Digital marketing is fast-paced, and it can be hard to keep up with the changing landscape. So, to help you stay on top we’ve put together this quick guide on the digital marketing trends to look out for this year.
Overview of digital marketing trends
Inbound marketing isn’t new, but it will continue to play an important role in this year’s digital strategies. This means creating content that draws in your customers – it should be relevant, valuable, and written in a way that speaks to your audience.
When it comes to content, short-form video is expected to do well in 2022. It caters for the fast-paced lifestyles of the next generation and all-round busy consumers. We used this format for our ‘tip of the week’ feature at Click Through Digital, and you can see the results here.
Following on from the surprising success of chat rooms, like Clubhouse, live audio is predicted to be popular again this year. Podcasts are also seeing a resurgence, and brands have been quick to take advantage of this.
Audio content is great for brand-building, and just like video, it is the perfect place to inject some personality and authenticity into your campaigns.
To drive traffic to your website, search engine optimisation (SEO) will also need to be part of your plan. It’s all about aligning the words you use on your website with the words your customers use to look for things on Google.
It’s more than just keyword research though, because the technical side of SEO is also important. Mobile optimisation is critical to the user experience and it will affect your site’s ranking in the search results.
Content marketing trends [2022]
We’ve mentioned short-form video already, but as a format generally, video is high on the agenda for a lot of marketers right now. HubSpot surveyed 1000 marketers globally in a bid to uncover this year’s digital trends, and more than a quarter of those already using video said it provided the biggest return on investment of all their content.
Video used to be out of reach for small businesses, but with lower production costs it’s now possible to leverage this tactic even with a modest budget.
You can expect blogging to continue yielding impressive results this year too. Written correctly, your blog can help you rank higher up the search engine results pages, and convince your reader to take the next step in their buying journey.
When you invest in video and blogging, you get more than just the finished product, because what you also have is potential for more content.
Your video and blogs can be used to make audio, infographics, and social posts – and with the right social media management, all of these things can drive engagement.
This year’s social media trends
Live social media content is expected to be big this year – the fact it’s uncensored gives it an authentic feel that really resonates with audiences.
That puts platforms like TikTok on a strong footing, but you don’t need us to tell you how popular it is. In September 2021, the social media giant announced it had 1 billion active users, and that is expected to keep growing.
It’s not all teenagers lip syncing either, because TikTok has got an increasingly diverse user base, and according to AppAnnie, it’s the top app for driving consumer spend – outperforming YouTube, Tinder, and Disney+.
A staggering 67% of marketers surveyed by HubSpot said that they were planning to increase their investment in TikTok in 2022. Social media advertising will continue to play an important part in the wider digital marketing landscape with native advertising also predicted to be big.
What is native advertising?
Native adverts mirror the content of the platform they appear on, so rather than standing out like banner ads, they blend in with their surroundings. You’ll find this type of advert on social media platforms, search engine results pages, and just about anywhere else that you might consume content.
Alongside this, pay per click advertising (PPC) will remain an important tool, and this is where having an agency working on your behalf can yield results.
To find out how it works, read our guide on ‘using pay per click to build your business’.
Search engine optimisation (SEO)
SEO will remain a priority for most marketers this year, and keyword research is pivotal to that. The best way of appearing in Google’s results is to invest in quality content that answers the reader’s search query directly.
The way your pages appear on the screen (or render) is just as important as what’s written on them – and often this is down to good website design.
As an example, how long your site takes to load is a key ranking factor, and that’s why we include it in our free website audit. The review is designed to identify areas where making improvements to your site could move you up the search results.
Historical optimisation is also important, with one in four marketers currently using this tactic to drive new traffic to old pages.
In practice, this means going back to old content and updating it – for example:
- check your keywords are still relevant
- identify broken links and fix them
- refresh out-of-date statistics
- make sure your videos and images have alt tags
- update the call-to-action (if needed)
For larger sites, this can feel overwhelming and you may need to draft in some support from a digital marketing agency.
Taking the next steps
So, you know what this year’s digital marketing trends are, but do you feel equipped to go out and use these tactics confidently? If the answer is no, we can help.
We’re a family-run business that brings together specialists in all areas of digital marketing, from graphic design to email marketing, social media management, SEO, content production, and pay-per-click (PPC).
Get in touch with us by phone or email, and together we can help you outperform your competitors.
