Marketing has come a long way in the last few decades, and it is constantly changing even today. Pretty much every year we will see new trends pop up that give the industry a breath of fresh air. It is a fact that some of the marketing trends for 2022 will be different than marketing trends of today. You never know when something new is going to pop up and have a huge influence on marketing as a whole!

Marketing is no longer just about your company’s marketing plan – marketing strategies are now more important than ever before. Companies that don’t keep up with marketing trends could see themselves going out of business or losing their competitive edge within a few years. In this blog post we will talk about what to look out for when it comes to marketing in 2022 so you can stay ahead of the curve!

Events (and related marketing) will continue to be hybrid

Without a doubt one of the biggest effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the rise of fully virtual and hybrid events. Traditional events were few and far between during the height of the pandemic, so marketers had to make due with what they had. Sure, these types of events were available before the pandemic but now they are front and center in the world.

During 2020 and 2021, there have been plenty of virtual and hybrid events that experienced growing pains. From technical difficulties, people not showing up, low participation, and more, many companies have learned a lot. Now that hybrid events have become easier to pull off, look for them and their related marketing to stick around in a big way. Once people discovered that they can stay at home and experience a fun event at the same time, it was a revolution for the marketing industry. This is for sure one of the marketing trends for 2022 to keep a close eye on.

AI will continue to affect influencer marketing (and marketing in general)

We know that marketing will change in 2022, but what do we expect it to be? AI and influencers are two major trends for marketing. They have been around for a while now (especially marketing through social media), but they’ve only recently had the power of artificial intelligence behind them.

AI is likely going to continue affecting how marketing works, especially marketing through influencers. Many thought that influencer marketing would die in 2021 or sometime soon, but it does not look to be slowing down at all. And with artificial intelligence adding to this marketing technique, look for it to keep a strong grip on the marketing industry. AI has the ability to watch millions of influencer videos at once, identifying which ones would be ideal for a company to use. Humans simply cannot compete with that, so we must embrace the fact that AI and influencer marketing will soon go hand-in-hand.

Simplicity and easy-to-understand marketing will take over

In an increasingly digitally-oriented world, things can be hard to understand if you are not up to date on the latest technology trends and advancements. With many things only getting more complex, potential customers will look for marketing methods that are easy to understand while also being effective. Not every piece of marketing has to be super complex and detailed, it is okay for some of it to require surface level knowledge. If you create a mix of detailed and easy to understand marketing, you are likely to have higher engagement and more success than you would if your marketing was very confusing.

Targeted marketing will be pushed even further

The marketing industry will turn more and more to targeted marketing as we head into 2022. This type of marketing is essential for companies that want to succeed, but those without a good marketing budget will find it difficult to compete with larger companies who can afford this type of strategy. Customers love personalized marketing, so this is something that makes sense for companies of all sizes.

Many small business owners are cutting back on marketing budgets because they don’t want to invest in marketing if they don’t have the budget for it. However, as we head into 2022, marketing budgets will be a necessity and those without them may find themselves struggling much more than they would today. Be sure to watch this as one of the potentially biggest marketing trends for 2022.

Customers will begin valuing transparency even more than before.

In case you have not noticed, there has been a recent trend of companies being very transparent about things inside their business. They will often answer questions about their business and remain as transparent as possible. The reason this is one of the biggest marketing trends for 2022 is because it shows customers that you are willing to open up. They will begin to trust companies that they see as real people, rather than just giant businesses that only care about their bottom line.

Customers often want to know what you are doing with their data and how you are going to protect it. Many customers also enjoy learning more about how your business operates and what you are doing for your community. We recommend being as transparent as possible so that you can build a great relationship with the people who help your business thrive.