Blog

5 digital marketing trends in 2022 for small businesses

It’s no secret that the digital landscape evolves quickly, new digital marketing platforms and features emerge full of opportunity yet some are merely fads despite their convincing hype. This year is set to be another exciting and innovative year for digital marketing, some key trends from 2021 are set continue at pace (e.g. video marketing) and small businesses should focus on these digital marketing trends in 2022. Start your 2022 strong, forget the marketing fads and think long-term when choosing where to invest your time and digital marketing budget!

In this article, we discuss which digital marketing trends of 2022 are the most relevant to small businesses and share ideas to help you take advantage of them in your marketing strategy.

Key digital marketing trend from 2021

2021 was a turbulent year for many small businesses as many marketplaces remained unpredictable following on from 2020 and nationwide lockdowns were in place for months. However, many savvy brands moved online or increased investment in their digital presence (63% of marketers increased their marketing budget in 2021) and most grew their business as a result. Optimising or introducing a digital channel is a cost-effective way to increase revenue and profit as businesses can access a large new audience of prospective customers.

The most popular marketing channels in B2B

Hubspot reported that social media is the top used digital marketing channel by B2B brands, most likely because of Linked In where networking with likeminded businesspeople takes place at scale. B2B marketers often focus on SEO too and work to ensure their website is ranking for the popular search phrases used by its target customers, publishing quality blog content is an effective way to boost a websites SERPs (search engine ranking positions).

The most popular marketing channels in B2C

Similar to B2B, B2C brands also invest the most in social media as they persistently strive to stand out from the competition and engage with their target customers, however depending on their product, service, and target audience the platform they focus on differs. Tik Tok grew to have over 1 billion active users in 2021 and became an exciting video based channel where marketers could try to capture the attention of Gen Z and young millennials.

Email is the second most popular channel amongst digital marketers in B2C with personalisation and automation continuing to bring more efficient sales opportunities. Website SEO and blogging are also a key priority as they aid discoverability on search engines where potential customers are actively searching for specific consumer brands and services.

At the core of most effective digital marketing strategies is a compelling content strategy and a great distribution strategy must surround this to deliver meaningful results such as sales. Business owners in both B2B and B2C channel will continue to invest in great content for 2022.

5 digital marketing trends in 2022 for small businesses

2022 female small business owner

In a dynamic setting such as digital marketing it’s important not to fall behind the competition, your goal should be to stay on the curve or even get ahead of it! If you’re bombarded with messages or advice on which types of digital marketing you should be doing it can feel confusing and overwhelming. But to be honest you could probably be doing more or working more efficiently to drive better results. Below are the top digital marketing trends in 2022 we recommend small business owners should invest in and take advantage of:

1. Word-of-mouth

Word-of-mouth is one the most effective forms of marketing and thanks to the popularity of social media influencers it’s a powerful digital marketing tool for all small businesses and brands. Influencer marketing is all about getting the right people talking about your brand! Despite receiving criticism over authenticity and advertising transparency, influencer marketing was valued at $13.8billion in 2021 (double its value in 2019) and will continue to grow. Successful influencer marketing campaigns can help a business to:

– gain credibility
– build trust
– raise brand awareness
– reach target customers
– increase sales or enquiries

Tip! Look for influencers in your niche to collaborate with who have an engaged following which matches your target audience, ask to see example case studies before agreeing to a deal.

2. User experience and SEO

A website with great user-experience and on site-SEO is a winning formula for increasing SERPs and getting more organic traffic (prospective customers) to your website. These two digital marketing tools work in harmony to help businesses boost their presence online! In 2022 all businesses should ensure their website provides an intuitive and engaging experience so that they don’t miss out on opportunities to drive more leads or sales.

Tip! Critique your website from your target customer’s perspective. Can they find what they want to know easily? Is the content you present relevant to them?

3. Mobile first digital marketing

Google has indexed webpages mobile-first since 2020 so every page on your website should now be optimised to provide a great user-experience on mobile devices. Ecommerce brands should take note – up to 79% of smartphone users completed a purchase on their mobile device in 2021. First impressions are everything online, if a user doesn’t like what they see they can easily hit the back button or the X at the top right of their screen. Your goal is to ensure they like what they see and want to click or tap to learn more on a laptop, smartphone, and tablet!

Tip! Check the bounce rate of your website on mobile devices, if its higher than on desktop its time to optimise your mobile webpage layout, functionality, and content.

4. Short video

In 2021, we saw Tik-Tok’s popularity grow so that it became the number 1 domain, Instagram launched Reels and YouTube launched Shorts – they all utilise short videos and their huge popularity is set to grow even further. If your product or service is best explained (or shown) in a video then it’s time to invest in video marketing, it’s one of the digital marketing tools that is great for users and businesses. Video and now short videos are here to stay, from educational content on your website to creative storytelling on your social media channels, video can add a fresh and engaging dimension to your digital marketing content.

Tip! Experimenting on social media with short, punchy video content is a great way to hone your video skills before investing in longer form marketing videos.

5. Linked In

Linked In is another social media platform whose popularity is consistently on the rise, in 2021 they reported 722 million active users and recently launched new features such as polls, stories and live stream video. If you’re a B2B service or product provider, it’s time to start building your personal and business profile on Linked In with some fantastic content to get on your target client’s newsfeed.

“Test and learn” to grow your business

When devising your 2022 digital marketing strategy it’s essential to begin with a good set of foundations, consider which areas perform well now and are most likely to in the future. A well-structured marketing plan features a mix of core marketing activities and new initiatives, this approach helps your brand to evolve and uncover new opportunities for growth. Allocating a “test and learn” budget is an effective way to ensure you don’t sit too still and fall behind your competition when marketing your brand online.

Does your brand need a digital audit?

When was the last time you critically reviewed your website or entire digital presence? If it’s been over a year then now is a great to time to conduct a digital audit! Let our digital marketing experts conduct a comprehensive review of your entire digital presence and explain how to make it more effective and finding and engaging your target customers! Find out more about our bespoke digital audit service.

Get expert digital marketing advice

Hi Digital are a boutique digital marketing agency dedicated to growing small businesses with effective digital strategies, and we’d love to help you reach your business goals. Whether you require a digital audit to get your current online presence in optimum digital shape or you’d like ongoing strategic digital marketing support – let’s talk about it! Please get in touch with us to book a free consultation with our expert team.