Marketing tech is constantly evolving. New platforms to learn, new strategies to implement, and staying on top of everything can be tough. But the world of marketing tech is not going to slow down. We can expect to see some big changes in how we implement tech in marketing in 2022.
Here are our top four marketing tech trends for 2022.
Throughout the pandemic, we have seen all our favourite marketing events cancelled. Many marketing and tech conferences moved online and you probably also saw your company switch events to an online format.
In-person events are starting to open up again. However, in 2022 we will see that hybrid events will be a popular option for many businesses. If you are planning to hold an event in 2022, hybrid will be the way to go.
Offering attendees the chance to either attend the event in person or virtually can make your events both more inclusive and more sustainable. You can open up your events to international audiences and have a larger number of attendees which is great for both profits and brand awareness.
One of the big marketing tech events of this year was the third-party cookie ban.
In 2022, we will see how marketers use tech to connect with customers in a cookieless world. Now is the time for marketers to rethink their data strategy. First-party data is where the reliance will be in 2022.
For brands just starting with a first-party data strategy, the key will be figuring out the reliance on third-party data. Whereas brands who already capture first-party data will want to find ways to deploy this data in more sophisticated ways.
A good place to start for those with lesser experience is optimising your emails. Typically emails are fueled by first-party data and this makes them the logical starting point.
From there you will need to improve data infrastructure in your business and start thinking about the value you provide to consumers to help capture more first-party data.
Your marketing team will have been using detailed customer profiles built on mounds of data to deliver amazing customer experiences. But as the push back around data privacy has more and more consumers concerned, this coming year we will see more businesses focusing on human-first data experience.
The use of data in marketing can either build or erode trust. Going too far is creepy but mostly data can give helpful recommendations to customers.
According to Deloitte, 68% of consumers say they find it helpful when a brand they regularly shopped with provides them alerts when items go on sale. In comparison, only 11% found these alerts creepy.
However, active listening on devices received a very different reaction. Deloitte asked respondents if they were having a chat with a friend about your caffeine craving, and a coffee ad showed up in their social media feed, would they find this helpful or creepy? 26%responded that the interaction was helpful, while 53% indicated the interaction was creepy.
In 2022, marketers will have to be smarter and more considerate about the data they are using to be human-focused. Transparency and giving customers control over their data will be a big part of this.
AI has been a trend for years. It continues to grow but for marketers in 2022, one of the big impacts we can expect to see AI have is supercharging customer service.
Customer service probably often falls to your sales team. But maybe they don't always deliver the results you are hoping for and this, in turn, impacts your marketing returns.
In 2022, you can expect to see customer service improve as AI allows you to deliver the right information at the right time to improve customer experiences and convert leads.
The huge number of digital channels and hybrid journeys that your customers interact with have complicated the ability to deliver amazing customer experiences. Not to mention, rising customer expectations.
AI can be used to deliver information to customers when they need it most. However, AI is there to charge your customer service, not take it over completely.
For example, a self-service chatbot without live service may leave customers frustrated if they have more complicated questions that AI bots can't answer. Your lack of a live chat service will indicate to customers you care more about cost-saving than your services and this can damage the trust you have built with them.
Tech will continue to shape the marketing strategies we implement. From virtual events to data privacy, there are many areas of tech that need to be considered and that will start to have a greater influence on marketers in 2022.
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