Over the course of the decade, digital marketing is expected to grow more than ever. As customers become more concerned over their privacy, advertisers will have to learn to adapt to new changes. Our everyday lives are also expected to become more intertwined with the digital world with the rise of the Metaverse and virtual reality. Let’s look at the top digital marketing solutions that marketers should be looking out for!
1. Changes in Advertising
Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned over their privacy and how their data is being used. More than 40% of internet users use ad blockers. In 2021, Apple released the update for iOS 14 that brought forth many changes, including giving users the ability to disable location tracking. The change shielded users from in-store location tracking, which meant that many companies could no longer target users on Facebook using their data. Therefore, some businesses moved away from Facebook advertising and opted towards Google ads. Companies should also be aware of customers opting out of cookies. Digital marketers should also give customers a reason to trust them by being honest from the start.
2. The Metaverse and Virtual Reality
Despite privacy concerns, Facebook still has over 2.9 billion active users. In October 2021, CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook’s parent company would be changed its name to Meta. In addition to Facebook and Instagram, Meta will focus on developing the Metaverse. In this immersive virtual world, users can communicate with each other and trade digital assets such as NFTs. Due to the wide range of communication options, the Metaverse has become an ideal place for companies to promote their products and use advertising campaigns. For example, e-commerce businesses can interact with customers and give them first-hand product experiences in the Metaverse. The Metaverse is expected to be the next significant development in the future of the web, so companies should consider advertising in that space.
In addition to the Metaverse, other augmented and virtual reality forms have been rising for several years now. Augmented reality overlays digital images on the user’s smartphone camera, while virtual reality uses headsets to create experiences. Brands such as Ulta and Wayfair have used augmented reality so users can see how products look before they commit to buying them. Virtual reality has been used by companies such as Lowe’s to demonstrate home improvement tips to customers.
3. Personalization
Digital marketing agencies and companies should also use personalization in their marketing efforts. For example, after a customer fills out a form on a company website, the thank you email should address them by name. Companies can also send customers emails based on the types of products they have viewed on the website. In the B2B space, companies can communicate directly with clients to determine the pricing packages and software options that are best suited for their business needs.
4. Influencer Marketing
Over the past few years, influencer marketing has become one of the primary ways to promote a company’s products and services. Influencers post on social media about a niche topic and are a great benefit for businesses to build brand awareness due to their large amount of followers. The primary way that influencers promote themselves is through Instagram. In this case, the influencer will write a caption about the product and tag the company account. Products can also be showcased through video content such as YouTube videos, Instagram reels, or TikToks. However, it is required by the Federal Trade Commission that influencers identify which of their posts are product sponsorships.
Before deciding if influencer marketing is right for them, companies should do their research on the social media platforms that their target audience uses the most and then reach out to influencers specializing in their industry. A company doesn’t have to contact an influencer with tens of millions of followers. Instead, businesses can find smaller influencers that still get high engagement on their posts. Overall, influencer marketing is one of the most important digital marketing trends due to increasing overall ROI.
5. Podcasts
Customers need to be engaged in order to be convinced to use a product or service. One of the best ways to engage current and potential customers is to create a podcast. Once a niche market, there are now podcasts focused on almost any subject. More businesses have entered the podcast market because they are an easy way to communicate with customers while they do things such as driving to work, cooking dinner, and working out. Companies can record podcast episodes on their products or any new developments in their industry. Other podcasting tips include engaging with listening and appearing on other industry podcasts.
Conclusion
The digital marketing world is constantly evolving, so companies and agencies need to keep up with trends and decide which ones are best for them to adopt. Some of the digital marketing solutions that organizations should consider in 2022 and beyond include advertising in the Metaverse, utilizing personalization in their marketing, utilizing influencer marketing, and creating a podcast to promote their products or services.
To keep up with internet marketing trends, companies should consider hiring an internet marketing services company such as Zorbis. Since 2003, Zorbis has helped companies of all sizes and industries develop websites, apps, and marketing strategies. For more information on how Zorbis can help your company take advantage of the top internet marketing trends, visit us at https://www.zorbis.com/ to schedule a meeting with a team of experts