As we near the end of 2021, there’s much to reflect on. Businesses stayed afloat this year using a variety of digital marketing mechanisms, such as adopting subscription-based services and developing personalized, user-based experiences. However, several new digital marketing trends are emerging for 2022. Below are some of these digital marketing trends and how they will impact your business.
Google’s Endless Scroll
What is it? Beginning in October 2021, Google has updated its user experience to an endless scroll on mobile. This means that once you reach the bottom of the first page of search results, Google will automatically reload the next several results. This will continue for up to the first four pages of search results.
How will it impact your business? 79% of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile device in the last 6 months. Your business search ranking is important. Now your website has an even better chance of being visited by more people. This is especially true for businesses who used to be featured on the second or third page of search results.
It is yet to be determined how this digital marketing trend might impact your website’s click-through rates. Regardless, there are still some things you should do to prepare for the increased traffic. One thing is to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. Also, ensure that your mobile store is easy for customers to navigate. Keep in mind that this experience is your potential customer’s first interaction with your business. Make it a good one.
Physical Storefront Transformating into Digital Marketing Trends
What is it? As customers become more comfortable engaging with businesses solely online, the use of a physical storefront has shifted. In 2022, many of the trendiest storefronts will feature social media handles on all of their branding, QR codes to search for items online, and crafty displays to encourage visitors to post about their experience and tag the business on social media.
According to one report, some 35% of global consumers would visit a store specifically if it had interactive virtual services such as a smart mirror that allowed them to try on clothes or makeup.
One successful example is Walgreens, which recently launched an in-store navigation app called aisle411, which offers pharmacy access and virtual mapping to all its stores worldwide. This is intended to help customers navigate the store more quickly to find what they are looking for.
How will it impact your business? You may want to consider adding a digital aspect to your physical storefront but first consider its purpose. Do you want to encourage more people to visit your store? Increase your ratings online? Encourage customers to try new products once inside? Identifying your end goal will assist in determining how to best implement a digital aspect to your business.
One quick way to implement some digital aspects of your business is to create an interactive digital display. This could serve multiple purposes in store, like allowing shoppers to preview new products, encouraging customers to order products for home delivery, or simply giving them the opportunity to play games while they’re waiting in line.
There should be a digital component to your storefront in 2022, even if it is something as simple as a customer loyalty program. Without this component, you risk customers not being able to find you or give feedback on their experience. This could quickly tarnish your business’s reputation.
Facebook Becoming Meta
What is it? Most of us have heard that Facebook is changing the name of its portfolio of companies to Meta Platforms, Inc., or Meta for short. This aligned the company better with its ambitions to build the Metaverse.
What is the Metaverse, you may ask? Technically, it doesn’t exist yet. The concept is that one day, the Internet will evolve to include more virtual reality components: Essentially turning it from a 2D to a 3D platform. Mark Zuckerberg referred to the Metaverse as a “virtual environment” you can go inside of, instead of just looking at a screen.
How will it impact your business? While I do not believe the Metaverse will have much of an impact on small businesses right away, there are potential opportunities for bigger businesses to try new things.
Some of these opportunities include the development and selling of digital-only products. Plus, the Metaverse offers product placement on virtual billboards and other digital spaces. As one business advisor put it, this is an opportunity to try new things with few negative repercussions.
These are just a few of the digital marketing trends that could impact your business in 2022. At the end of the day, it is best to remain flexible to the upcoming trends and ask yourself two questions:
1. How much do you have in the budget to spend on these adaptations?
2. What’s the overall goal of your digital marketing strategy?
Knowing the answer to these questions will help you cut through the noise and focus on the digital marketing trends most relevant to your business.