Marketing Trends 2022

The digital world is moving at a rapid rate, and it’s not about to slow down in 2022! Privacy changes have entirely changed how we approach digital advertising. NFT sales have soared from millions to billions. But what does this mean for 2022? Here’s what we can expect in digital marketing this year:


  1. The Rise of Meta
  2. NFTs going mainstream
  3. More short-form video content
  4. Digital ads will be challenged
  5. SEO will be less game and more integrated
  6. Influencers will continue to grow
  7. Less channels will be more
  8. Brands will invest more into AI

1. The Rise of Meta

Facebook officially changed its name to Meta, showing that they are betting big on the metaverse. The Metaverse is a term for virtual and augmented realities/experiences. This is a big sign for the future of the web, and where businesses and brands can expect to be heading.


Tip: Brands and businesses should look for opportunities for their business in these spaces.

2. NFTs Going Mainstream

NFT sales have surged to new heights! 2021 has been the breakout year for these digital assets. NFT Sales jumped 262x from 94.9 million in 2020 to 24.9 billion in 2021. While we have seen some incredible digital artwork in the creation of these assets, the value in quality NFTs is centred around community building. When someone purchases an NFT, not only are they receiving the digital asset, but they are becoming a part of a community that is driven by NFT holders. They can host events, contribute to worthy causes of their choice, play games, and create fully operational online economies. We’re currently seeing all of the big brands, celebrities, and influencers getting involved in NFTs. While this is a good indicator of where we are headed, there are a lot of scams present (just as we saw in the early days of the Internet). When evaluating communities, take into account the leadership group, road map, and engagement levels within the community on Discord and Twitter.


Tip: If you haven’t started learning about these, here’s your sign!

3. Social Media channels will continue to shift to prioritize short-form video content!

Since the rise of TikTok, we have witnessed the growth in popularity of short-form video content. (For the record, to be considered short form video content, the content must be under 2 minutes and 30 seconds). Year after year the challenge of competing for watch time becomes more challenging. We can expect Instagram to continue to prioritize short-form video content, as CEO Adam Mosseri said the platform plans to "consolidate all of our video products around Reels and continue to grow that product."


Best practices for short-form video content are:

  1. grab attention within 3 seconds with a hook
  2. provide value
  3. Present your viewer with a call-to-action, so they know what to do after watching your video.


Tip: You need to start incorporating short-form videos into your content strategy. Let’s stop putting it off by telling ourselves that Reels and TikToks are just for kids.

4. Digital advertising will be increasingly challenged by privacy

New privacy regulations included in iOS updates have reduced the data available for advertisers and AI looking to target users. Since the iOS 14.5 update, iPhone users have been presented with a prompt before releasing their data for advertising purposes. This prompt has resulted in millions of users saying “No” to being tracked by apps like Facebook, regardless of the potential benefits of ads tailored to their preference. In addition to increased privacy within third party apps, Apple also made it harder for email advertisers to collect data with the iOS 15.2 update. This update included Private Relay which hides your IP address. It also included Mail Privacy Protection that stops advertisers from tracking users.


Tip: Brands should assess the impact that this will have on their advertising strategies, as well as consider more organic marketing strategies.

5. SEO will be less game and more integrated

As search algorithms have continuously become smarter and more contextual, marketers need to focus less on the “hacks” and “tricks” of SEO and more on providing an outstanding and meaningful experience to their users. Google has experienced monumental success as a result of providing the most relevant, and reputable results to their users. User experience will continue to be the primary focus for Google’s ranking system in 2022.


Tip: Brands should focus less on SEO “hacks”, more on excellent user experience and Core Web Vitals.

6. Influencers will continue to grow

Influencer marketing reached $13.8 billion in 2021 and it is showing no sign of slowing down. Influencer campaigns inherently provide context and relevance since the influencer is humanizing the product by endorsing it. Craziest influencer marketing stat, you ask? Charli D’Amelio made more in 2021 than the CEOs of Exxon, Starbucks, Delta Airlines, and McDonald’s.


Tip: Brands should look for opportunities to partner with micro-influencers in their space

7. Less channels will be more

The explosion of digital marketing options means that many brands have spread themselves too thin across different channels. Look for businesses to narrow their focus on platforms that have worked for them, as well as platforms home to their target audience.


Tip: Smart businesses and brands will focus on less channels, and dominate the ones they choose to be active on.

8. Brands will invest even more into automation and AI

In the wake of the pandemic, investments into AI will be used to address global worker shortages. Businesses and brands will also embrace automation to fuel innovations. While the landscape of machine learning and AI can often get caught up in solving problems before investigating market demand, Tate Cantrell, CTO of data centre operator Verne Global, expects this to change in 2022. “The industry will get a bit more strategic rethinking the size and focus of these models and simulations, rather than just expanding for the sake of expansion


Tip: Look to industry leaders who are on the forefront of prioritizing automation and AI, to learn how you can incorporate it into your business.


The transition from the physical world to the digital world is gaining momentum each year. 2021 showed us that building an online presence for your business is now essential. With the growth of cryptocurrencies and NFTs we can expect that momentum to continue, at the very least. These movements are characterized by smaller communities, increased authenticity, and a more creator-focused online economy. For the most up to date information on the digital landscape, make sure you’re following us on Instagram @connectwithppl.

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