2022 Marketing & Advertising Trends to Keep on Your Radar

Marketing and advertising has always been an industry notorious for rapid transformation and evolution. However, the circumstances of the last several years have made it even more challenging for marketers at any experience level to keep up with the latest trends. Pandemic-fatigued consumers, labor shortages, supply chain disruption, fluctuating health guidelines, and social and political discord have forced radical behavioral and technological shifts.

Due to the chaos, marketers have had to become even more proactive and nimble. How many plans have you written, rewritten, or completely trashed since 2020? Same here.

Here are some top trends to keep on your radar for 2022.

Short-Form Video

2021 saw a meteoric rise for video-based content channels such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. The consumer’s media appetite indicates that short, entertaining video has the ability to capture attention and drive engagement and should be core component for a brand’s digital strategy.

Micro-Influencers

Influencer marketing continued to flourish last year, but micro-influencers are forecasted to drive growth in 2022. As consumers become increasingly more blind to traditional advertising, brands are leveraging the small, yet focused and highly engaged audiences of these “everyday” people to gain consumer trust and boost ROI.

Empathetic & Inclusive Marketing

It’s no secret that the uncertainty, isolation, and social unrest of the last several years has taken its toll on the mental well-being of consumers. Forget overpromising in ads; they are responding to a much softer marketing approach. Metrics indicate that consumers are showing loyalty to brands that are relatable, authentic, and aligned with their core values.

Branded Audio Content

Screen fatigue and the flexibility of consuming audio content have been major factors in its increased popularity. Audio content such as podcasts, social media audio (ex: Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, etc.), audiobooks, and editorial can create recognition, shape perception, and drive conversion at a low cost.

Voice Search Optimization

Voice search is the fastest-growing type of query, thanks to Siri, Alex and others. Leverage the increase in voice searches to drive website SEO. Think of common queries asked around your business and answer them in a conversational manner.

Moral of this story? If you’re a marketer, never get too comfortable. Today’s gold might be tomorrow’s garbage.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, we’re ready to listen.