The Top 5 B2C Marketing Trends of 2022 [New Data]
In 2022, 51% of B2C marketers plan to increase their marketing budget.
The question is where to put this budget? Will marketers reinvest in the same strategies or try new trends?
From influencer marketing to virtual events, there are so many endeavors brands can focus on. Let’s see what our latest study says about what worked well for marketers this year and where to invest in 2022.
The top B2C marketing trends of 2022
- Short videos will be a priority.
- Influencer marketing will continue to be an important lead / sales driver.
- Audio content will occupy a front place.
- Social responsibility is becoming more important.
- Brands will continue to employ inbound marketing strategies.
To understand which trends B2C marketers are tapping into in 2022, we surveyed 1,067 global marketers working in B2B and B2C companies. Here’s what we found
1. Short videos have priority.
Short-form videos hit the market in early 2020 and are showing no signs of slowing down.
Back then, TikTok was the first port of call for short-form content. Today, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts are also competing for user attention.
This is good news for brands as the trending video content in short form in 2021 provided the second highest ROI for B2C marketers after influencer marketing.
Despite taking second place in ROI, trend marketers plan to invest the most in 2022. The second surprising fact is that for many marketers, around 32%, it will benefit for the first time in 2022.
Why now? Well, short videos are such an important feature on social media today. And according to the data, social media is taking the lead in marketing investments for businesses.
That’s probably because, according to the study, in 2022 there are three main goals brands have to run marketing campaigns:
- Increase in brand awareness (49.3%)
- Increasing sales (43.3%)
- Promotional Products (42.1%)
You can get at least two out of three with social media. Brand awareness has always been the main benefit of using social media, but things have moved on. With so many platforms offering in-app shopping experiences and advanced ad formats, brands can achieve more of their marketing goals today.
2. Influencer marketing will continue to be an important lead / sales driver.
For most B2C marketers, the power of influencers is clear.
In 2022, 61% of the B2C marketers surveyed in the study plan to use them in 2022. In fact, this is the third highest trend they want to prioritize behind short video content and inbound marketing.
This is because it offered the ROI in 2021.
What might be different in the future is the type of influencers brands are focusing on. In the past, brands have focused on the biggest and most popular influencers to work with.
However, some data suggests that micro-influencers with fewer than 100,000 followers can be more effective.
While the verdict on this is still pending, one thing is clear: influencer marketing is getting nowhere.
3. Audio content is in the foreground.
Data suggests that videos are leading the way in content marketing. However, audio is slowly creeping into the mix.
According to the survey, only 19.1% of B2C marketers use podcasts or other audio content in their marketing. 37.4% of those who use it consider it one of their most effective trends.
Although adoption appeared to be low in 2021, the data suggests that more B2C marketers will be adding audio to their marketing efforts in the New Year.
About 43% of B2C marketers plan to increase their investments in podcasts in 2022, while 38.4 plan to leave them unchanged. Another interesting fact is that this particular data is practically the same for B2B marketers.
This suggests that brands in all industries are realizing the power of audio content.
4. Social responsibility is becoming more important.
Today more than ever, consumers want and expect brands to be more transparent and to take a stand on social media.
In fact, a 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer survey found that many consumers see trust as a major factor in their purchasing decisions.
In the past two years, especially at the height of the COVID-19 crisis and calls for social justice, consumers have begun to hold brands more accountable. Brands will meet this demand in 2022.
Currently, only a third of the B2C marketers surveyed consider social responsibility to be an effective marketing trend. Even so, 45% plan to increase their investments in 2022.
5. Brands will continue to use inbound marketing strategies.
Inbound marketing is about meeting consumers where they are. Instead of marketing efforts that get messages across to consumers, this focuses on getting them over to you.
Behind short videos, inbound marketing is the top trend marketers will be investing in over the next year.
In fact, over 80% of marketers plan to keep the same budget or add more for this strategy.
It does this on an “Attract, Delight, Engage” model that leverages content marketing, SEO, marketing automation, social media, and more to empower consumers at every stage of the buyer journey.
There you have it – some of the top trends B2C marketers will be investing in in 2022. There is a busy year ahead of you between posting regular video / audio content on social media and developing a strong inbound marketing strategy.
To keep up with the latest marketing trends, download the HubSpot Not Another State of Marketing 2021 report.
