Digital marketing is constantly evolving, with new trends and technologies coming out daily. To stay on top of the latest developments, you must continuously monitor what’s going on in the industry. However, it can be difficult to keep track of all the new developments at any given time. Here’s a list of some of the biggest trends and technologies that will dominate digital marketing in 2022.
Visual search will continue to grow in importance
Visual search is a technology that allows users to search for products by taking photos of them. This technology has been around for several years, but it’s only recently that we’ve seen significant growth in the number of people using it. As visual search becomes more accurate and valuable, more people will turn to this method as a shopping tool. It will also become more widespread as retailers become aware of its value and start incorporating it into their strategies.
For example, Amazon has developed a visual search tool that allows users to take photos of an object and find similar items on its site. This is an excellent way for people to shop without typing in keywords or scanning a bar code. Visual search is the future of shopping, and retailers must start incorporating it into their strategies.
AI will continue to create better customer experiences
With artificial intelligence (AI), brands can build more personalized experiences and deliver a service tailored to their customers’ needs.
You can use AI to provide intelligent recommendations based on specific customer preferences. You can also use it to create more personalized marketing campaigns, such as targeted email lists or adverts that fit the interests and preferences of each customer.
Another example is using AI-powered chatbots, which may answer questions from potential customers about your products, services, or company at any time of day. It’s also being used to help streamline customer service processes, leading to faster resolutions for issues. For example, AI can be used to identify support requests that require human intervention and route them accordingly.
New ways of incorporating social media into the customer journey will emerge
In the same way social media has become part of the customer journey, marketers are looking for new ways to incorporate it into their strategies. This includes incorporating social media into lead generation and nurturing campaigns and using AI chatbots as an additional support channel to answer frequently asked questions from current customers.
We see this in how many companies use social media to improve customer service. In fact, 93% of marketers say they use social media as a support channel for their customers. This can be done by automating responses through chatbots or live agents and routing them to the right support team based on the type of query.
Voice search will become more important
The more you use voice search, the more you come to realize that it’s not just a cool technology—it’s the future. Voice search is an increasingly important tool for users looking for quick answers to common questions. And as we move into 2022 and beyond, this trend will only continue. Voice searches are predicted to increase by 72% by 2025.
It’s also a massive opportunity for businesses. Voice-based interfaces can help companies connect with customers in novel ways, giving them new opportunities to build brand loyalty and drive sales. As more and more users turn to voice search, businesses must ensure they’re ready. They’ll also need to be able to deliver the same level of quality when it comes to voice interfaces as they do with traditional web pages.
Augmented reality will become more important for industry sites
Augmented reality is the integration of digital information with the real world. It can be used to enhance a customer’s experience at a retail establishment or to provide them with additional information about a product.
For example, a customer looking at an item in person could use their smartphone to scan it and see reviews from others who have purchased that product. Another example is how real estate websites use augmented reality to allow users to view a property in the context of its surroundings. This can help buyers make informed decisions without seeing each property in person before deciding on property loans.
This digital marketing trend will become more critical for industry sites because it allows users to search for products using images instead of text. This makes searching faster and easier for users, especially those who don’t speak English well or aren’t familiar with the language used on your website’s search function.
The idea of funnels and stages in the customer journey will evolve
Marketing funnels and customer journeys are essential to the success of any business, but they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. Marketers should remember that the journey constantly evolves, so you must continually refine it based on customer feedback and data.
In the future, marketers will be expected to understand their customers’ needs at every stage of the journey and adjust accordingly. Marketers will need to anticipate customer behavior and make changes on the fly if they see a problem with their funnel or marketing campaigns.
It’s also important to remember that each individual customer is unique. Every person has their own unique path through the customer journey—and no two paths look alike. Keep this in mind when creating your marketing strategy. Don’t force your customers into linear steps or seasonal segments that don’t reflect reality.
In Summary
By 2022, the digital marketing landscape will be very different from today. As everyone moves into this new future, it will be necessary for marketers to keep up with these trends and adapt as needed so that they can still be successful in their business.