To say a lot has changed in the last 2 years may be an understatement, but it has also taught us a lot about the habits of consumers and how to adapt to changes in the world. The lessons we learned will help us closeout 2020 and welcome the new year. Before we move on to the trends of 2022, let’s take a look at what we saw in 2020-21.
It is safe to say social media reigned in 2020, with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and other platforms using influencers and the unique offerings of each platform to advertise to consumers. This year we were also met with a public health crisis that caused cities to lockdown and online shopping to see a spike in return. It also caused production in Hollywood to come to a halt. And what happened there? No content was being produced. Not only did the way we shopped change, but it also modified behavior as well. More people were cooking at home and changed a place for relaxing and sleep to an immediate home office.
So for 2022, we believe some of the lessons from the previous year will come into play in the new year.
We will continue to build off of the personalized tools we have to create a better experience for consumers whether they are shopping from home or at a store. That includes using information from social media and web browsers to target based on interest displayed online. We will be able to use that information with a longstanding method, geofencing. Geofencing will also allow businesses new and old to advertise to people in the area.
The customer journey is no longer linear. Consumers don’t just walk into a store and make a purchase anymore. With smart devices, people are researching, checking reviews and looking for deals. So your marketing strategy must take this into consideration. Display ads in a geofenced area that represents product information, or a 5-star review.
The way people are influenced by brands is also key this next year. Social media is not going anywhere and if you haven’t embraced it, now is a perfect time. We are talking about targeting demographics on social media or using influencers to create content with your brand. From there, you can take consumers from awareness to actually making a purchase.
Interactive content will also be a big factor in 2022. This will help you set yourself apart from the competition. If you are already creating banner ads, landing pages, or being creative about placement then why not take it a step further? Interactive content can add value in many ways from something as simple as a loan calculator for your lending service to quizzes to find the perfect wine pairing for dinner. You can place ads with this using the knowledge about geofencing and interest-based marketing to get a better return on your advertising dollars.
While this isn’t a complete list, 2022 will be a year to incorporate some new strategies with others that are proven. To kick off the new year right, you can hire a firm to help with your strategy. At Thumbvista, you can use your creativity in our proven models to advertise with geofencing and demographics that fit your ideal consumer. To get started, learn more about us here.