The year is still young, and in this post we take a look at the trends we think will be sculpting the digital marketing landscape in the months ahead.

Even for an industry known for quick progress and sudden change, digital marketing is looking to be shaken up in a whole new way in 2022. In this post we take a look at just what we can expect to happen, and the impact it could have on the way we use digital marketing.

The Metaverse

The Metaverse is going to be huge, and while we may not see just how big it can get this year, we can certainly expect to see significant progress. There will be a completely virtual world experience at some point in our future, and the seeds will be sown this year.

While much of the focus on the Metaverse is on gaming, with immersive tech allowing for mind-blowing experiences, there is also plenty to think about for marketers too. With a whole new way of entertaining and reaching audiences, there will be more metrics and data available to marketers. 

This could mean that marketers will need to think about how they reach people in the Metaverse, and how they then engage them for long enough to offer value. It may also mean that Metaverse users happily explore a whole new way of engaging with brands. Of course, that also means that brands will have to be on top of their game too.

Commerce in a social way

Expect brands big and small to jump onto social media for marketing and selling in 2022. The sheer brilliance and ease-of-use of Instagram shopping, for example, has seen many companies move exclusively to that particular platform. 

To understand why this is happening it’s important to remember that the customer is always on a journey, from awareness to conversion. Marketers know this, it’s basic training stuff. However, social commerce is making a huge difference because the length of the journey is shorter. Rather than having to take a detour to a website to make a purchase, customers can now simply shop on the feed they are currently in. That’s quick, and the kind of progress you can expect to see a lot more of in 2022.

Sustainability and integrity

If your brand has any ability to show that it is linked to sustainable groups and initiatives, 2022 is the time to bring that center-stage.

Consumers are now looking for real accountability and responsibility in the brands they listen to. Unless brands are able to confidently show that they have those two things, they will be at a disadvantage. This is an area that we expect will completely dominate much of the social media marketing conversation in 2022.

Obviously, this is no time for empty promises or faking credentials. If your brand doesn’t have the best links to climate causes for example, be honest about it. Brands that show they care are being honest and showing integrity.

One clear development in this area is affiliation. Having affiliate links to sustainable companies and/or using content from or about charities and causes can show just how hard you are working to be responsible. 

Live stream shopping

This has now officially become something that any ecommerce brand needs to jump on immediately. Live stream shopping (think a TV shopping channel but on social media) has become huge, and it doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing down.

Major players like TikTok have joined in and there are going to be more ways to shop live over the next few months. To understand why this works so well with consumers we have to go back to the TV shopping channel legacy. 

When QVC, for example, sells their products, they will tell you when supplies are running out. Watch that kind of ‘scarcity’ mentality work wonders on live stream shopping platforms in 2022.

And once again…video

We have always talked about video. It’s an incredibly powerful medium on social media, and brands that consistently pursue video get the best results.

However, things are starting to change massively. Google is the only search engine that matters, and it has changed it’s approach to video. Now, you can expect to see videos at the top of search results. These videos have been created by brands to engage their audiences, and they are so good that they push all other content down the search rankings. 

With a combination of good PPC and excellent video work, brands can expect to see more traffic and engagement from video in 2022. But of course, the videos have to be of the highest quality if they are going to make an impact.

So those are some of the trends we predict to really take off in 2022. Focus on exploring these a little further, and your digital marketing should be able to ride the curve.

Are you in digital marketing? You need for that extra boost to your already formidable skills. It is a platform that has it all when it comes to social media marketing metrics and data.