Almost halfway into 2022, we have gained many insights as to where our digital marketing strategy should be headed. Best practices have been established and have proven to be a solid foundation to build our strategies. It is time to set a clear definition of brand goals, using dashboard results from 2021 and knowledge from our competitors.
Let’s look at the three main points that need to be covered before moving to the next subsets:
- Digital Maturity
Digital maturity plays a big role in understanding key metrics in terms of strategy and success of any organisation. The competence of acknowledging and adapting to disruption in tech trends. Though this is not a goal, but more like a means to an end; the ongoing process. Once this formula is understood and put firmly in place in every organisation, everything else that is implemented starts falling right into place.
- Privacy
The eradication of third-party cookies is a big theme this year. And that is because the digital marketing industry has faced too many challenges with privacy and cybersecurity. Phishing attacks, malware, identity theft etc. have robbed people of their information and peace of mind, among others. Considering that the data concerns are high and that people would willingly give their personal information to the brands they trust, is something to ponder upon.
- Sustainability
Being a rather limitless subject, it is imperative to identify how far a marketer can incorporate it into their brand’s marketing strategy. Sustainable marketing is encouraging the user to buy and practice environmental and socially pledged products, policies, and brand values.
As it is, digital marketing is a more sustainable way of marketing as it leaves a much smaller carbon footprint than traditional marketing. And including more ways that are environmentally friendly makes it a more viable way to proceed.
Formulating a very useful marketing strategy for 2022.
First and foremost, after exploring the product/service thoroughly that the company provides, a market analysis and competitor research, a marketer should set clearly defined goals. Once this has been achieved, then the strategies should be applied for positive performance and accomplishment.
Diverse and high-quality content: Quality content is leading the charts this year and will continue to do so for years to come. Be it video (which has proven to be the best choice yet.) or blogs, news, tips or other types of informative content. Creatives, images and podcasts are all part of this team too. Make it ingenious and counterintuitive to always be one-up in the game and resonate with the audience simultaneously. Remember the competitors are watching!
Pay special attention to personalization: This year, to stay ahead of the curve, take advantage of personalised tactics. Customer loyalty is built with dexterity and it can only be sustained by making them feel important. So keep collecting that data, data and more data to know how to best serve your customers. Although that isn’t always easy as people are not entirely willing to part with their personal information. But if a business has proved itself to be trustworthy, there is a better chance to get that elusive data in place and in turn, deliver a more personalised form to the users.
Mobile-friendliness: Almost 2/3rds of internet searches are from mobile now. What does that tell you? That a lot of this traffic is seeing your product from a smaller screen. Make it viable for each and every user, not only the desktop/laptop screens. Starting with the websites, every aspect has to be minutely scrutinised keeping mobiles, tablets and desktop screen options, that are readily available on all websites making templates and apps.
Voice-search optimisation: While we have all searched through text for the longest time, it is all changing now. Voice-search has grown exponentially and that brings forth the point that every site has to be ready to have this feature too. The users are asking a whole lot of questions verbally now and the answers have to exist by means of long-tail keywords, FAQ pages, and long-form content that answers the relevant questions.
Go live: After the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, people are raring to go. Everyone wants a bit of socialising after the social distancing. In 2022, we can expect a huge shift in the way companies connect with their audiences. Live events are the big theme and social portals like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube have already explored this medium and have made it user-friendly for both the end-users. Whether an established or a new brand, this event strategy makes the brand voice heard.
Social proof: You win some, you lose some. But the fence-sitters are a third margin that needs more convincing. This is where social proof comes in and plays a vital role in the assurance that the brand endorses a social conscience, sustainability, environment consciousness and customer-centricity. One of the major aspects of marketing is word-of-mouth and how a business is perceived is crucial to that form of communicating the brand persona and its values.
Closing statement.
Times are changing, and at a rapid pace at that. Online digital marketing is a consistent and a constant evolution of sorts, bringing forth new trends and breakthroughs after minute scrutiny of the successes and failures of strategy-based solutions. Time to act using these tips to find the perfect solution is now. Maximise sales, increase engagement and drive traffic by observing and developing these strategies.
“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.”
Andrew Davis, author and keynote speaker