Marketing Insight

As we step into 2022, there remains divided views on how this year will go. Many businesses are feeling positive, as the UK’s vaccine programme has been a success and restrictions are eased. Others are still feeling nervous, worried that business is not bouncing back as quickly as they may have hoped. Whichever camp you fall into, restarting your marketing’s momentum is key to a successful 2022. Sarah West, Managing Director of Full Mix Marketing, shares the B2B marketing trends which could help your business in 2022.

Social media will remain an increasingly important tool for spreading the word about your business in 2022. LinkedIn is perhaps more than ever the most effective platform but don’t underestimate the power of popular trends. TikTok has shifted the landscape of social media away from status updates and photos, in favour of short video posts. This has bled through to other platforms including those more suited to B2B.

As in 2021, this next year is likely to see B2B marketers increasingly turning to interactive visual and video content to better engage their target customers. 2022 will see brands and businesses create more video content, whether it’s short videos, short clips like ‘reels’ on Instagram or even live streaming. We may even see businesses taking advantage of TikTok’s huge following and begin advertising on the platform.

Influencer marketing has long been a feature of B2C marketing with celebrities, experts and social media stars all affecting buying behaviour. For business-to-business marketing, companies are looking for reliable, authoritative and research-backed evidence and opinion on why they should choose a particular product, service or supplier. Influencer marketing is not just for B2C anymore and large brands are already jumping on the influencer bandwagon, from Adobe to GE.

No matter what digital marketing strategy you’re using, it’s important to put the customer at the forefront when creating content. Once you have identified your target audience, you can create pieces of content aimed towards them. Focus your marketing strategy on engaging with your existing audience and building your database, and you’ll find your messaging reaches those who are the most interested in what you do.

Even with all these new marketing trends don’t veer too far from the basics. Business growth still comes from the foundational tools in digital marketing. One way to do this is through storytelling. Storytelling has always been key for brand marketing. Your audience wants to know how you have delivered on your promises in a way that has lived up to their needs and expectations. Use storytelling to explain how your product or your business can help solve a specific problem.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a scary idea, in fact it’s been implemented in almost all aspects of business over the last few years. In marketing, AI has led to numerous advances including more intuitive reporting, automating general marketing tasks like monitoring site traffic and boosting search engine optimisation for organic reach. Using AI technology in 2022 can help your business analyse data more quickly, it can also translate data and purchase history into customer behaviours and personalised marketing.

But, as always, it’s not just about digital marketing in 2022! More traditional forms of offline marketing, including physical materials like brochures and presentations, are still a critical element of any businesses’ marketing strategy. In 2022, ‘Phygital’ will be a key buzz word. A blend of ‘physical’ and ‘digital’, it’s the term used to describe utilising both methods of marketing together to provide your customers with a unique interactive experience. It’s a good idea to start thinking about how phygital will come into play for your business. Are there elements of physical marketing (mailers, advertising, events etc) you can use to encourage clients to engage with your mobile app, website or other digital marketing? Considering your client’s customer experience journey is a critical element to ensuring your ‘phygital’ strategy is successful. More help can be found at https://www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk/contact/