COVID-19 was the main focus in 2020 and 2021, as the pandemic was the cause of a relentless trend towards digital transformation for businesses in different industries for each country in Europe. Digitalization continues to evolve, with access to the Internet in all urban areas of European countries, as well as in over 70% of smaller settlements such as villages and provinces. As most countries around the world are still struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of digitization and digital infrastructure has become the most important process for continuing economic and social activity and reducing the impact of the pandemic. A round table of economic experts organized by the ITU and held in June 2020 concluded that the countries with the best internet connectivity infrastructure could mitigate up to half of the negative economic shock of the pandemic.
Consumer behavior is also changing, with increased denial of travel and social events and a greater focus on digital entertainment, communication and e-commerce platforms. Schools are moving to online learning and digital classrooms, and governments are increasingly relying on and needing data on citizens, health and economic indicators to determine which policies are most appropriate. Studies show that the pandemic has prompted both consumers and businesses to use much more digital services and technologies, accelerating the digital transformation by several years.
In general, the pandemic has forced greater demand for digital trust everywhere, and this result is likely to remain in the “new normal”, as the benefits of richer data and reduced transaction costs from using this data affect the way entrepreneurs, politicians and professionals make decisions. At the heart of this historic transformation, digitalization is the predominant factor in Europe’s future competitiveness and global leadership. We cannot miss the fact that improving digitalization is more than just a goal for every business in Europe. It facilitates the integration of global supplies, the innovative use of critical health information, the opportunity for citizens to improve their skills in the workforce, the ability of students to acquire new skills not previously available to them and many other positive externalities that change the course of history.
The end of the year is a great time to look at the trends in digital marketing that we will probably see in 2022. To make a solid plan for your marketing strategy, it is important to consider where to focus your efforts in the long run. In this article, we will use data from various studies and professionals from the industry, which suggest what are the most likely good practices and trends next year.
No one could have predicted how 2020 would change the face of marketing. Those who carefully planned their marketing activities based on what they knew at the beginning of the same year turned out to have to end their plan and start from scratch. But some things are certain – the future of marketing and business will be more diverse, inclusive and related to the real needs of customers.
Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, so of course, some of these trends are focused on it. However, there is also a rebuff to the increased digitaliзation and automation of interactions between brands and consumers. Today there is a desire to make marketing more humane again.
As technologies such as AI and data-driven marketing continue to evolve, the overarching focus will be on people, not innovation.
Now marketing should provide a fantastic experience for customers that will make them shop from you many times. The focus is increasingly shifting to building a positive business culture. Any type of personalization, such as messages that solve customers’ problems and help them make a purchase decision, to everything you can do throughout the user path and the quality you provide across channels, is more likely to win customers for you.
Look for ways to listen and answer all the questions. Coordinate your digital marketing team with your customer service team to ensure good service at all times.
Easier online content sharing has allowed users to have much more power. They are no longer a passive party when it comes to product research – customers are already doing their own research. So you have to offer them something more than information. 73% of people say that the customer experience is an important factor in their purchasing decisions.
And in fact – what exactly makes the user experience great? – Efficiency, convenience, competent and friendly service and easy payment options are what people value most in their experience. There are also new aspects that are also gaining momentum, such as the use of more up-to-date technology, personalization, an easy mobile experience, brand image and great design.
Video is the fastest-growing form of content. From YouTube to TikTok, people are consuming more and more video content. Users absorb visual images such as animations, illustrations and videos better than written content. With so much content constantly appearing on every social network, it’s easier to watch a short video than it is to read a long article.
According to a Wyzowl survey, 84% of people were persuaded to buy a product or service after watching videos of a brand. That’s why more marketers are investing in video marketing. In 2020, 92% of marketers said that video content is an important part of the content marketing strategy, compared to 78% in 2015. In 2021, high video viewership will also be maintained, so we are sure – next year the video again, there will be the greatest advantage over other ways of sharing information.
Customers want convenience and accessibility. They want to be able to interact with the brands they love, no matter what channel they are in. This means that your marketing needs to reach them through the channels they frequently visit, and you need to provide support for more than one channel to reach your target customers.
