The past two years have been filled with uncertainly. But one thing we know for sure is that the world of digital marketing changes and evolves rapidly, even in the midst of a pandemic. It’s important that your brand keeps a finger on the pulse of new and emerging trends in the digital marketing space to take advantage of these developments and remain relevant.

To help you build and implement a cutting-edge digital marketing strategy that puts you a step ahead of your competitors, we’ve put together the five top trends we can expect to see in 2022. 

Trend #1: Email is everything

The advent of email marketing has made it a whole lot easier (and cheaper) for brands to access their audience and deliver powerful marketing messages that convince and convert. With an ROI of over 4200% and 72% of consumers preferring email as their primary channel for communication, email marketing is not something you can afford to omit from your marketing strategy.

As for trends in email marketing in 2022, we can expect to see a higher level of personalisation, automation, and privacy.

Consumers are very aware of the information brands gather from them. So, when customers agree to give you their personal information, you need to serve them content that meets their specific needs and interests. Personalising your marketing emails will improve the effectiveness of this channel. Artificial Intelligence will play a significant role in creating custom and tailored marketing emails in the years to come.

Because of the threats the online world presents, consumers will often be reluctant to share their personal information (more on this later). In 2022, it’s important to ensure that you reinforce their confidence by having open communication with them about how their information is in safe hands and that your processes comply with GDPR regulations.

Trend #2: Video will replace other forms of content

Since 2019, the average user has jumped from watching 84 minutes of website video content per day to more than 100 minutes per day. And the past few years have shown us just how powerful video marketing can be. 

With the rise of platforms like TikTok and the introduction of Reels on Instagram, video was centre stage during 2021. In 2022 and the years to come, we can expect to see video becoming the cornerstone of content, replacing static assets at every turn. Social media and streaming services will introduce new advertising opportunities that emphasise video, and even retail experiences will see innovation in using video to engage with consumers and drive awareness.

Trend #3: Out with promotion, in with storytelling

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes brands are making in their digital marketing efforts is continuing to sell and promote themselves rather than telling stories. 

Digital storytelling is an emerging trend that we can expect to explode in 2022. Stories that help your audience find success with your products or services will be greatly valued over hard selling. Brands who leverage persuasive storytelling will have their digital content create value and relevance instead of being content for content’s sake. 

Trend #4: Privacy and data

Can you believe that GDPR was launched back in May 2018? It’s been a while. Since then, it has enforced transparency on privacy, with similar laws being implemented in other countries. The developments we will see in 2022 will be a standoff between the more prominent players in digital platforms.

For example, Google’s Chrome browser is promising to stop using third-party tracking ads this year while protecting its advertising interests by launching FloC to track groups of similar users rather than individuals to protect data.

The war on data is set to escalate this year, and brands will lose access to data they have come to rely on. We can expect to see first-party data becoming the foundation of marketing activities. With many organisations not prepared for this shift, we might see a scramble to collect this data to stay competitive.

Ensure you’ve got all the data you need while promoting transparency, and you’re set up for success in 2022.

Trend #5: Audiences will expect personalisation

Following on from the war on privacy, 72% of consumers are now saying they will only engage with marketing messaging that is personalised and tailored to their interests. It will be particularly difficult for brands to apply this to their marketing with limited third-party data. However, not all hope is lost.

As in the above case of email marketing, if brands take time to explain the value proposition of collecting data and that it is secure and valued, audiences will warm towards providing their data to receive personalised experiences. Consumers are willing to share their data if they receive access to exclusive discounts on products they like or if it means having issues resolved quickly.

In 2022, brands will start ditching blanket discounts in favour of unique offerings based directly on what they know about their audience as well as their own unique selling points (USPs).

This is certainly not an exhaustive list; there are hundreds of new trends in digital marketing emerging each month. However, these are five trends your brand definitely cannot afford to ignore in 2022.