Guest AuthorDigital Marketing has taken off in the last decade and there are no plans of it slowing down anytime soon. As we move on to 2022, it becomes essential that we, as Digital Marketers and Brands, stay on top of the latest digital trends. Creating a relevant brand has never been more important with consumers jumping from one brand to the other at a flick of the wrist. At the same time, brand pertinent remains high!
In an industry where change is in such high regard, brands need to keep adapting and innovating in the Digital space. Today, connectivity has propelled digital innovation to the fullest – from traditional Digital Marketing, Content Marketing, Social Media to Paid Media and SEO, all these verticals are experiencing substantial evolution.
As the founder of a Digital Marketing Agency, clients often pick my brain about the direction in which Digital Marketing is headed. Here are my top Digital Marketing trends that will stay for the long haul and change the future of brands –
The rise of the Planet of the PAID ADS
Organic Reach is on the verge of collapsing and Paid Ads are coming for it with full force. According to research by Hubspot, even if your Facebook Page has half a million likes, your organic reach can be 0%. Just in 2021, brands have spent $455 billion dollars on paid ads, and it is supposed to reach $645 billion by 2024 – according to Statista. So, the next time you are browsing through Facebook or Instagram, you are not actually browsing through a social platform, but an advertising platform, instead.
Google’s Mobile-First Indexing isn’t going away anytime soon
As smartphones become more sophisticated, mobile search’s gravity in the digital world escalates, too. In recent years, Digital Marketers have focused on mobile optimisation and making every website compatible with smartphones. This is majorly due to the fact that the typical web searches are no longer coming from a desktop computer and a portable smart device instead. Google’s mobile-first index is on the watchlist of every Digital Agency and brand as it rank websites based on their compatibility with mobile devices.
Voice Searches are (and will continue) to be the norm
Whether you need to know the nearest coffee shop or the show timings of the latest Bond flick, all you got to do is ask! Smart AI devices such as Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, and more have never been more prominent and helpful. The momentum of voice search is already in the trend and there is no going back because of their effectiveness and ease of use. We can’t be surprised to know that over 50% of searches will be voice-related in the coming decade and brands need to improvise and alter their digital marketing to get the most out of voice searches.
Video Content will take the forefront of Digital Marketing
Wondering why Digital Marketers and brands are pushing for video content? The reason is that 80% of the web traffic in 2020 was comprised of videos. People love to watch videos and they will continue doing so. Socials have made it easier for people to create and broadcast videos and consumers are getting more inclined towards buying a product only after they have seen the video. This has and will create a major shift in the way brands approach their target audience and process information.
Quality Long-Form Content will still have the potential
Nothing beats quality content! On the surface of it all, it may seem like the room for long-form content is very narrow moving forward, but the need for quality and credible information will always be out there. There will always be the parallel world of snippets that will be on the rise, but the long-form content won’t be lost, either. In fact, as the world moves toward creating more videos, it is all the more reason why a brand should focus on creating high-quality content of substance.
Authored by – Ashish Kumar, CEO, Red Dash Media
Aravind Sundaram
Guest Author
