In 2022, 51% of B2C marketers plan to increase their marketing budget. But if we break down that budget, where do we see it going? It is through doing this that we are able to recognise trends and concentrations within the advertising industry. 

Here are the top advertising and marketing trends predicted for 2022:

• Short-form video will be a priority.
• Influencer marketing will still be a key lead/revenue driver.
• Audio content will take a front seat (finally!) 
• Social responsibility will be more important.
• Data Driven Strategy

Short Form Video

Short-form video trend content offered the second-highest ROI for B2C marketers in 2021, behind influencer marketing.

Roughly 33% of B2C marketers already invest in short-form content, while one-third of those who haven’t will do so for the first time in 2022. They say that there are 3 key goals for advertisers in marketing; increasing brand awareness, advertising products and increasing revenue. Social media short-form videos (with TikTok, Reels and YouTube shorts being the most popular formats) achieve two of these three making short-form video content the dream for advertisers in 2022. 

Influencer marketing 

Apparently influencer marketing is the third-highest trend they plan to prioritize, behind short-form video content and inbound marketing. This is because, in 2021, it offered B2C brands the best returns. When asked to select their top ROI driver from a list of 27 tactics and strategies, 11% of B2C marketers chose influencer marketing. 

Audio 

While visual content has taken centre stage for almost the past decade, audio is creeping right behind. According to a survey, only 19.1% of B2C marketers use podcasts or other audio content in their marketing. Of those who do use it, 37.4% find it to be one of their most effective trends.

Roughly 43% of B2C marketers plan to increase their investment in podcasts in 2022 while 38.4 plan to keep it the same. Another interesting fun fact is that this particular piece of data is virtually the same for B2B marketers. 

Social responsibility

Now more than ever, consumers want and expect brands to be more transparent and take a stand on social media. In the past two years, particularly in the height of the COVID-19 crisis and calls for social justice, consumers have started holding brands more accountable. In 2022, brands will be addressing that demand.

Data-Driven Strategy

​​Existing customers expect the brands that they interact with to know who they are. It is taken for granted that the end-to-end journey is joined up for a more streamlined and efficient experience.

Where this is missing, today’s consumer is easily frustrated. Lack of this customer insight can duplicate interactions, generic communications, or impersonal service. One bad experience can indefinitely destroy a customer relationship or view of a brand.

70% of millennials are frustrated with brands sending irrelevant emails, but there is no reason for this to happen in a data-driven landscape. Brands collect huge volumes of information about who their customers are and what drives their behavior. The task is then to use the intelligence to refine strategies that will create brand experiences that consumers want.