Marketing technologies gaining ground in 2022 are a culmination of all the consumer desires in the past decade. Many of these trends have been accelerated due to Covid, the need to work remotely, and the desire to have more things delivered to you. If you’re thinking about developing a product, consider these martech trends before you embark on your next endeavor:
1. Wearable technology
When we thought about the future in the 80s or 90s it was flying cars and everyone in monochrome uniforms. Well, we may get there too, but ever since the cell phone began to get more compact and able to fit into our pockets and earphones started hanging around our necks, then became wireless, it’s clear that we want technology to become a seamless extension of ourselves.
The most notable example of this, of course, are smart watches. No matter the brand, wearable martech integrations like watches offer new ways developers can connect with their client-base. For instance, if someone is looking for a grocery store in a new town, they can receive a notification from one when they pass by. Most interestingly though, wearable technology is the perfect bridge between online and offline marketing. (We’ll talk about this more under the Multichannel approach to customer communications)
2. VR/AR content
Forward thinking companies have been integrating VR into their marketing campaigns since as early as 2017. Despite the travel bans associated with covid, slowly but surely the world of globetrotters is returning. Nevertheless, more planning is involved than before, and marketers have learned that they can use this time and VR to tease and entice. So it’s not about not traveling at all, but more premeditation and VR is the perfect superhero to swoop in and save the day.
VR directs the user’s attention more to the experience the given product can offer and takes attention away from the price. Yes, it’s that crafty! As opposed to TV commercials or even embedded ads on social media, VR is more immersive. Essentially, you almost forget you’re watching an ad.
Arloopa’s campaign for jellies and jam is a great example of how ad campaigns can leap off the screens off the shelves and into peoples’ hearts.
3. Multichannel approach to customer communications
Otherwise known as the omnichannel strategy, marketers implement this means of communication to include both online and offline channels like websites, mobile apps, social media, physical stores and kiosks. By providing personalized support and integrating reactive & digital communication channels users get a more cohesive experience.
To get a better understanding of what goes into this approach look at the infographic below:
Thus, some examples of omnichannel communications in action should be leveraging the IoT-based mobile apps to assist customers in finding the right product while they shop in stores. In addition, brands will become more “human” and user-centric. How? By reaching out to clients in different ways and giving the user a kind of marketing ‘hug’ all around.
4. Internet of Things (IoT)
As we hinted in the point above, the Internet of Things is another major trend in Martech. The big advantage of IoT is that it allows for a better, more efficient interaction with the audience. This is because IoT will lead to:
- Optimized exchange of sales data
Smart devices collect and transmit sales data to marketers in real time. This allows you to swiftly make marketing decisions and adjust course wherever necessary.
- Instant consumer analysis,
After data has been transmitted to you in real time the next step in organization. By essentially marrying CRM and IoT, more and more companies can collect and structure customer data.
- Improved service quality for devices,
IoT-based apps also will bring about the self-assessment of device service life. They can anticipate when parts need to be ordered and replaced, thus minimizing the time users are without working gadgets they depend on.
- Increased effectiveness of advertising.
With the help of devices that are seamlessly interconnected, companies are able to process information about each existing and potential customer. Analyzing users’ habits, preferences, and tastes helps create products and advertising campaigns that attract as many buyers as possible. Whereas advertisements are usually tailored to the average person, IoT, offers an individual approach to each customer.
5. Mobile-first solutions
If most of your customers depend on your product or software on the go, why bother with a web application. Ok, well, you may not go that far. Having a good ol’ fashion web-based app is a worthy endeavor, but you might consider prioritizing the mobile app first. Smart phones have long had the status of being mini computers, and the more crisp your UI/UX on mobile the further your product will go.
By contrast, a sticky website that isn’t mobile friendly and takes a long time to load can be a major reason why you see high bounce rates.
6. Programmatic ads
As it stands, marketerts still remain heavily involved when it comes to creating an ad campaign. The process is very hands on. Default settings are seldom what you need to reach your target audience and marketing managers often have to customize the campaign settings in order for it to be successful.
That’s all about to change. Programmatic advertising is the use of automated technology for media buying (the process of buying advertising space), as opposed to traditional (often manual) methods of digital advertising. So far in 2022 the US has spent almost $100 billion in programmatic ads. So it’s safe to say this trend is here to stay.
7. Chatbots
Chatbots are learning, getting smarter, more responsive and more human as we speak. They are a sure-fire way to ensure customers get instant help and feedback to any question or concern without waiting for your support department to be online. This, in turn, can help you cut back on your support costs. With customers expecting 24/7 availability, it’s close to impossible to reach a high level of customer-friendliness without chatbots.
8. Voice technology
Siri, Alexa, Cortana. These have practically become members of family households nowadays. Studies show that voice assistants grew in number from 2017 to 2018 by 78%. Naturally, this number has only continued to increase in the ensuing years. In 2021, according to Statista there were around 120.4 million users of voice assistants in the United States, which amounted to 46.2 percent of the population.
This will lead to a rise in audio branding, growing focus on UX voice content, and music as a part of brand culture.
9. Data management and customer data platforms
Managing customer data and platforms that foster this are another key trend in MarTech. Not just in 2022 but in the decade to come. Over the coming five years data management and customer data tools will really make their debut. Although these are just projects, the market value of such tools can potentially reach up to $3.2 million by next year.
GDPR and data protection laws in Silicon Valley already placed limitations on the information marketers can gather. This makes data gathering, data management, and organization platforms all the more important. By leveraging them, brands can have access to the necessary insight they need to make strategic marketing decisions.
10. Push notifications
Push notifications were trendy last year, the year before and the year before that. And they are here to stay. Why? Because it’s a non-invasive way of reminding your customers about whatever you want to highlight at any given time. Giveaways, sales, discounts, last-minute deals, pending deliveries and arrivals are all delivered via push notification. Yes, every application that uses them has to have the option for them to be switched off, but delivered at the right intervals and with the right copy it can keep your users engaged and active.
Looking Ahead
Martech trends affect the way markers, executives and managers create and track campaigns. By leveraging new tools and platforms you will be able to define your target audience better, build a better relationship with your potential customers and do a better job of setting market budgets.
