Digital Marketing Trends to Watch For 2022

We’re ringing in the new year with a look ahead at what is to come.  Here are 5 digital marketing trends you should keep your eye on for 2022. 

1. Reels continue to rise 

Instagram Reels had a bit of a slow start when it launched in the summer of 2020.  It offers a very similar format and many of the same features as its main competitor, TikTok and caters to the same audience.  It took a while, but Reels has slowly and steadily been gaining traction amongst younger Instagram users.  As more and more users are making use of this feature, more and more brands are getting in the game and starting to make Reels of their own as well.  Expect to see Reels’ rise continue throughout 2022. 

2. Trends won’t last as long 

A trend about trends.  In comparison to traditional media, social media and online trends have always seemed fleeting.  They come and go at a much quicker pace than in older forms of media.  This contrast looks like it will only be heightened as we head into 2022.  Even by social media’s lightning fast standards, trends will be cycling through at a quicker pace.  Brands will really need to be engaging in social listening and jump on any trends they see fast to avoid getting left behind. 

3. Can’t do without paid social ads 

Paid social media ads are nothing new.  They’ve been around, and been popular, for years.  But developments over the past few months and years will make them completely indispensable as part of a digital marketing strategy.  The days of avoiding digital paid advertising are behind us.  Any brand who is serious about their digital marketing presence needs to be making use of paid social media ads.  Luckily, the ad capabilities across all social channels have continually improved over the years, making them quite user-friendly and easy to get started with.

4. Facebook improving tools for attribution and tracking 

On the topic of paid social ads, Facebook ads in particular will be seeing some updates and changes this year.  Namely, some of the tracking and attribution mechanisms Facebook uses for their ads will be updated, with the intention of providing a better experience and more data to brands who are advertising on Facebook.  It remains to be seen how much of a difference these updates will really make, but it does look promising that they could have a positive impact on Facebook ad information for 2022.

5. Data will continue to be harder to come by 

It wasn’t just the iOS update in 2021 that made some data harder to collect from users.  Expect 2022 to be the year of increased privacy laws.  It’s a hot topic in the digital world right now, and one that software developers, websites, and companies across the board are capitalizing on to enhance safety and protect their users’ data.  These stricter regulations and changes will make it harder for some data to be collected from users, especially on mobile devices.  This year, marketers will need to get creative and find some new ways to measure success for certain digital campaigns. 

So there you have it.  Expect data collection and privacy to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds this year, along with a heightened focus on paid advertising in an ever-changing digital landscape.  Let us know if you have any other predictions for the world of digital marketing in 2022!