Happy New Year! In 2022, B2C marketers plan to increase their marketing budget. The big question is where is how is that budget going to be spent? Will marketers reinvest in the same strategies, or will marketers try new trends?
To understand what trends B2C marketers are leveraging in 2022, we reviewed the results from a recent HubSpot survey of 1,500 global marketing professionals.
From virtual events to micro and famous influencer marketing, there are so many efforts brands/creators can focus on. Here’s what the latest research says about what worked well for B2C marketers last year and where they plan to invest this year, in 2022!
1. Short-form video will be a priority.
Short-form video content has really taken off in the past 3 years and shows no signs of slowing down.
TikTok was the number one place to go for short-form content in recent years. However, today, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Pinterest Video Pins are also competing for users’ attention.
This is great news for brands, as the short-form video content offered the second-highest ROI for B2C marketers in 2021, behind influencer marketing.
Despite coming in second for ROI, it’s the trend marketers plan to invest in the most in 2022. Roughly 33% of the B2C marketers surveyed in HubSpot’s State of Marketing in 2021 Report already invest in short-form content, while one-third of those who haven’t will do so for the first time in 2022.
Short-form video is such a key staple social media trend today. And according to the data from the survey, social media takes the lead in marketing investments for businesses.
That’s likely because three key goals B2C brands will have when running marketing campaigns in 2022, will be increasing brand awareness, advertising products. and increasing revenue.
2. Influencer marketing will still be a key lead/revenue driver.
For most B2C marketers, the power of influencer marketing through brand partnerships is proven, it works.
In 2022, 61% of B2C marketers surveyed in HubSpot’s study plan to leverage it. As a matter of fact, it’s the third-highest trend they plan to prioritize, behind short-form video content and inbound marketing.
This is mainly because it offered B2C brands the best returns on investment in 2021. When asked to select their top ROI driver from a list of 27 tactics and strategies, a significant 11% of the B2C marketers in the survey study chose influencer marketing.
3. Audio content is predicted to take a front seat to video content.
Video content works better than audio content according to numerous historical data reports. However, audio is slowly creeping up to audio content in regards to performance.
According to the survey, only 19.1% of B2C marketers use podcasts or other audio content in their marketing. However, of those who do use it, 37.4% find it to be one of their most effective digital marketing trends.
Even though adoption was a bit low in 2021, the data suggests that more B2C marketers will add audio content to their marketing strategies/efforts in 2022.
Roughly 43% of the B2C marketers surveyed 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.
This shows that across all industries, including media and fashion, brands and creatives recognize the power of audio content.
4. Social responsibility will be more important.
Consumers want and expect brands to be more transparent and take a stand against whats wrong in society publicly on social media these days. Some would say now more than ever because of the easier access to information.
A 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer survey revealed that many consumers see trust as a leading factor in their purchasing decisions. In the past two years, particularly in the height of the COVID-19 outbreak and calls for social justice, consumers are holding brands more accountable, especially Millennials and Generation Z. In 2022, brands will continue addressing that demand from consumers.
Currently, only a third of the B2C marketers surveyed for HubSpot’s State of Marketing 2021 Report find social responsibility to be an effective marketing trend. However, almost 50% plan to increase their investment in 2022.
5. Applying inbound marketing strategies.
Inbound marketing is about meeting your audience where they are. Instead of marketing efforts that push messaging out to consumers, inbound marketing focuses on attracting them toward you. This is done with the “Attract, Delight, Engage” marketing model that leverages content marketing, marketing automation, SEO, and more to nurture your target audience at every stage of the marketing funnel.
It’s important to note that over 80% of the marketers surveyed for HubSpot’s State of Marketing 2021 Report plan to keep the same budget or add more for this strategy this year.
So there it is! Some of the top trends you should be looking into and investing in if you’re targeting consumers B2C in 2022.