New marketing trends take hold every year, and 2022 has been no exception. Global advertisement spending is forecast to rise by 8% in 2022 to 723 billion US dollars, with significant investment being directed to new marketing solutions.
Sergey Karshkov, a marketing expert and the founder of advertising agency 9 Pandas, singles out three trends that have recently taken the world of marketing by storm and are continuing to gain traction in 2022.
Interactive content marketing
As noted by Sergey Karshkov, ‘Interactive content is one of the fastest growing internet marketing trends in modern times.’ Interactive content has become a key aspect of many marketing campaigns, as companies have rightly recognised that immersive and engaging content leaves a greater impression on target consumers and makes them more likely to form an emotional and memorable connection with a brand.
Virtual reality (VR) advertising is one such interactive tool, as it allows customers to test out products in a virtual world before buying them. Earlier this year, luxury fashion house Gucci launched its ‘Gucci Town’ virtual world in the Roblox metaverse, where players can purchase artworks and branded clothing for their in-game avatars. The campaign has been a great success, with Gucci welcoming over 20 million visitors to its virtual Roblox destinations.
Another common form of interactive marketing is the use of QR codes. Often featured in company brochures, print ads and television adverts, QR codes can be easily scanned on a smartphone and provide additional digital information about a company or product. These types of interactive marketing are highly effective, as they encourage customers to actively engage with interesting content before making a purchase decision.
New and Improved Video Content
A second key marketing trend endorsed by Karshkov is new and improved video content. The rise of video-based social media platform TikTok and increasing popularity of Instagram Reels has helped catapult video marketing to a whole new level. People are watching more online videos than ever before, with videos now estimated to make up around 82% of all consumer internet traffic.
Marketers have an exciting opportunity to capitalise on increased user exposure to videos – but it also means there is a greater risk of video content overload and marketing videos being skipped. A study found that more than 25% of adults say they will close a video after only 10 seconds. As Karshkov states, marketing firms are needing to be more creative with the videos they produce. For example, videos are now becoming far shorter to hold viewers’ attention, with one analysis finding that Instagram videos should be no longer than 30 seconds to ensure viewer engagement.
Long-Form Content Marketing
A third and final trend in 2022 has been the rise of long-form content marketing. As Sergey Karshkov comments, ‘More and more businesses are adopting content marketing as it is a great way to connect with customers and promote your brand.’ Long-form content is written content which offers a greater depth of information on a given topic and typically exceeds 1,000 words.
This type of content helps to position a brand as a thought-leader in a certain field, which can give the target audience added confidence in the company or brand. It is also beneficial from a search engine optimisation (SEO) perspective and can include helpful backlinks that will enhance a brand’s visibility on Google. In 2022, numerous companies have been releasing longer blogposts, whitepapers and research reports for these purposes.
Marketing is a dynamic industry that is always evolving in line with new societal trends and technological developments. Interactive marketing, improved video content and long-form content marketing have all made their mark in 2022, and they will no doubt continue to gain momentum as the year continues.
