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<p>From meta tags to the metaverse - digital marketing has advanced to spheres far out of this world. Even traditional marketing has advanced to personalized, creative content that captivates audiences, rather than a flyer through the letterbox that ends up in the bin. Why such drastic changes? The consumer. Consumers are the driving force behind every new marketing strategy and campaign. They want personalized, targeted, and relevant ads that tell them what they want before they even know they want it.</p>
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<p>It would seem that marketing trends are a never-ending evolution - and this year, the word on the street is that some of the emerging trends have the marketing nerds excited. Let's explore.</p>
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<h2><strong>Metaverse</strong></h2>
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<p>The metaverse is still unknown - by definition, it's a collection of 3D virtual universes. Two of the main platforms are Decentraland and The Sandbox. Leading brands like Coca-Cola and Nike have already invested heavily into the metaverse to create virtual buildings that replicate their physical world counterparts. Still, the concept is very much in its infancy - Decentraland has approximately 800,000 registered users.</p>
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<p>Does its infancy make it the perfect time to hop on-board the metaverse trend train? Yes, it definitely does. There are multiple avenues to explore, from creating virtual plots of land that become a brand showhome to combining the metaverse with NFTs to create a giant virtual ad campaign; there are tons of avenues to explore.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Be warned - it may be harder to calculate <a href="https://www.appsflyer.com/glossary/roas/">ROAS</a> on metaverse ventures because the success of a metaverse campaign won't be instant. It'll be an ongoing expenditure that'll take longer to engage with an audience.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2><strong>Podcasting</strong></h2>
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<p>Podcasts are a huge trend right now. From mindfulness to business, there's every niche you can imagine that nearly 80 million Americans listen to each day. How can you turn this into a marketing trend? Well, there are two options. The first is to create a business podcast, and the second is to partner with a podcaster and sponsor their show. Huel, for example, partnered with The Diary of a CEO that helped the brand grow by 150%.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Podcasting and video marketing have professionals within the industry excited because it appeals to the evolution of the consumer - 54% of consumers would rather see more video content than text. Yes, podcasting isn't always a video, but it's the audio that appeals to the consumer. Considering Americans listened to a combined 15 billion hours of podcasts in 2021, there's an untapped potential here.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>There's also the option to partner with podcasters and share your opinions about business management, marketing, or anything you think would add value to the podcast. Podcasters are always looking to partner with other like-minded professionals to share wisdom with their listeners.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2><strong>Video Marketing</strong></h2>
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<p>The statistic above - 54% of consumers would rather see more video content - is all you need to know to understand why video content marketing has those within the industry excited. Plus, studies show that by the end of 2022, video content will equate to 82% of all consumer internet traffic. Plus, video marketing is relatively inexpensive in comparison to other strategies. The humble iPhone and a free video editor make it possible for even the average Joe without any technical experience to create a professional marketing video.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>TikTok is the perfect avenue to explore. There's no need for fancy equipment, there are over one billion users, and the videos are only a minute long. Research shows the average attention span of an adult watching a marketing video is eight seconds - but a snappy, exciting, and hashtag-trending TikTok video can keep the watcher gripped for a full minute.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>There's also the more traditional option, such as posting video content to a business blog, a paid YouTube ad campaign, or even creating a business vlog. Video content marketing should always contain a call-to-action - or a follow link that allows users to explore the brand further.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2><strong>Shoppable Links</strong></h2>
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<p>Shoppable links aren't a new trend, but they're a rapidly evolving one that has the marketing industry excited. Shoppable links are the concept of allowing users to shop without leaving the platform they found the link on. Instagram is the perfect example of this - most brands with an Instagram account now include shoppable links. One statistic states that 44% of Instagram users now use Instagram to shop weekly, which makes sense considering the average person spends 54 minutes a day scrolling through the app.</p>
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<p>Plus, shoppable links on platforms like Instagram are a great way of combining <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketing-trends">social media marketing</a> with a new trend. Each social media post should have a shoppable link that allows users to explore the product or idea presented in the video further. It's essential to ensure the transition from Instagram to the destination of the link is seamless, and so is the return to Instagram.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>It's only the beginning of 2022 - there's plenty of time for new trends to emerge and take over the market. That's one of the great things about marketing; nothing is linear and straightforward. It's a race to constantly evolve and meet the wants and needs of the consumer.</p>
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