The last two years have shown just how quickly businesses can adapt to changes. Digital transformation was the top priority for businesses to maintain engagement and sales throughout the pandemic and marketing had to evolve to reflect this, therefore most of the trends below are based on internet and social media use by consumers.

As a marketer it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve but it’s easier said than done. This blog post will hopefully give you a better understanding of the marketing trends that will define 2022. 

1. Influencer marketing will move from a trend to a common marketing strategy. Hubspot asked 1000 marketing professionals which trends they planned to invest in 2022, 34% said influencer marketing above anything else. Publishers have already been on the case, utilising their influencer connections to market new book titles on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Publishers seek influencers that appeal to their target readership such as micro influencers, with particularly strong engagement, which can be better than mainstream influencers with more followers. These influencers already have an established audience which the publisher can tap into by providing free book titles and products for them to share with their followers. 

2. According to Instagram’s Trend Report of 2022, over a quarter of teens and young adults are expecting to shop directly through their social media feeds. This provides a huge opportunity for publishers to increase revenue by investing in social media shopping features for their new releases. 

3. In 2022, 89% of global marketers plan to continue investing in or increase their investment in short form video content according to a Hubspot report. This method of marketing can be highly effective and it also aligns with the format of most social media platforms which are increasingly using the fast-paced video style of TikTok.

4. Companies will prioritise their social responsibility. To the modern Gen Z consumer, social responsibility is of much greater importance than previous generations when it comes to which businesses they purchase from and what brands they stick to. With the pandemic further revealing the breadth of issues we face from climate change, unfair labour practices, inequality and more, many consumers are demanding that businesses need to be transparent in their social responsibilities. 

5. More businesses will experiment with native advertising. Native ads are ads that blend in with content, for example on Instagram where advertisements look like a post you would see on your feed. A Hubspot report stated that of the marketing professionals they surveyed, 36% said native ads were effective and 5% said it was the top ROI strategy. This strategy works well, especially on social media where shopping features can be incorporated into the ad, since consumers are more likely to view an ad that doesn’t feel like a traditional marketing tactic. 

Who knows what the next year will surprise us with, however, 2022 will be an important year for how the marketing industry settles down and adapts to the shocks of the previous years. We hope this brief summary of the predicted marketing trends of 2022 will keep you up to speed and prepared for planning your next marketing campaign.