2022 A Year of Uncertainty, Some Marketing Insights and Predictions

Now that we have welcomed 2022, the road ahead is still far from clear. Marketing will be more specialized as we expect more noise and distractions. As people shift back to home-based work, breaking through the clutter will be a challenge. The truth is what we need to learn from.

One solid truth has to be to focus on your website, SEO, and good content — this should remain the heart of a smart digital strategy. Strong, unique content is a powerful way to engage and build. Good content means good SEO, and that means reaching more customers. And, it builds credibility. So, spend time on content, blogging, SEO and be sure that everything on your site is up to date and accurate.

Content marketing built on effective storytelling is the best way to build brand, and brand loyalty. If you cannot tell your own story, no one will. Consumers want to know if your values and core beliefs match up to their values and expectations. So, know and be faithful to what your values are, and shift the focus to storytelling—to show through stories and testimonials how the product or service can help the potential customer, and how your organization is trying to make a difference. It might not result in direct sales, but it’s a great way to put your brand front-and-center in the minds of consumers who are considering a specific issue.

Recently 31% of marketers said social responsibility can be ineffective in campaign engagement or performance, yet 45% plan to invest in 2022. Simply, social responsibility, values, and transparency matter, as does being a socially responsible brand in 2022.

Research shows that brands that care about employees and causes can have an advantage. Your social media strategy needs to focus on causes or missions you embrace. That social responsibility builds brand, and connections.

In 2021 48% of consumers used voice assistants for a web search on their phones and cars. Do you plan to optimize your content for voice search? But voice search optimization means a focus on more complex keywords — because people ask questions via voice, they use full sentences. So, for SEO, look for common queries asked around your focus. By answering these questions in blogs, you can get your content in front of new markets who need what you offer, but don’t know you exist. In 2022, SEO will remain the key source of new business and web traffic.

Social is important, but your site is much more important. Use social media to focus on inclusive initiatives, promotions, and offers. And that site has a fast-loading speed to improve your SEO ranking.

Blogging is still the most powerful tool for the dollar that you can use. Pick the right keywords — and reach new audiences.

Think your bounce rate does not matter? Think again. Most algorithms look at your bounce rate, the time people spend on your site, and if it is bad, so is your SEO. Be sure to write strong meta descriptions that will fit, and draw people in. The magic number? In 2022 the big search engines will look for long-form content between 2,500 and 3,000 words.

More than 65% of all searches are on a mobile device like a phone. If your site is not mobile-optimized not only are you losing out on SEO, you are losing out on business.

Video marketing is here and important. YouTube reaches more 18-34 year-olds than any cable network. Facebook video posts get 6 times more engagement than non-video posts. Video is a human face on a brand, and it is the top leader of content on most social platforms. Lastly, be inclusive, think about DEI, and act to open doors, and bring new ideas into your organization.

So, with all that, 2022 does not have to suck, if you invest in smart marketing, it could be one to remember!