2022 industry trends
Everyone knows 2021 has been nothing short of interesting, and trust us when we say it shows in this year’s consumer trends. While we thought 2020 saw a multitude of shifting attitudes and approaches across the industry, 2021’s lockdowns and uncertainty have set changing consumer values and behaviours in stone. Overall, it appears the chaos and isolation has everyone appreciating the little things; inclusivity and localisation, connectedness and personalisation are valued now more than ever, meaning factors like accessibility, social responsibility, UX and availability are at the forefront of consumers’ minds when making purchase decisions. So, how to embrace the change and maximise your brand’s performance in 2022 you ask? Read on!
seo & e-comm: staying one step ahead
Competition across digital platforms within most industries is at an all-time high due to the whole world moving online to transact, and due to its minimised risk and efficiency, it’s safe to say its here to stay. Brands have battled it out online with improved UX and personalisation, catering to simplified experiences consumers now demand. Not only is wholesome user experience a must-have, this trend calls for brands to harness SEO strategies that go beyond popular keywords. Luckily, Google’s on board with the shift, announcing Search Console Insights and passage ranking. First off, passage ranking allows you to rank a specific ‘snippet’ as opposed to a whole page. This means more targeted optimisation, which in turn means more much-loved traffic. Search Console Insights on the other hand allows you to track your web content’s performance more comprehensively, from what content’s performing best to how visitors discover your content online.
inclusivity: maximising your web Ux
Loyalty to brands that demonstrate socially responsible, inclusive values has grown exponentially over recent years, yet it’s still reported that 98% of US-based websites continue to neglect accessibility requirements for disabled consumers. Not cool. Disabled consumers make up an estimated 1.85 billion of the globe’s population, and their close connections comprise of a further 3.4. billion (The Drum). It’s time to stop ignoring such a large market, and here’s how:
Navigation: Take things back to basics, is your brand’s website easy to navigate? Minimalist design contributes to maximal impact.
Versatility: Tablets, laptops, desktops, mobiles; the more the merrier. But not only should your website be compatible across multiple devices, it’s key to ensure its fully-functional.
Clarity: Simplifying the ease in which consumers can access the information they’re looking for is key. Social media and digitalisation has contributed to small attention spans- you need to crunch down on captivating!
Finally, employing features that improve accessibility to the hearing and visually-impaired is a little addition to your website that goes a long way. Think transcripts where video and/or sound is present or improving natural language. Voice searches are on the rise, and Google has neglected their previous use of robotic keywords. Natural flow allows for improved communication, boosting user experience and inclusivity.
Start a poddy: you know you want to
Content marketing is now an umbrella term that describes literally anything and everything your brand distributes. What started as website articles has now extended to TikTok dances. But instead of wondering what the world has come to, we say it’s time to tackle content marketing head on. It’s easy to get caught up in content marketing, or more so, what content marketing strategy is best for your brand; feed posts, Reels, blog articles- we get it, it’s all a bit overwhelming. Yet there’s one platform that’s arisen as a must-have for contemporary brands: behold the podcast. Think of it as an audio hub for your brand’s personality. Podcasts have seen incredible growth in 2021, arguably due to their convenience factor and intimacy that boosts consumer perceptions of brand transparency. While it may not be ideal for exactly everyone (your local Woolies can definitely do without one), podcasts have proven beneficial to brands rooted in an incredible variety of industries such as entertainment, media, marketing, fashion, finance and more. Podcasts are a 4-birds-one-stone kind of deal, facilitating perceptions of your brands’ experience, establishing transparency, providing a basis for building brand loyalty and improving the ease in which marketers can impose positive reinforcement.
neuromarketing: getting scientific
Throw on a lab coat, 2022 is the year of science-based marketing and implementing meaningful, relevant strategies. It’s the side of marketing a decent chunk of brands ignore, but the psychology behind consumer behaviour and target market niches is crucial when it comes to targeting specifically and efficiently, and it’s also pretty interesting once you deep-dive into it. Think of the aforementioned podcasts and their simplified capability to positively reinforce product choices and decisions across audiences, or the products stores keep at eye-level so as to encourage purchase actions. These are called nudges, and they essentially guide consumers where, what, when, why and how to engage with your brand. This is only a small slice of the big neuromarketing pie. There’s an incredible range of cost and time-effective research techniques and strategies you can employ to boost your brand in 2022.
like and buy: prioritising social media shopping
The prominence of e-comm is already pretty well-established, yet a sub-component of online shopping that’s well on the rise is social media shopping. Paypal’s E-Commerce Index Report states that Aussies’ spending on social media shops has increased by 700% compared to 2019. What makes social media shopping different is its leverage of simplified UX and direct link to influencer marketing; affiliate content is distributed, and consumers can immediately shop via a direct link to your page and product. Instagram and Pinterest have proven to be the pioneers of the simplified transaction method, paving the way for fellow social platforms. As such, expect to observe more holistic, one-stop-shop ecosystems across more social media platforms, and get your brand ready to go into business if it hasn’t already!
So, we’ve looked at trends current and expected, but how exactly to implement the strategies that adhere to them? Look no further. It’s up to you to pick and choose what trends you feel are most relevant to your brand, but feel free to leave how to approach them up to us! Whether it’s improved web UX or cutting-edge content marketing, Only Everything is ready to put your brand on a pedestal in 2022.