Marketing strategies help serve as a guideline to your campaigns for the year. And, as we've learnt in the past couple of years, anything can happen. So, when you're planning your 2022 strat, it’s important to reflect on the previous year and decide what worked and what didn't. 

It's also important to consider how consumer trends shape the way you market your products and services to them. And in 2022, customers are habitually consuming visual content and focusing on the sentimental value of brands over what they sell.

If you're wondering how you can incorporate these trends into your 2022 strategy, look no further! media update's Lara Smit is telling you exactly what your marketing strategies need to succeed this year. 

Everyone’s vibing with videos

In 2022, marketers will see a massive shift towards video. With individuals spending up to 18 hours a week watching web videos, this medium is quickly becoming the leader in online content. 

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that 86% of businesses have taken advantage of this medium as a marketing tool. And if that isn't enough to convince you, Social Media Today reported that up to 87% of marketers claim that video contributes positively to their ROI. 

If you're wondering what types of videos you should include in your strategy, the answer is short-form. With 69% of online users preferring short-form over long-form videos, marketers can zoom their focus into using platforms that offer this like:
  • TikTok
  • Instagram Reels, and 
  • Youtube Shorts.
Tiktok

Tiktok originally gained traction amongst youths as a platform similar to Vine where they could create and share funny videos (usually dancing to their favourite songs or lip-syncing audio snippets from television series or movies). But today, this USD $50-billion social networking service is used by brands worldwide to market their products. 

Last year Guess, one of the top denim brands, launched its TikTok profile by promoting its  '#InMyDenim' campaign. This campaign encouraged users to take videos of themselves transforming from average Joe’s wearing worn-out, tattered clothing into chic-looking individuals wearing Guess from head to toe. 

Netflix also made use of this platform as a means of humanising its content. The platform included interviews of the actors that feature in its series and movies, as well as funny skits done by the very same actors. 

Marketers may want to take note of how these brands used TikTok to make their products more accessible to consumers. Through Guess's '#InMyDenim' campaign, customers were involved in the creation of content — making them feel included and valued by the brand. 

Additionally, Netflix's TikTok videos submerge users into the worlds of the actors that they see on screen and showcase them in fun and relatable ways. This breaks the fourth wall between actors and viewers, making them feel more involved in the processes of the shows and films that they love. 

Instagram Reels

As a highly visual platform, it makes sense why Instagram added its nifty Instagram Reels feature. This allows users to create 30 second videos that they can enhance using text, filters, music and digital stickers. 

Using this feature is an excellent way to drive traffic to your brand's Instagram page. Furthermore, like TikTok, this tool allows brands to humanise their content while informing users about their products and services. How so? 

By taking videos of people discussing their products, brands give their name a face and a personality that people can relate to. Additionally, watching someone discuss a product is similar to a referral in that it validates that the product has been used and is approved of by the user. 

This feature also allows businesses to offer quick testimonials on how their products work, which helps customers bypass having to read instruction leaflets. Ultimately, this enhances their experience. 

YouTube Shorts 

YouTube Shorts is a feature that YouTube launched just last year. It's important for marketers to note that, as a leading platform in video, YouTube has a wide audience of followers who have recognised this platform as their go-to video source for many years.

Therefore, it would be clever of marketers to incorporate this platform into their video strategy in 2022 so that they can tap into this large following with their content.

For more information on YouTube Shorts, check out our article YouTube Shorts 101: Everything you need to know

It's time to be more customer-centric

In 2022, customers are seeking connection and validation more than ever before. If a brand can prove to them that they aren't just a number, they will have earned the loyalty and respect of their customers. To quote Entrepreneur, "People want to be approached as the individuals they are, not simply as a customer." 

This means that marketers will have to get to know the people that they are advertising their product to. They need to know their audience's preferences and what motivates them. Then marketers can find ways to make their brand resonate with consumers and communicate their brand story in more poignant ways. 

Entrepreneur also notes that this calls for a softer approach from marketers as they will have to take on the role of an educator as opposed to an advertiser. Why? Well, they will have to teach consumers about the meaning behind their products and services and why they can trust that the products will meet their desires and add quality to their lives. 

Additionally, it means that brands will have to touch base with their customers and let them know that they are there for them whenever it is necessary. We see this in Instagram's incorporation of automated messaging for businesses. 

Now, businesses can activate a function on their Instagram pages — which sends messages back automatically to customers who message them. This feature is great at reassuring consumers that their messages are being delivered to the businesses and can notify them about when they should expect to receive a response. This takes away a lot of the uncertainty involved in the messaging process. 

Content marketing with a twist 

Since consumers are no longer interested in having products pushed at them, they will give little attention to advertisements. So, marketers will have to get a little creative about how they promote products. 

A less direct way that marketers can effectively appeal to consumers is through content marketing. This is because content marketing tells a story behind the product and essentially gets audiences to buy into this narrative, as opposed to the product alone. 

Not only is content marketing a great way to create connections between your brand and consumers, but it is also a fantastic way to boost your credibility. It is a great way for people to feel like they are involved in a conversation about your business that educates them and inspires them.

Additionally, if your content is good and relatable, customers will connect with what your brand is saying and feel as though they are buying into a message instead of a product when they purchase from you. 

Content marketing is arguably one of the most effective methods of advertising. By building strong connections with your audience, you are creating little investments for your brand. How so? 

Well, if you think about it, by forging a relationship between yourself and your customers, they will be more willing to stick around and continue buying products from you. Therefore, it is a must for marketers to look into incorporating this type of marketing into their 2022 strategies. 

What do you think marketers must add to their strategies for 2022? Let us know in the comments.

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Wondering what else your strategy needs in 2022? Then read our article Editorial marketing: The strategy your brand needs
*Image courtesy of Canva