While many will be relieved to see the end of 2021 and a return to normalcy on the horizon, we still have a long way to go. The full economic effects of the pandemic are still likely to play out over decades and in diverse ways. This will have repercussions for digital marketing, with the pandemic-induced lock downs affecting online behaviors and igniting all new trends – including voice search, the accelerated expansion of eCommerce, and the expanding metaverse for digital connection.
As the fall season approaches, marketing departments throughout the UK are gearing up for a prosperous 2022. With this in mind, here are 5 digital marketing trends that your team should incorporate:
1) Mobile First Marketing
Businesses must generate mobile-friendly content that will rank better in search engines as more consumers use smartphones and tablets to browse products and services on the web rather than desktop computers. One simple technique is to optimise your website’s design so that it adapts to smaller displays automatically. Content loads faster on smartphones and tablets thanks to AMP (accelerated mobile pages).
2) The Increase of AI
Artificial intelligence is already being used in marketing by companies in fields such as retail, banking, and healthcare. While AI is most commonly used in marketing automation to automate basic tasks like reporting on website traffic and recommending keywords that can improve a company’s organic search results, marketers are also looking into AI applications that can predict what customers will buy in the future based on their previous purchases and browsing history.
3) Virtual Assistants
Along with AI, the virtual assistant is becoming increasingly popular. By 2022, it’s expected that the industry for voice search shopping would be worth $40 billion, with 18 percent of consumer expenditure going to voice assistants according to Invoca. A virtual assistant is already being used by many businesses to automate customer care demands through apps like efficiently addressing consumer inquiries on social media channels, email marketing, and other online platforms.
4) Visual Search
Visual search is a new practice in which users can search by uploading an image. Visual search is being used by Google in a way that will effect future digital marketing strategies
Google Lens
Every day, text query search loses ground. It’s being phased out in favour of voice and visual searches. If you want to stay on top, you must put forth some effort. Also, it’s a really effective approach to generate high-quality leads. Google Lens is a visual search engine developed by Google that uses a camera app to recognise items and landmarks. When you take a photo of the following items, you can do the following:
- Find similar products and where to buy them in the apparel and home goods categories.
- Barcodes can be used to find information about a product, such as where to buy it.
- Save the phone number or address from a business card to a contact.
- Get an overview of the book and read reviews.
- Flyer or billboard for an event: make a note of the event in your calendar.
- See historical details, hours of operation, and more about a landmark or structure.
- Read about the artist and learn more about the painting in a museum.
- Learn about the species and breeds of plants and animals.
It is also crucial for local SEO. Google Lens can recognise cafés, clubs, and restaurants and display a pop-up with information such as opening hours, reviews, and more.
5) Social Media Stories
Snapchat was the first startup to pioneer the “Stories” concept. Then came Instagram and Facebook, and then came YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter, each with their own take on the story format — albeit with somewhat different titles. Stories are posts that are only visible for 24 hours. Despite (or perhaps because of) their simplicity, stories allow marketers to share real content and engage with their audiences on a human level. They can be used in several ways:
- Incorperate polls into your Instagram stories
- Include links in your social media posts
- Use Snapchat's geofilters to your advantage
- Add references of other brands and your fans to your location tags
- When developing Stories, try using live video.
- With unambiguous call-to-actions, encourage your audience to learn more.
Digital Marketing In 2022
In today’s increasingly linked world, your marketing strategy must be equally integrated. Search4Local design unique solutions for your company by combining marketing tools and technology in new ways while focusing on the end-user experience.
Contact us for more information on our variety of digital marketing strategies.