Having a plan in place will give you peace of mind for 2022. We have pooled together some of the new trends that should be considered in your 2022 marketing plan. Some of the trends are short-form video, influencer marketing, connected TV (CTV), and audio / podcasts. Social media is still a strong channel that offers a lot of flexibility with content, strategy and budget. (And it’s great for video.)
SHORT-FORM VIDEO
Video has been at the top of consumer favorites for some time, but short-form video breaks through the noise because it’s authentic, fun, fast, custom and easy to consume. Short-form videos create a sense of a one-to-one connection. In general, video allows brands to connect emtionally. Knowing platforms are all different, it’s important to create custom content for each platform. What you see on a social channel may not be what you see on TV.
Fun Facts Related to Short-Form Video
- 93% of marketers have gotten customers via social media videos
- UGC (user-generated-content) is what consumers like to see most from brands
- 71% of Gen Z spend more than 3 hours daily watching online videos
- TikTok is the leading platform when it comes to short-form video
- Instagram Reels are also very popular (users create 15-30 second videos set to music)
- Viewer studies have shown viewers retain 95% of a message when consumed via video
- Over 100 million people watch YouTube & YouTube TV on their TV screens each month in the US (Source: YouTube Internal Data, U.S., March 2020.)
VIDEO IDEAS
- Solve a problem
- Show behind the scenes
- Be yourself – people love the authenticity
- Tell a story
- Public relations / highlight news
- Employee highlights
- Testimonials
“It’s estimated that by 2022, 82 percent of the global internet traffic will come from video streaming and downloads (Cisco, 2019). That’s an 88 percent increase in traffic share from the 72.3 percent in 2017.” – Oberlo
INFLUENCER MARKETING
Many companies already earmark budget for content marketing and most of them are starting to dedicate budget to influencer marketing. HubSpot reported 70% of brands use content marketing. Roughly 36% of brands view influencer marketing success based on conversions and sales. Influencer plans are heavily tied into social media. Influencer campaigns are not always “on” — they are campaign-based. Engagement is better with micro-influencers vs mega-influencers.
- Instagram – Instagram is favored by 67%.
- TikTok – When it comes to influencer marketing, TikTok is now in second place.
- Facebook – Facebook has decreased frm 46 to 43%.
- Snapchat Spotlight – Spotlight was created to compete with TikTok and shows short videos in a continuous loop.
CONNECTED TV (CTV)
Ads are bought programmatically and are shown on streaming devices such as consoles, computers and Smart TVs. Programmatic refers to bidding on digital ad inventory in real-time. You can set your targeting similar to other digital platforms (geography and interests).The greatest advantage of CTV is we now have the ability to target and track TV. Since CTV campaigns are run through a DSP, they have access to the same audience segments available with other programmatic buys. This includes B2B-specific audience segments as well as very niche groups.
Fun Facts About CTV
- 82% of households currently own at least one internet-connected TV
- Amazon started to make its own TVs with new Fire TV and Omni and 4-Series and allow you to ask “Alexa” for recommendations. If you already own Echo speakers, they can be linked to the Omni-series TVs.
- Some providers of CTV allow you to upload email lists for targeting
- Viewers watching CTV are more engaged because they’ve made the active choice to watch the programming, and they don’t have the option to fast forward or skip any ads.
- B2B marketers could retarget users with a display or native ad to continue to drive messaging and product affinity through value-add messaging.
- Watchtime on documentaries on TV screens is up 350%
What’s the impact on broadcast / linear TV?
According to Nielsen, compared to just five years ago, there are 31% fewer available weekly 18 to 49 GRPs across broadcast and cable television. TV’s decline in reach to 18- to 49-year-olds now requires a 46% increase in frequency for marketers to achieve the same GRP levels. n linear TV, advertisers are paying more in exchange for less reach.
MAIN SERVICE PROVIDERS OF STREAMING SERVICES
According to Google, the top four providers listed below are the largest, but there are a few other contenders moving into the space. These are based on watch time and the four account for 75% of it. Comscore ranks YouTube as the top platform for each and share of watchtime. The benefits of streaming include volume of content available, control over what you watch, and relevance.
- Netflix
- YouTube
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
- Others: Peacock, HBO Max, Apple TV Plus, Fubo TV, Sony Crackle, Disney+, Sling
AUDIO / PODCASTS
Podcasts have been around for about 20 years, but have really only taken shape over the past five. Podcasts are listened to by 60% of adults 18-34. For the first time, half of all audio listeners tune into podcasts monthly.
Here are some fun facts about podcasts and listeners:
- In 2006, only 22% of adults were aware of podcasting…it’s now 78%
- There were an estimated 120 million podcast listeners in the US in 2021.
- 50% of all homes have podcast fans
- Most of podcast listening is done at home, but many also listen while driving