Since the beginning of the pandemic, 51% of small businesses have increased the number of interactions they have with customers online. As our world became increasingly digital, digital marketing became increasingly important.
Here are five small business digital marketing trends to watch in 2022.
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1. Social media is still essential
Social media use skyrocketed during the pandemic. With the exception of Facebook, audiences grew significantly on every platform, especially YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok.
The average person spends nearly 2.5 hours daily on social media, with 12% of people spending over four hours on social media daily. Translation: to connect with customers, it is essential that small businesses have an active and engaging social media presence.
To grow your followers and increase engagement, try these tips:
- Share content your followers can only find on social media, like daily deals, live video, and behind-the-scenes content.
- Partner with local influencers in your city.
- Use niche hashtags that have less competition, adding up to 11 hashtags to each post.
- Reach new users and drive foot traffic with Facebook and Instagram advertising.
2. Shopping goes social
As we spend an increasing amount of our lives on social media, we’ve started shopping there more, too. Last year, two-thirds of social media users said they bought something through a social media network. What’s more, social commerce has grown so quickly that it’s now growing in lockstep with traditional e-commerce. Globally, social commerce is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025.
Thanks to the viral nature of Facebook and Instagram ads, social commerce may enable small businesses to reach an even wider base of customers than they could have with their website alone. Small businesses can create lookalike audiences based on their customer audiences and page followers. They can also create remarketing campaigns that target people who have already made a purchase through a Facebook or Instagram Shop.
3. Video continues to rise
As the graphic showed, the number of Americans on YouTube grew significantly in the past three years. So has the amount of video people consume online, which has nearly doubled since 2018. It’s no surprise that over 90% of marketers say video is an important part of their digital marketing strategy.
Now that we’re officially in the “next normal,” and some of the pandemic disruptions to video production have been removed, we can expect video production to ramp back up in 2022. Small businesses can work with digital marketing agencies to develop:
- Lifestyle videos for use in brand awareness campaigns
- Customer testimonials for their website
- Product videos for their landing pages and social media ads
4. It’s all about local
Having an optimized Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is still the holy grail for small businesses with a local presence. Google Business Profile continues to grow in importance as a local ranking factor, and is now the #1 factor affecting whether a business appears in the local pack, followed by reviews. For those who are wondering, your Google Business Profile also affects whether you show up in the regular search results, too.
To optimize your Google Business Profile:
- Fully complete your Google Business Profile.
- Verify your locations and keep your hours accurate (especially on holidays).
- Implement a process to follow up with each customer to write a review.
- Respond to reviews and Q&A.
- Add new photos on a regular basis.
5. Connection matters
The past few years have been tough, and it’s okay for small businesses to acknowledge that. In fact, customers welcome that kind of authenticity. People are looking for a sense of connection more than ever before, and savvy brands have responded with marketing and promotional campaigns that focus on the human element in their business.
So, get real with your customers. Host contests and sweepstakes that allow you to surprise a lucky customer (or a few) with branded swag. Partner with local nonprofits to do good for your community. Elevate your customers’ voices, highlighting them on your blog or showcasing the ways they’ve used your product or service to improve their life. Run branding campaigns that promote you and your team as people, here to help other people like your customers.
What’s your digital marketing plan for 2022?
Is your small business ready to reach new heights in 2022? Contact Your Marketing People. We’ll craft a custom digital marketing strategy for your business that drives traffic, conversions, and engagement.
