Online marketing will grow significantly in 2022, as digital ad spend is projected to increase by 13.3% to reach $441.12 billion, according to statistics on Orbelo. While digital marketing is always evolving, 2022 will be a game-changer for online marketers. As businesses navigate another year of embracing global pandemic conditions, marketers will see dramatic changes in digital marketing. Consequently, businesses must not only focus on creating a solid digital marketing strategy for the future. They must also plan to take advantage of emerging online marketing trends. Below are some of the top digital marketing trends to watch for in 2022 and ways you can leverage them to your advantage.

Cookie Tracking To Depreciate

Google may have set 2023 as the deadline for removing third-party cookies, but there’s no doubt that seeking ways to eliminate cookies for online advertising should begin as early as 2022. In fact, Google encourages marketers and publishers to embrace privacy-preserving technologies. The company also advises marketers to move their services to platforms that meet privacy compliance regulations. Adapting to cookie policy changes and migrating to privacy-compliant platforms in time prevents disruptions that might affect your digital marketing efforts. However, tracking cookies will remain functional until Google completes testing and implementing new technologies that don’t depend on cookies.

AI To Reshape Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has gained a lot of popularity in 2021, and it will remain a powerful marketing strategy throughout 2022, thanks to artificial intelligence. Marketers across all industries will harness the power of AI to identify the best influencers within their target customer bases. And instead of choosing influencers based on the number of followers, marketers will decide based on the influencers’ reach, content, and engagement.

Since artificial intelligence can analyze images, text, audio, and video faster and accurately than humans, you can quickly create data-driven campaigns. Not to mention, AI can predict the number of conversions each influencer can generate. That way, you can calculate your return on investment and optimize your marketing budget. Note that working with influencer marketers is beneficial in many ways, but the most notable one is expanding your reach. Unlike conventional and social media advertising, influencers reach more and different audiences, thus enhancing your customer-centric digital marketing campaigns.

Hyper-Personalization Becomes Essential

Next year, hyper-personalization will take the spotlight as more companies adapt to new technologies to get insights into their customers’ buying journey. As entrepreneurs contend with less customer facetime, they need to reassure their clients that they know their specific needs and expectations. Industry experts predict marketers will transition from targeting segmented groups to engaging with customers in real-time. Using predictive and data analytics technologies, marketers will deliver customized experiences to meet the unique needs of individuals. Based on a recent report by SmarterHQ, 72% of consumers admit they prefer engaging with personalized marketing messages only. So, if you want to stand out in the competitive market, creating hyper-personalized marketing campaigns should be a top priority in 2022.

Redefining The Marketing Talent Pool

Marketing will be more data-driven throughout 2022 and beyond, meaning businesses must rethink the marketing talent pool to boost growth and success. Regardless of the nature of your business, it would be wise to seek the services of data scientists with a high level of analytic skills. Nonetheless, data scientists alone can’t refine the digital marketing talent pool. Creative skills are still essential, meaning you need content strategists and creators, marketing and sales experts, and website developers. With this in mind, make an effort to find experienced and reputable digital marketing experts.

Digital marketing services offered by professional marketers range from SEO to pay-per-click ads, web development, and social media ads. To achieve satisfactory results, you need to define your marketing needs. For example, let’s say you want to expand your market reach using social media or boost SEO efforts. Make sure to inform your potential digital marketer in advance. That way, they can provide the best strategies to achieve your marketing goals.

Shoppable Social Posts

Today’s consumer wants to click on a product ad, purchase, and move on. This is where shoppable content comes in. Given shoppable content features a direct link to an online store, shoppers can buy their desired products without leaving Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, or other social media platforms. Consumers are only required to click on the product image, purchase the item on the retailer’s website, and are redirected back to the social media page they were viewing.

This digital marketing trend is set to gain more popularity in 2022. So, as you develop your marketing plan for next year, consider how you can create shoppable content. Keep in mind storytelling is vital to making your marketing posts shoppable. Ideally, you need to hook and engage your readers with story-driven content that defines your brand’s identity.

An Increased Demand For Sustainability

Many consumers admit sustainability is a top priority now than before the pandemic. And they expect brands to be at the forefront in making sustainability manageable in their lives. Since customers have a lot to consider when shopping, the last thing they want is to research more about sustainability. To meet consumer needs, brands can make sustainability stress-free by introducing eco-friendly benefits into the choices customers are already making. For instance, Google is introducing sustainable options on Google Maps to make eco-friendly routes the default.

As a business leader, you can promote sustainable marketing by solving sustainability issues your customers encounter daily. For example, you can use recyclable packaging materials to reduce waste caused by a surge in shopping deliveries and returns. However, to make the most of this trend, take time to understand what sustainable marketing is and ways to incorporate it into your marketing plans.

Hyper-personalization, sustainable marketing, removal of cookies, and shoppable content are some of the digital marketing trends you’ll see in 2022. But, of course, there will be other trends like marketing automation, customer-centricity, video marketing, and omnichannel. These trends will enhance the customer experience and place people at the center of business, both online and offline. Therefore, invest considerable time to familiarize yourself with emerging digital marketing trends and how to leverage them.