Regardless of which specific technique you’re using, digital marketing has always brought with it a host of advantages that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

Email marketing, for example, is still one opportunity that offers an incredibly high return on investment. One study indicated that the ROI is at 4,200% – meaning that for every dollar you spend, you can expect to make about $42 in sales. Along the same lines, those organizations that leverage opportunities like blogging are 13 times more likely to achieve a positive return on investment than those who don’t. You can check out sendinblue reviews to kick start your next Email Campaign.

But at the same time, it’s equally important to understand that the world of digital marketing is constantly changing. There was a day when blogging alone was enough of a novelty to attract attention – but that day has long since ended. These days, people’s attention is being pulled in more directions than ever and you really need to do something unique to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Thankfully, many of the top trends for 2022 and beyond show us collectively how to do precisely that.

Trend #1: The Continued Rise of Influencer Marketing

Any way you look at it, the use of influencers throughout your digital marketing campaigns makes a huge amount of sense. You’re taking someone that your audience already trusts and pays attention to and you’re using it to your advantage – immediately helping you generate the type of brand value that you would be hard-pressed to create on your own.

Despite not being new, influencer marketing is one of the top trends you can’t ignore in 2022 because it’s still growing in prominence. Consider the fact that in 2016, the influencer market was worth about $1.7 billion. By 2020, that number had climbed to $9.7 billion. By as soon as the end of the year, that number is expected to hit almost $14 billion – pointing to a trend that is still picking up steam, much to the benefit of marketers everywhere. This post can best describe the benefits of influencer marketing.

Trend #2: The Chatbots Have Arrived

Another digital marketing trend that has been gaining in popularity over the last few years may just be ready for prime-time in 2022: chatbots.

Chatbots are a great, low cost and largely automated way to not only offer more engaging experience to customers, but more personal ones, too. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and related concepts actually allow chatbots to get better at interactions over time – to the point where you may be talking to one without ever realizing it at all.

Recent advancements have even allowed chatbots to develop their own “personalities,” creating a fun experience that still frees up as much of your valuable time as possible so that you can focus on those matters that truly need your attention. Expect chatbots to become even more prominent in 2022 – particularly as digital marketing organizations try to do more with less in the wake of the losses they’re still feeling from the pandemic.

Trend #3: The Mobile-First Era is Upon Us

Ever since Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone in 2007, smartphone ownership has been on the rise. At this point, a vast majority of Americans has one – but that idea is less important than how they’re actually using them.

The number of people who use their smartphone as their primary means of Internet connectivity is always on the rise. People who perform mobile searches are more likely to make a visit to a physical store if it is located within a close proximity to their home. The list goes on and on.

This is also a big part of the reason why 2022 will be the year that more companies than ever adopt true mobile-first marketing strategies. This means creating and optimizing campaigns to make sure they work well for smaller devices with touchscreen interfaces like smartphones and tablets. This can also include creating a brand-centric application to make it easier for these users to interact with the collateral you’re putting out into the world.

This brings with it a few key benefits – like the fact that it virtually guarantees that the vast majority of people who see your content will have a good experience with it. Not only that, but it also helps differentiate yourself from your competitors – which in and of itself is probably the most important goal of all.

Trend #4: User Generated Content Will Continue to Be Mission Critical

Finally, we arrive at the idea of user generated content – that is to say, the collateral that the customers themselves are creating without any “interference” from your brand.

We’ve seen many successful campaigns like this in the past on social media. A video camera company might encourage users to submit their “craziest” video and whoever is voted the winner gets a prize. A candy company might solicit the submission of customer photos with their product in exchange for a discount. The list goes on and on. Social media ads campaigns can play a vital role in branding of your business.

Especially given everything going on in the world right now, this user generated content trend will only continue to be essential. Social proof has never been more valuable – and that goes beyond simply encouraging testimonials and written reviews.

Social media sites like TikTok, Twitter and Instagram will play a key role in this. There is also an intersection between user generated content and influencer marketing. One of the best ways to initiate this type of campaign would be to use an influencer to issue a “challenge” on a platform like TikTok. Have them show an example of the exact type of content you want and then get as many people to recreate it as possible. Affiliate marketing is also a great way to increase brand awareness.

Not only is this a great way to get free content for your digital marketing campaign, but each new person who attempts the “challenge” exposes your messaging to their own friends and family members. It’s cost-effective and it broadens your reach at the same time – a “win-win” scenario if there ever was one.