Snack-sized 2022 Trends in Marketing and Communications

Just like your favorite snack tray, your communication and marketing efforts are all about balancing sweet and salty, crunchy and soft, healthful and indulgent. Consider this your charcuterie board of salient trends for 2022. 

Social Media

If 2021 was the year of experimenting with video, 2022 will be all about getting the right mix of content. Top social channels continue to adjust their features, so content creators need to be nimble to avoid being left out. (Support for longer video on Instagram is coming and we are here for it.) If you’ve avoided video so far, consider this your nudge to give it a try. Just like other content, it should be concise, engaging, and match your brand’s personality. We have tips on how to shoot good video from your smartphone to get you started. 

Events

2020 was dominated by virtual gatherings. Nearly everyone participated in Zooms with friends, virtual worship services, or fundraisers. So it’s safe to assume most everyone is equipped to handle a Zoom webinar or virtual event. Even though evolving public policy gave us back some in-person events in 2021, we should expect a blend of both virtual and in-person events to pepper calendars this year. 

When hosting a virtual event, consider including a food delivery service gift card to double up on convenience AND incentivize participation. 

Email Communication

Sure, you can target audiences through digital and social media ads, but as we’ve learned, the rules and algorithms that determine success change often. Unlike other forms of digital communication, you own the data that’s driving email communication. Protect it, keep it up to date, and most of all, use it! Segmentation (and what some are calling microsegmentation) can help you reach your customers where they are in the decision-making process, delivering timely information, education, or opportunities to buy. Start collecting emails with a form on your website. 

Website Design

Our clients want to know how to rank on Google, and the answer right now is page speed. Removing unnecessary functionality, using appropriately-sized images and video, and cleaning up the back end of your site will help improve not only your page speed, but also your user’s experience. A good place to start? Review your site map for ways to reduce what’s slowing your website down. We’ll have more on that soon!

Bonus

QR codes are making a serious comeback. Phone cameras added QR code reader functionality just in time for them to become the go-to way to provide information in a no-contact format, like restaurant menus. Now the whole smartphone-carrying world knows how to use them. But like any piece of technology, they should be used when they’re helpful, and not because of their novelty.