Another year has passed and it’s nearly time to welcome 2022 with open arms. Over the last 12 months, we’ve been taught some lessons in marketing that we won’t ever forget. From a social media blackout to clever campaign creations by businesses small and large, there has been a lot to learn. Now that the New Year is just around the corner, we need to cautiously choose what we want to take with us into 2022.
First of all, don’t forget that everyone’s experience in marketing is different. Sure, we all absorb the same news and latch onto the latest trends. However, you’re a unique marketer with individual experiences, memories and moments that will stay with you throughout the rest of your career. Let’s get cracking, shall we?
Video content is queen
Digestible + entertaining = winning video content.
With the world beginning to open back up again, consumers genuinely don’t have time for content that isn’t easy to swallow. We all fell head over heels for TikTok during the height of the pandemic, and we know that it’s here to stay. At the end of a long day, people are more likely to scroll through apps for a slice of humour and a light-hearted laugh. Now, more than ever, marketers need to break down their content into bite-sized videos.
With video content being queen, TikTok research finds that more than 63% of ads that showcase a product or message in the first three seconds have the highest click-through rate. This isn’t surprising, as businesses that understand how to market towards Gen Z have this nailed. If you don’t entice your audience immediately, their quick scroll away could leave your stats (and efforts) feeling hurt. Here’s our suggestion for structuring content:
- HOOK – This is when you throw the bait at your audience. Make them want to stay by teasing the content they’re about to see!
- BODY – The main course. Feed consumers exactly what you want them to know.
- CTA – End your video with a call-to-action that viewers can follow.
Ideally, you can use these steps for non-video content too. Consumers need to be entertained immediately (especially with knowing how to market towards Gen Z), so ensure you’re using time wisely within any content.
Your brand should be trustworthy
You already know that your brand is like the women’s bathroom at a club – trustworthy. However, does your audience truly understand that? Recent research shows that losing trust costs customers and harms business. This was one of the marketing challenges of 2021, as brands had to seal the deal on gaining trust whilst recovering from the pandemic.
An effective and long-lasting way to ensure your brand is trustworthy is by reminding consumers that there are people behind it. Humanising any business is a step closer to connecting with an audience on a genuine level. At Girls in Marketing, we enjoy showing our faces and behind-the-scenes processes of how the business works. Personally, this allows us to engage with our community of marketers in a much deeper way.
The good news is that you can still be trustworthy as a faceless brand. Another way to do it is by including nostalgia within campaigns, as people attach emotion and personal memories to relatable content.
Email marketing is relevant (when done right)
With each year that goes by, email marketing is slowly sneaking into the shadows. We’re not saying that it isn’t necessary and important within your marketing strategy. However, now that the likes of video content and social media marketing are bigger than ever, emails are being put on the back-burner. With brands using personalised messages and sliding into the DMs of their audience, it’s no wonder that email marketing isn’t the popular kid at school anymore. That doesn’t mean to say it doesn’t work, though.
Over 3 billion email users are still active, which means that email strategies may just need a refresh. Most importantly, if you have a database full of subscribers, get to know them through surveys. Conversion comes from making people feel special and cared for by your business. This may be through subscriber segmentation and customised email campaigns.
Be reactive
If we’ve learnt anything from any marketing challenges in 2021, it’s that we need to be reactive and adaptable. With viral trends coming in hot (and often), businesses have been jumping on reactive marketing like it’s going out of style. The good news is that it’ll be around for a long time, which gives us time to play around with content.
A HUGE pro of reactive marketing is that it’s extremely relevant and tends to have high engagement. Lessons learned in marketing include the fact that you need to pay attention to what people are talking about. Whether it’s online via social platforms or on the news, there’s no harm in reacting to things as a business if it’s relevant to your brand.
An example of this includes the infamous Facebook and Instagram blackout of 2021. With servers being down, users and brands across the world had to go nearly 12 hours without the platforms. Instead, apps such as Twitter and TikTok reaped the rewards of millions more flocking to them for support and a way to pass the time. Businesses such as Innocent Drinks and McDonald’s took to reactive tweets to keep their customers engaged.
Positive vibes only
Going into the New Year, remember that you deserve positive vibes only. This includes who you’re interacting with and dedicating your time to online, which is why we’ve created the ultimate list of Top 22 Female Marketers to Follow in 2022. These marketing superstars have an incredibly varied vault of knowledge just for you, and they’re here to guide you into new beginnings. Get following, marketer!