Companies that provide multi-channel service retain up to 89% of their customers, while companies that do not retain only about 33%. The top 3 most popular channels for communicating with customers are phone, email and online service. Managing customer requests from multiple channels doesn’t have to be complicated. There are a variety of software solutions on the market to help you manage all your marketing channels.
The most successful merchants constantly rely on their data to serve their customers better. In 2021, businesses gained more data about their customers than ever before. This gives you access to an incredible amount of user insights that can be used to create your business strategies. In order to have this data, you need to find the right systems and marketing experts to ensure the correct interpretation of the data.
Analyzing marketing metrics has become one of the most sought-after skills in digital marketing. In Altimeter’s Digital Marketing Status Report 2020, data analysis is the best skill desired by digital marketers when hiring new staff.
Your marketing data can tell you:
Security breaches and data leaks have put consumers’ privacy and security in the spotlight in recent years. When a customer’s personal information is disclosed, their trust in your company is compromised and it can be difficult to regain it.
Worldwide, many companies are enforcing tighter security measures to keep their customers’ information safe. Customer verification protocols such as two-step authentication and biometric identification are increasingly being chosen.
The European Union (EU) has restricted the way companies process personal data with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law. Companies that do not comply with GDPR regulations face heavy fines.
Triggered by the GDPR law, many companies are now informing website visitors about the use of tracking software as cookies. Marketing also needs more permission from customers to subscribe to email subscriptions or receive promotional communication.
Have you noticed that something unusual happens with many of the ads on Facebook? They are more effective than ever. It seems that with all the pixel failures that have occurred in 2021, Facebook has taken some fantastic steps to make its products easy to use and much more efficient.
To experience all the benefits and have the right data, we strongly recommend that you use the next iteration of tracking – a more stable conversion API and an improved pixel – Facebook CAPI.
Of course, in 2022 we expect the period, in which we keep our attention, to be even shorter than usual. Therefore, if you want to win more customers, try to offer them content that they can perceive at a glance. Bet on larger titles, shorter sentences and brighter colors. Use videos that are easy to understand, contain useful information and are as fun as possible. While some people may scoff at the rise of features like Reels and platforms like TikTok, make no mistake – the short, educational, fun video is here to stay in time. Connect your short videos with good old-fashioned storytelling and this will be a strategy that will take your business to heaven.
It is clear that 2021 was the year of the short media. The explosion of TikTok, the widespread adoption of Instagram Reels and the introduction of YouTube Shorts made us all focus on 15-second videos. However, there is a subtle change that is happening on social platforms. TikTok has already allowed video sharing for up to 3 minutes. Instagram also extended Reels to 60 seconds. These small little changes are the beginning of our return to a little longer and educational content.
Although Facebook continues to dominate as a social network №1 in the world with 2.9 billion active users per month, more and more people crave experiences in smaller and closer communities and subcultures.
Fortunately, Facebook has also continued to develop those experiences with which brands can deepen their relationships and build more trust with their audience:
And definitely go all-in on Facebook Reels if you can to achieve maximum organic reach and engagement. Meta will continue to deploy and push this full-screen short video format very strongly. While TikTok remains a huge competitor, the CEO of Meta Platforms, Inc. Mark Zuckerberg and the team will give great weight to such functions. And now these are Reels on Instagram and Facebook.
Now is the time to start planning your marketing strategy for 2022, if you haven’t already. Make sure you start the New Year with a clear plan for your goals and how you will achieve them.
As marketing trends come and go, the foundations of success remain the same: understand the needs of your audience and communicate with them clearly and consistently. That’s why customer-focused content has always been the best way to build a solid relationship with your audience. Of course, content marketing will continue to dominate the digital landscape. To be successful in the trends and new technical settings and requirements, you will need to have a solid base of quality content in all your marketing channels and of course – a lot of experience. If you want to find a trusted and reliable partner who will take care of the marketing strategy of your online store, do not hesitate and contact the Digital Expert team.
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