Recap: the biggest digital marketing trends of 2022

Ah…the naiveté of 2022. We thought COVID was over. We thought Russia might back off from waging a war in Ukraine. And, everyone thought that crypto currency wouldn’t ever crash.

So much for punditry, none of those things came true.

But when it comes to 2022 digital predictions, how did experts do? Did they get it right or were they way off the mark? Let’s take a look at some of the top predicted trends from last year and see how they did.

1. The metaverse will take off like a rocket

According to TechTarget, the metaverse is a vision of what many in the computer industry believe is the next iteration of the internet: a single, shared, immersive, persistent, 3D virtual space where humans experience life in ways they could not in the physical world.

In October 2021, Facebook rebranded itself to Meta, and everyone speculated that the metaverse would be one of the biggest digital advances of 2022. However, Forbes reports that the metaverse has not caught on with its user base. One of the reasons is that Meta’s flagship product, known as Horizon Worlds, is falling short of expectations. Seeking Alpha also explains that Horizon Worlds is having too many quality issues and even company employees aren’t using it very much.

So what’s the verdict? Did the metaverse take over the world in 2022?

Verdict: Wrong.

2. TikTok will continue to grow

At the start of 2022, the Digital Marketing Institute predicted that TikTok will continue to grow, meaning that brands need to seriously consider getting on this platform. But was this prediction correct?

According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, TikTok surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in Q3 of 2022. We also think that TikTok will continue to be a primary platform in 2023.

Verdict: Correct.

3. Short form video will become the norm

HubSpot’s definition is that any video under 60 seconds is considered short-form, with the optimal length between 31 – 60 seconds. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, short-form videos convey messages in a fun and interactive way, making them more relatable and engaging for target audiences. Short-form branded content that projects authenticity and empathy increases consumers’ willingness to trust a company.

So was this prediction accurate? We definitely say yes! HubSpot reported that at the start of 2022, short-form ranked number one for lead generation and engagement, and that marketers invested in short-form video more in 2022 than any other content format. The Social Shepard also reported that there were an estimated 3.37 billion internet users consuming video content in 2022. This number is projected to increase annually, ultimately reaching nearly 3.5 billion by 2023.

Verdict: Correct.

4. Podcasts and audio content will explode

Wishpond reported at the beginning of 2022 that even though many businesses were very slow to adopt podcasts in 2021, 43 per cent of marketers planned on increasing their podcast investments in 2022.

Was this an accurate prediction?

It absolutely was! BuzzSprout states that in 2022, 62 per cent of the population 12+ listened to a podcast and roughly 79 per cent were familiar with the medium. No wonder marketers wanted to increase their podcast investments!

Verdict: Correct.

5. Social responsibility will be a key consumer consideration

At the beginning of 2022, Wishpond predicted that 2022 would see more brands taking a clear social responsibility stand and use this as part of their marketing strategy.

According to Webinar Care, this prediction was accurate because:

• Up to 54 per cent of consumers say they’ve stopped buying from a company due to its public position on an issue, while 48 per cent of investors have decided not to invest in a company for that same reason.
• A further 88 per cent believe it’s no longer acceptable for companies to make money at the expense of society at large.

Ulliance also reported that 73 per cent of millennial consumers are willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand, and 87 per cent would stay loyal to the brand because it advocated for an issue they cared about.

]What does this mean for your digital strategy? Keep the social responsibility content coming!

Verdict: Correct.

6. Twitter will continue to be a stable and reliable channel for business

FinancesOnline predicted that people will continue to turn to Twitter to consume news and that the platform would re-establish its global relevance. I think we all know by now that this prediction wasn’t entirely accurate. No one could foresee Elon Musk’s Twitter implosion, but since the world’s richest man took over, the future of the company is definitely in question. While people may still be turning to Twitter to consume news (or at least to keep up with Musk’s latest fiascos), Reuters reported that Twitter is losing its most active users now that the company is so mismanaged.

Verdict: Wrong.

7. AI-generating tools will continue to become mainstream

One of our 2022 blog posts asked the question, ‘Should you use AI to write your next blog post?’. According to Convince & Convert, the answer is yes. With impacts affecting virtually every aspect of our lives – from everyday activities like shopping and content creation to innovative events like space exploration and medical research – AI is set to be one of the most transformative things in the 21st century. Exploding Topics shared that AI software market’s global revenue in 2022 was $51.27 billion, and it’s predicted that 2023’s revenue will be $70.94 billion. Want to jump on the AI wagon? Convince & Convert suggests some great AI writing tools.

Verdict: Correct

2022 may have been a whirlwind year, but a lot of the top digital marketing predictions came true! What trends will we see in 2023 (check out our blog for our predictions)? Will the metaverse actually catch on and will 2022’s trends continue? Stay tuned to our blog to find out.