Around the turn of each year, there is usually a lot of interest in digital marketing trends and marketing innovation. The year 2022 will be no different, in fact, it will be much more so, because the epidemic has put downward pressure on marketing budgets, forcing marketers to seek new cost-effective tactics. Marketing expenditures have plummeted to their lowest recorded level, according to the Gartner State of Marketing Budget study for 2021, falling to 6.4 percent of corporate sales in 2021 from 11 percent in 2020.

Below are 7 highly recommended digital marketing trends in 2022.

1. Email Content Marketing Is Still Essential

Personalization, automation, and privacy have all contributed to the primacy of email. In 2022, she believes that approaches like dynamic and interactive email content, AMP for email, and new customization strategies will become more important. "Litmus just produced a State of Email study demonstrating that email has surpassed all other marketing channels as the most important: "Email marketing is crucial to the overall success of their firm," said 91 percent of study respondents, according to Sargeant. "This is up 20 percentage points from 2019, and over 40% of businesses plan to raise their investment in 2022."

So what do you do?

You can try to optimize and run your newsletter content. It can be monthly or bi-monthly, adjust it with your preferences. You can suggest promos, new features, or even promote your blog to enhance your traffic. 

2. Data War is Real

Harvard Business Review says that data science is “the sexiest job of the 21st century.” The fight on data will intensify, and marketers will lose access to even more data. All marketing activities will be built on the foundation of first-party data. Many businesses that haven't planned ahead of time will be scrambling to acquire this information in order to stay competitive.

So what do you do?

You can provide customers with data. Make your marketing based on data to increase the credibility of your persuasion. For example, when you produce content for Instagram, you can insert infographics that explain the validity of your marketing.

The first step is to connect to reliable data sources. For every marketing channel, there is a specialized analytics tool.

If you want to use organic search, for example, you'll need a paid SEO tool. A program like this gives you access to a huge database of worldwide search demand and backlinks data.

You may also look at your rivals' statistics and discover where you can improve with the correct SEO tools.

The next step is to learn data analysis skills.

Basic skills include mastering relevant spreadsheet formulas, understanding statistics, and understanding data collection methods. Invest in learning SQL, Python, or R if you feel you can benefit from advanced skills.

This means that marketing analytics software can already do a lot of data cleansing, analysis, and visualization. In particular, the latest marketing automation technologies are quite disruptive.

3. Video content is MORE than static content

Video will replace your static or text-based content and become the cornerstone of any marketing campaign. Social media platforms and streaming TV will introduce new advertising products that highlight video. The retail experience will also see new innovations using video to engage and monetize customers.

Data says that:

• 79% of people say they are willing to buy or download software or apps after watching the video (Wyzowl). 91% of marketers believe that the pandemic has made video more important for brands (Wyzowl).
• YouTube is the second most visited website in the United States by organic traffic (Ahrefs).
• The main marketing medium to be created in 2021 is video, followed by blogs (used by more than half of marketing teams) and infographics (HubSpot).

Video is proving to be good for users and businesses alike. It's really hard to find a compelling reason not to invest in video marketing. This is especially true if your product is better displayed in the video than described in the written content.

Another more thing to note, your video content is not just video. It will mean nothing without a digital storytelling skill. Digital storytelling has gotten a lot of attention in the last year. However, many businesses are still learning to do it properly. Many businesses are still telling their tales about themselves rather than how their products and services might help customers succeed. Companies that can use compelling storytelling to develop digital content that adds value and relatability rather than just being content for the sake of being content will succeed.

So what do you do?

If you are still new to this video marketing content, learn as much as possible through the net. Find what works with your brand and what won’t. If you can’t produce a good quality video, then you can hire someone who can produce video content. 

To produce digital storytelling video content, you need to plan everything beforehand. From the outline, purpose, formats, and platforms. Make sure you target the right audience with the right content.

4. Metaverse Opens A Whole New World–Of Digital Marketing

The metaverse is a permanent environment where people work, play, and socialize in the virtual world of augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D holographic avatars, and video—not simply one-off experiences like gaming.

There's a reason the metaverse has been getting so much attention lately—and marketers should include it as part of their marketing strategy for 2022.

This is partly due to the fact that it has the ability to provide a completely new set of performance measures.

Marketers will be able to test how long virtual items last, how much area they take up in the user's peripheral range of view, and where the user glances when seeing an advertisement," he added. "These revelations have the potential to completely remap what we know about our audience, providing us with vital guidance moving ahead."

Many firms will have their hands on cyberspace by 2022, though consumers may take years to "become engaged in the metaverse." The brand might still benefit from the first-mover advantage, it was acknowledged.

So what do you do?

First thing first, just try to enter the world of the metaverse. Find out that you can do a whole lot more than just gaming. This environment can provide you with the right opportunity to market to different audiences. When you master it enough, you can place your ads where users might look into. 

Also read: Why You Should Invest On Communication Platform

5. Omnichannel Marketing Is Still Going Strong

Customers and potential customers should be able to access your goods, offers, and support services across all channels, platforms, and devices.

This pattern is immediately discernible in business. IKEA, for example, lets you order via an online store, a mobile app, a phone call, or a visit to a nearby store.

IKEA also provides a variety of contact options, including a live chat with a chatbot.

Why does it still going strong in 2022? Omnichannel campaigns have a 287 percent greater purchase rate than single-channel marketing. Furthermore, customers have no preference for one channel over another. They want firms to be accessible via whatever channel that suits their needs.

So, what do you do?

OneTalk by TapTalk.io can provide marketing needs across the various messaging channels to reach customers. WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, e-mail, and even Instagram? You got it. Check out our top features here.

6. Say Adios To Brand Loyalty

Loyalty programs will go away and be replaced by membership programs. It's human nature for people to seek out belonging and community. It's not in human nature to want to be a part of a loyalty program. Marketers have realized this, and while loyalty points might provide value to customers, they aren't compelling differentiators on their own. Brand loyalty programs will be transformed into actual membership programs by 2022. 

These membership programs will be so appealing that customers will pay to join, unlike loyalty schemes, which customers are hesitant to join. Brands will embrace the membership concept and provide value through perks such as exclusive product access, free delivery, and offline events.

So, what do you do?

Start a membership program, which gives customers more benefits. You can apply a “points program”, which they can earn when they spent a certain amount on your products. Give annual bonus/promos, seasonal big discount, etc.

7. AI Is Key

For a long time, artificial intelligence has been used in the digital marketing industry. AI-powered features will be integrated into SEO, social media marketing, and other digital marketing techniques.

Business forecasts and projections can be aided by AI technology. AI solutions, for example, allow businesses to evaluate hundreds of matrices in order to provide exact extrapolations for demand and growth projections. Furthermore, AI-powered solutions may be used by health care, banking, and other businesses to develop digital strategies to attract and keep clients.

So, what do you do?

Businesses may use AI in several aspects of their digital marketing strategy. Just like what OneTalk can provide with their chatbot features. You can answer frequently asked questions without your agents actually having to handle the case one by one. Other than that, using Live chats can also help your marketing on your website. You can start with a hello, or even with current promos on your products or services.

Looking to improve your digital marketing strategy in 2022? Go to OneTalk and optimize your business with our omnichannel messaging solution. Don’t be shy, contact us here and talk with our agent.