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Digital marketing has become more powerful than ever in 2020 and 2021. Businesses have had to learn how to operate and stay profitable during the pandemic, and to instill trust in their customers. As a solution, digital marketing strategies and technology have grown even faster than before the pandemic, accelerating digital marketing trends. The biggest change, virtual gatherings, is now par for the course in every industry and at home. With an eye toward changing trends in the workplace, how can you prepare your website’s marketing for 2022?
Diversify Your Content Marketing Strategy
Diversifying your content marketing strategy has always been a good strategy. But, just because it is an old concept doesn’t mean that it is no longer true. The difference is how to diversify.
Content is still king when it comes to digital marketing. And with recent changes to Google, high-quality relevant content is more important than ever.
Google has added a Core Web Vitals update monthly since May 2021. In this update,
The page experience signals are a combination of Core Web Vitals and other signals together.
Search signals for page experience include:
- Loading
- Interactivity
- Visual stability
- Mobile-friendliness
- Safe browsing
- HTTPS
- No Intrusive Interstitials
Core web vitals refers to:
- Loading
- Interactivity
- Visual strength
These signals measure the experience and perception of users when they visit a webpage. Google employs these indicative signals to make sure that they choose the most helpful page to rank on top for users.
What are the potential elements of a diverse content strategy?
A big one is having a company blog. As consumers shop more online, they need to build trust with a company that doesn’t have a shop they can see with their own eyes. According to Blog Tyrant, ” 47% of shoppers want to read at least 3-5 blog posts on a company website before they commit to a purchase.”
You can use your blog to show that you are an expert in your field and to build your reputation. At the same time, you can educate visitors about your product or service. Give your readers actionable advice, and many will subscribe to your mailing list. Just remember, in 2022 you need to do more than just write blog posts. You should have photo posts and video posts too. With mobile phones close at hand, it is easy to snap a photo or record a video that customers will love.
Optimize for Voice Search
According to National Public Media’s April 2020 The Smart Audio Report, “52% of voice-assistant users say they use voice tech several times a day or nearly every day, compared to 46% before the (pandemic) outbreak.”
The transition to using voice search rapidly accelerated in 2020 and 2021. Is your content optimized for voice search? Using text to search online is still used on desktop and mobile devices. But, people are also turning to voice search to find what they are looking for on Google, Amazon, and elsewhere.
61% of people ages 25 to 64 claim that they plan on using a smart speaker to search in the future; by 2022, it’s predicted that 55% of households will have a smart speaker.
Voice search is used just like text search, to answer questions, look for products, and engage with businesses. Preparing your website for voice search in 2022 should be a priority. To do this, start with keywords that someone would say to find your site. They will be a little different from the keywords they type. Google’s Keyword Planner can help. You can also write content in a conversational tone to help you rise in the SERPs when someone uses voice search.
Transition to Mobile-First Marketing
The trend for using mobile devices to search started long before 2020, but since then it has rapidly increased. Smartphone users carry their phones with them everywhere, giving people an immediate way to look for information online.
This means that your content has to be mobile-friendly and responsive, easy to access on a smartphone, and quick to load. Websites that adapt to different-sized screens are accessible to any mobile device. Another feature, AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), helps website pages load much faster on mobile devices.
Hybrid Live and Virtual Events
In the last two years, virtual events have become the norm, and we won’t go back to in-person only. Many people will continue working from home for various reasons, and attending live events from their desks (or couches). This huge shift means that you need to accommodate people by offering both live and virtual events or hybrid meetings, giving people the choice of how they want to attend.
Making the experience satisfying for everyone will be tricky, but augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can give virtual viewers a more immersive experience.
Goodbye Third-Party Cookies
Google is phasing out support for third-party cookies, meaning that marketers will have to find alternative ways to target customers. Privacy protocols will continue to increase, especially in this era of ransomware and malware. No one wants to be responsible for putting their customer’s information on the dark web.
One possible solution is doing more with first-party cookies. Another is using tools, including Google’s Privacy Sandbox to create personalization and consumer targeting without invading privacy.
Personalization is still a primary focus for most businesses. Digital technology keeps becoming more sophisticated in ways to personalize products and services. Whether it is just adding a person’s name to a product to creating an entire custom order for a customer, the trend for personalization will continue growing in 2022.
Where to Start
Digital marketing can be confusing, especially with the rapid pace of change. It is difficult for a business owner to keep up with all the changes. Getting started on your 2022 digital marketing strategy by talking to an expert can help you decide on your marketing priorities and timeline more easily.
