I think it’s fair to say that 2021 was a pretty good year for marketing. That being said, there’s a new year waiting for us, with new innovative strategies and marketing changes.
And we want to be prepared for all of them. That’s why we listened to the best marketing experts, and draw a couple of conclusions about what this upcoming year has in store for us!
Reels have bigger power than you might think
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, announced on Twitter that the platform is considering a new paradigm shift, given the fact that its users have made their point pretty clear.
They want more entertaining video content. Naturally, businesses will have to rethink their strategies as soon as possible and add an essential component to their strategies.
But, pay attention! Not all kinds of video will work. It has to be creative, it has to bring innovation, and it has to be entertaining, in order to shine on the digital marketing scene.
Facebook Ads Performance is more efficient
If you’ve paid close attention, you might have seen that a lot of the on-platform Facebook ad experiences, such as lead generation ads, Messenger ads, and so on), are more effective than ever before. Apparently, the whole pixel debacle that happened in 2021 made Facebook upgrade its game.
Even more, we suspect that as time goes by, we are going to enter a new era of even shorter attention spans. Those who want to win will have to think short.
Videos will be easier to consume, very informative, and as entertaining as possible. Although many of us were highly skeptical when TikTok and Reels made their entrance, trust me, an entertaining, short video that’s also educational won’t go anywhere.
The old is back in fashion: long-form content is the star
As far as we’re concerned, 2021 was the year of short-form media. TikTok’s success was skyrocketing, Instagram Reels made quite an impression, and YouTube Shorts made us all pay attention to 15-second messages.
But, as anything that’s new and reeaaally good, we want more! So, in 2021, TikTok expanded to 3 minutes in length, Instagram Reels went to 60 seconds. And it won’t be enough in 2022, we’ll want even more. So, everything will go back to longer-form content.
Niche Facebook experiences become the center of marketing channels
Facebook keeps on ruling the social network world with, having 2.9 billion monthly active users. Even so, more and more people want to connect in smaller, niche communities and subcultures.
Funnily enough, Facebook took care of that too. Brands and businesses should double down on three main areas if they want to assure deeper relationships and strengthen trust with their audience:
- Facebook Groups – This year, Facebook presented many features that will make groups even more appealing to admins and members altogether. There will be the possibility of creating subgroups, both free and paid, but also shops for selling merchandise, and community fundraisers.
- Live Audio Rooms – This feature will continue to expand for its users. You can use it to connect and communicate better with other members. It’s super easy and you won’t even need to get camera-ready!
- Facebook Live – We can’t emphasize this enough, but live video is still very powerful!
Also, don’t be shy to go big on Facebook Reels, if you want maximum organic reach and engagement! As long as TikTok is a massive competitor, Meta Platforms will continue to bring similar features.
Marketers: Forget the basics!
Many businesses and marketers still aren’t paying attention to the basics. This being said, in 2022, you won’t be seeing videos in the strategies of many companies, even though they should include them.
Also, many companies, especially B2B, won’t be transparent about the cost and pricing considerations of their products or services on their websites or social platforms, although we all know they should.
This way, many sales and marketing departments will continue to be dissociated. Most websites won’t have self-service tools, such as pricing calculators, assessments, and so on, even though we’re starting to get used to using them.
The point is if you want to easily improve the results, always consider going back to the basics.
Organic Instagram Video helps build intimacy and trust
Videos will keep on being the only way to build trust faster with your audience if you want to sell more. When Instagram first appeared, it was only a photo app, but today you won’t have any success on Instagram if you don’t use video. Videos are featured all over the platform:
- Instagram Reels – These short-form videos are the new stars. They have the most organic reach of any type of post. You don’t even need to use God-knows-what kind of transitions to get what you need from reels.
- Instagram Direct Messages – Video messages and live video chats are a good way to enhance connections on this platform.
- Instagram Live – Now, you can bring up to 3 guests in your Instagram Live, which makes things even more entertaining. PLUS, their audience members will get notified if the person they follow is live, which will bring a new audience to your broadcast.
Youtube Shorts are only a distraction
If you want to win organic growth on YouTube, you need to be constantly updated on how YouTube’s algorithm changes. While some creators might have become popular with YouTube Shorts, you shouldn’t rush into believing it will be the same for you.
YouTube users still want long-form content, which is even better for sales, building a community, and even sustainable growth.
Video will upgrade the organic Marketing on Linkedin
2021 was a good year for LinkedIn, as it launched Creator Mode, a tool made to encourage and support professionals in posting more original content. There are many things you can get out of this tool, but in 2022, LinkedIn is expected to launch a short video feature as well.
And yes, you’ve guessed it right, this feature is similar to Instagram Reels and TikTok. Businesses will be able to use it to market their services and products with short how-to videos, which will only grow their users’ sessions and video marketing effectiveness.