The world of digital marketing is always in flux as software continues to grow exponentially. The recent pandemic has only further accelerated the digitalization of work and life. Here are the three big marketing trends of 2022 that digital marketers need to leverage.
Across the Metaverse
Amidst a difficult 2021, Facebook created a new parent company named Meta. On the surface, this may seem like a superficial shift in branding, but digital marketers need to be paying attention to the “metaverse.â€
The “metaverse†is an online virtual world incorporating augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D avatars, and other digital media. It is an alternative, digital universe where users live. And while this universe may not be real, the money certainly is—a digital yacht was recently sold for over $6 million USD in the metaverse.
Mark Zuckerberg has been bullish on the metaverse for years now, investing in virtual reality like Oculus. Marketers should follow his lead and look for opportunities in these new spaces.
Great Minds Link Alike
With so many social media options, it’s easy for companies to spread themselves thin trying to cover all their bases. It’s better to focus on priority sites that can deliver the best results, and LinkedIn continues to be a safe bet.
In 2021, LinkedIn’s revenue jumped in quarter three to over $3 billion USD from $2.5 billion in quarter two. As such, the number of LinkedIn users has grown to over 700 million, with 17 million users in Canada. Further, 44 per cent of all Internet users in Canada have a LinkedIn account, and nearly 30 per cent of Canadian Internet users use LinkedIn monthly.
For digital marketers, LinkedIn’s advertising software offers over 200 targeting characteristics. More, ad exposure on LinkedIn can increase purchase intent by 33 per cent. And because there are 61 million “senior-level influencers†and 65 million “decisions makers†on LinkedIn, ads are seen by top-level executives.
Search Engines Want to EAT
As search engine algorithms become more sophisticated, SEO professionals need to focus more on quality and less on hacks or tricks. Expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EAT) drive search engines like Google. So, content can’t just be a word salad thrown together; it needs to have meat on the bone.
The concepts of EAT are not easily quantifiable. EAT isn’t an algorithm and there is no EAT score; EAT impacts Google ranking indirectly. Moreover, Google has different standards for EAT depending on the nature of the website. For example, a post about medical or financial advice will have a higher EAT standard than a movie review. In fact, Google is purposefully unclear about how its EAT evaluation works—likely to avoid SEO professionals from trying to “hack†it.
Nor is EAT a replacement for technical SEO auditing. EAT is just one more ingredient to consider on top of traditional parameters like on-page optimization and earning high-quality links.
Ultimately, creators should focus on exceptional content that best serves their intended client, continually building trust and authority.
If you would like help leveraging the latest digital marketing trends of 2022, contact us today.