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As 2021 draws to a close, we looked to 2022 and talked through our predictions for marketing in the next calendar year. It’s always tough to make predictions, but we still always do our best to offer a glimpse into the future. 2021 was an interesting year in the marketing world and we expect to see the same in 2022! Without any further ado, we proudly present our 2022 marketing predictions!
Marketing Prediction 1: Brands Need To Teach, Not Sell
Everyone hates receiving a sales pitch. They’re slick, polished, and often misleading, at least in the mind of the consumer. Consequently, any sort of “Salesy” language or rhetoric often causes consumers to immediately toon out. To combat this, the best marketers have pivoted to instructing and educating their potential customers as a goal of their brand messaging. The difference is subtle in theory but highly effective in practice. Think through the following examples.
- Selling Example: “Buy 10 Widgets & Get the 11th Free!”
- Educating Example: “According to this 2021 study, investing in widgets can reduce your overhead costs by 20% in the long run.”
See the difference? Salespeople understand the difference, but too often, brands get caught in the trap of self-promoting, rather than opening helpful and informative dialogues with their clients. This market trend has been growing for years, but we’re expecting to see it continue through 2022.
Marketing Prediction 2: Retargeting Will Grow as a Viable Tactic
Sequential messaging is a great way to ensure your brand stays top of mind, but it hasn’t always been easy to execute. Now, with the advent of the digital age, it’s easier than ever to sequentially message.
There are several ways to do this in 2022 and we’re predicting to see more and more brands utilize these next year. This is not a comprehensive list but you could use any of the following to reach customers who are aware of your brand.
- PPC Retargeting:
- Followup Email Blasts
- Display Sequential Messaging
- Discounts & Offers Only For Your Social Media Followers
Marketing Prediction 3: Socially-Conscious Brands Will Separate Themselves
2020 was a breakthrough year in socially-conscious brand messaging and this has continued into 2021. Professing socially-conscious messaging used to be taboo, but more and more brands are seeing the benefits of taking a stand for a certain cause.
However, while it’s a trending topic, proceed with caution.
An important caveat here is to be sincere in the causes you support. Coming across as hollow or insincere will drive away your customers, no matter what type of cause you’re trumpeting. To be perceived as more authentic, try to limit your espousal of hot-button topics at times when every competitor is doing the same. This just comes across as opportunistic and phony and that’s the last thing you want. Instead, stay tried and true in your advocacy of the cause you support. Your customers will see that you’re not trying to merely cash in on momentum and buzz and your expression of support will be that much more authentic in the eyes of your customers.
Marketing Prediction 4: TikTok Will Become A Desirable Option For Many Brands
It’s not just for the kids anymore! TikTok exploded onto the marketing scene and many brands viewed it as something foreign and strange. Maybe it was a good move if your primary audience was under 24, but TikTok was not a staple social media account for most brands going into 2018.
Now, TikTok has a billion monthly users as we kick off 2022 and more and more brands are beginning to see the use of such a powerful and well-known short-form video content platform. We’re seeing more and more brands come around to the idea of TikTok and consider it as a real possibility. As always, however, there are some important caveats.
- Make A Custom TikTok Strategy. Don’t just copy and paste what you’re doing on Facebook over to TikTok. You’ll actually need to look into what works best for you on the platform and plan accordingly. Our team is, of course, always here to help if needed.
- Don’t Just Follow The Latest Trends. While posting relevant trends and dances isn’t always a bad call, tailor your content to your industry as much as possible. Few people will follow an autobody shop just for dances. Do whatever you can to tie your content to your industry, even if most of your content is entertaining.
- Be Consistent. TikTok is probably a new frontier for your business, so you probably don’t have a tried-and-true way to use short-form video. Since it’s a new platform for many brands, too many change how they use the platform weekly to try and maximize their effectiveness. The result is that their TikTok content never seems focused, intentional or entertaining to their audience and they just end up spinning their wheels for nothing. To combat this, do your research upfront to ensure you’re rolling out the right strategy from the beginning.
