5 HUGE Digital Marketing Trends To Watch In 2022

What trends dominated the Internet over the past year and are only going to get HOTTER in 2022?

Come along with me as we countdown 5 huge marketing digital trends to watch this year…

Hey, Posse! What’s up? It’s Alex. 

Coming at ya this week with another tutorial to help you level up your digital marketing in 2022. 

If you’re new to the crew – welcome!

My blog is here to help you understand the world of marketing, copywriting, and freelancing so you can create a business you love, find the freedom you deserve and live life on YOUR terms – so if that sounds good to you be sure to subscribe to my newsletter below. 

Alright, let’s count down the 5 biggest digital marketing trends to watch in 2022…

Starting with #5 and ending with THE BIGGEST ONE of them all… can you guess what it is?

#5 – Less SEO & More VALUE

In my opinion, this isn’t so much of a marketing trend as it is a marketing FACT – sorry not sorry. Over the last couple of years, there was a lot of focus placed on the importance of SEO and web page optimization.

Everyone was talking about SEO this and SEO that. 

“Oh make sure you’re optimizing your website or you won’t get any attention or sales.”

Now don’t come at me SEO peeps! Because I’ll be the first one to tell you that – yes, if you can optimize your website, sales pages, and blog posts for search engine traffic without sacrificing the value of your content and messaging…

Then of course you should absolutely be doing that! 

But here’s the real kicker and what smart marketers already know…

SEO is not, and never will be, more important than VALUE.

If the content and messaging you’re delivering is valuable in and of itself, that’s the number one most important thing. SEO and optimization are secondary. 

And this is more true now than ever before…

Because here’s the thing – those pesky algorithms we all know and love to hate are getting smarter and changing all the damn time. Which means it’s getting harder and harder to “trick” or “hack” the algorithm and search engines in your favor. 

So, instead of racking your brain on what keyword density will land you on Page 1 of Google or playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the algorithm…

Focus instead on what really matters – your customers and the value they walk away with after visiting your website.

That is a marketing trend that will NEVER go out of style.

Okay, next up – trend #2…

#4 – Influencer Marketing & User Generated Content

Influencer and content marketing have been growing steadily for years – so again, this is nothing new per se, but it’s a trend that’s continuing to grow on an astronomical scale. 

According to the IPA , Institute of Practitioners in Advertising: After the pandemic hit – the advertising industry saw about a 20% decline, whereas influencer and content marketing enjoyed a 46% increase.

I mean consider this… influencer marketing was only worth approximately $1.7 billion in 2017 (only)…

But in 2021, influencer marketing racked in approximately $10.24 billion! That rate of growth is INSANE. And it’s the only proof you need that this stuff WORKS. 

But why does it work so much better than traditional paid advertising?

Well… for the simple fact that people trust people. 

WAY more than they trust advertisements run by companies. 

It’s the good ‘ol fashioned concept of “word of mouth” tailored for the 21st century of online connection. 

Seeing an influencer – or another human in general – using a real product, in their real life, and saying good things about it is one of the best ways to showcase social proof for any brand or business.

So this year… take full advantage of “influencer marketing” and user-generated content anywhere and everywhere you can. And NO – your “influencers” don’t need a following of 100k in order to be effective. 

Remember that virtually any video testimonial you can get from real-life customers works just as well. Consider asking some of your best customers or previous students for video reviews or testimonials. This is something I do a lot at the Posse, and my students are happy to share their thoughts or even create Reels for my Instagram!

Another option is to invite your past customers to promote your product or service as an affiliate. That way they feel incentivized to talk about, and openly promote, your products and services. 

The catch here is to remember that your affiliates and influencers need to be legit sources. 

People who have actually taken your course, or tried your product, and loved it. People who are genuinely excited about promoting your product will deliver the best results every time. 

Okay, now onto trend #3…

#3 – LinkedIn is GROWING

Say whaaaaaat?!

Yep – shocking I know!

I mean LinkedIn has never really been one of “the big guys” when it comes to social media platforms. Mostly because it’s geared towards a very specific market – professionals looking to connect with other professionals. 

But recently, LinkedIn has been seeing massive growth in its active users and platform engagement. 

Don’t believe me? Just take a look at these stats…

• LinkedIn saw a 55% increase in conversations among connections in 2020
• Content creation on LinkedIn increased 60% in 2020
• And LinkedIn Live streams increased by 437% in 2020

Even my LinkedIn newsletter saw amazing growth this past year and I now have almost 75,000 subscribers. That’s more than I have on my Instagram and Twitter combined.

With the rise of online freelancers, combined with the new features LinkedIn has launched, this platform should absolutely be part of your marketing strategy in 2022. 

Okay next up, trend #2…

#2 – Online Events & Live Video

Oh yeah baby, making the list again this year… 

VIDEO. 

This was trend #1 last year, and it makes the list again this year at #2 – for a damn good reason!

Online events – like webinars, seminars, and lives– are one of the most popular ways for people to connect with brands and businesses no matter where they are in the world. 

Video and online events have been on the rise for years, and 2022 will be no exception. 

I know, I know… this is a trend that will probably be the hardest for some people to get behind. I mean do you really have to put yourself on video to get ahead in this digital marketing age?

Well, the data says…YES! You definitely should be showing your face in front of your audience if you want to stay alive and thrive in 2022.

Video continues to be the most engaging form of online content.

• In 2020, 96% of consumers increased their online video consumption…
• 9 out of 10 viewers said that they wanted to see more videos from brands and businesses. 
• And it’s estimated that in 2022, the average person will spend 100 minutes per day watching online videos.

So copy might be queen…

And content might be king…

But no matter which form of online marketing you’re conducting – VIDEO reigns supreme.

#1 – Email, Email, Email!

Hey – remember that massive global server crash that happened in October of 2021 that took down Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp? For an entire day businesses, brands, and marketers everywhere were completely disconnected from their online audiences…

Well, that server crash served as the eye-opener that many digital marketers needed…

You don’t OWN your social audience.

Which means when a server crashes, or worst case scenario… the platform shuts down altogether…

You lose ALL those followers and customers. 

YIKES. 

But 2021 woke us up to the reality that Email Marketing is currently – and always will be – the single best way to market your brand or business, increase your revenue, and cash in on more conversions.

Better than ads, better than social media, and better than organic traffic…

But don’t just take my word for it, here are some stats to prove it. 

• It is estimated that there are 4 BILLION active email users right now (and that number is projected to go up, btw).
• Email marketing consistently delivers the highest ROI of all marketing channels – earning on average $42 for every dollar spent… and in case you don’t want to do the math on that… that’s an ROI of 4200%!
• And according to MarketingSherpa, email is STILL the most preferred marketing channel that most consumers want businesses to communicate with them through… YES, even millennials and gen-Z-ers prefer email to social media… 

And not only is email your consumer’s favorite way of communicating… it should be YOUR favorite too! 

Because your list is YOURS. It belongs to YOU. 

So the #1 marketing trend that you NEED to be paying attention to in 2022 and beyond…

Email your list on a regular and consistent basis! 

Now, if you want to learn exactly how to write emails that sell—make sure to check out my email marketing program—Own The Inbox. 

In it, you’ll learn the marketing psychology that gets people to open, click, and read your emails… along with my coveted Posse Playbook of 12 emails that create authority, build anticipation and turn sign-ups into sales…

So that you can write an engaging, memorable & high-converting email marketing campaign in just 5 days. 

I hope to see you there!

Until next time, I’m Alex—ciao for now!

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