to other avenues, because the entire concept is super new. It is a lucrative option for brands who want to come up with unique ways to target millennials and Gen Zs.

An excellent example of a brand putting the metaverse to good use is Gucci. They released a pair of digital sneakers called Gucci Virtual 25 which can be worn by users in partnered apps like VRChat and Roblox. 

2. Social Commerce

As you know, social commerce, also known as social shopping, enables you to sell your products and services directly through social media platforms. For the buyer, this provides the entire shopping experience — from product/ service discovery to payment and check out, everything takes place right on social media. One of the best social media marketing trends, social commerce enables you to reach the buyers in the places that matter the most. In the process, you also get to give the buyer a customised and frictionless buying experience.

3. Simple Conversational Content

As a marketer/ business owner, the best marketing strategy you can follow is to embrace simple, conversational content. No matter what language you market in, your customers are not there to read flowery prose. They are there to understand your products/services and make a buying decision accordingly. The more educational and conversational your content, the quicker the prospective customer understands the information. Clarity in content and relevancy of content are the two most vital aspects of content development.

4. Sustainability

According to the World Council on Economic Development (WCED), “Sustainability is the development that meets the needs of present generations without compromising the needs of future generations”. Many customers nowadays are more aware of the impact they have on the environment, and by extension, they are in constant search of environmentally friendly products and services. If you have sourced your raw materials locally, or have a product that’s been made using waste materials, or your products are 100% recyclable, or you have an environment protection policy in place, your green products will be appreciated by the consumers. Being transparent about sustainability is a digital marketing trend that will never go out of style.

5. Diversity And Inclusion

Since your consumer population is diverse, be it by ethnicity, religion, culture, sexual orientation, or physical abilities, it’s imperative for your brand to sincerely and authentically represent this diversity in your digital branding initiatives.

6. Gender Neutrality

An extension of inclusivity, gender neutrality focuses on creating products that bridge the gap between genders. Gone are the days when pink was for girls/women and blue was for boys/men. Newer brands are entering the market with more inclusive and gender-fluid products and services. They are incorporating the latest marketing trends and advertising strategies that are reflecting this neutrality in their brand messaging and product packaging, and in the process, they are firmly challenging age-old gender stereotypes.

7. Zero And First-Party Data

If you keep up-to-date with digital marketing news, you already know that Google will be phasing out third-party cookies by next year. This is a great step for consumers due to data and privacy protection. However, since you use data to create content, ads, and experiences tailored to individual interests, you will soon need to incorporate data collection methods that will still lay emphasis on customer privacy. This is where Zero and First-party data will come in handy.

Zero-party data is the information given directly by the consumer through digital interactions like polls, surveys, and web forms.

First-party data is customer data that is collected and owned by a company. This data includes purchase history, call centre interactions, product preferences, mobile app and website behaviour, in-store interactions etc.  

8. Video Content

Not one of the latest marketing trends, video content however is still impactful as far as creating brand awareness is concerned. According to Biteable, 61% of marketers see video as an extremely important part of their marketing strategy. From Instagram and YouTube stories to live streaming, Tik Tok and Twitch, new trends in digital marketing are encompassing newer platforms and avenues of video content creation.

YouTube advertising is another digital branding trend that’s here to stay for a long time. According to Statista, YouTube’s advertisement revenue is almost matching the revenue of Netflix now.

9. AI-Based Automation

A big deal in current marketing trends, Artificial Intelligence is the technology used behind the website and mobile app features such as chatbots, voice search and smart assistants. AI-based automation is soon going to dominate marketing efforts; it is already being used to create hyper-personalised customer experiences. 

So, it’s better to hop on the bandwagon before it gets too late!

10. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Latest in digital marketing news – On July 1, 2023, Google will be phasing out its previous Universal Analytics tool and replacing it with Google Analytics 4. To use the new version, brands will have to set up a Google Analytics 4 property for their websites and/or apps. This next generation tool will be focused on using machine learning to give detailed insights into a customer’s journey across your digital platforms. It will also allow marketers to seamlessly integrate with Google’s advertising platforms – this will lead to optimised campaign performances and greater return on investments.  

Conclusion

In the ever-evolving world of digital branding, keeping an eye on the new trends in digital marketing is crucial if you want to stay ahead in the game. Now that you’re aware of these latest marketing trends for your business, it’s time to implement them. They will help you to stay competitive, have a massive reach to your target audience, secure customer loyalty and ultimately, grow as an organization.