We know one thing about marketing in the digital age—best practices are constantly shifting. And as new apps continue to disrupt how we consume information, it’s more important than ever to continually keep an eye on what’s working in the present. Is there a cutting-edge digital marketing tool you should be using or a platform you should explore? 

To help you get a quick, at-a-glance picture of what’s next in best practices for digital marketing, we’ve put together a few ideas:

Weaving the Customer Experience into Your Digital Marketing Campaign

There is no better advertising than word of mouth. When personal recommendations can be made on just about every digital platform, the customer’s experience can become your best friend—or your worst enemy.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when earning those good reviews. Think about every stage of the customer journey and where you can improve the experience of your target market. For example, adding a chatbot to your website allows your customers to casually ask questions and find what they need in a personal, attentive way—and it might earn you points when it comes time for your customer to write a review.

Keeping Things Simple with Digital Marketing

Over the last few years, we’ve seen how a conversational tone can give your ads, web copy, and social media shares a refreshing dose of personality. The more relatable you can make your brand, the better reach your marketing efforts will have. After all, who doesn’t prefer being spoken to like a regular human being?

When in doubt, keep it simple. Communicate clearly with your customers, and give them an experience that is meaningful and productive. Put yourself in the shoes of your average user, and imagine what kinds of questions they might have about your service and product. As voice assistants like Siri and Alexa become ever more ubiquitous, web searches will continue trending toward conversational phrases and questions. Your digital marketing should follow suit.

Virtual Experiences and Online Events

We learned a thing or two about Zoom meetings and online events during the pandemic. This new trend doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere, and if you haven’t already jumped on board, you should think about doing so in the coming year. Because despite Facebook’s recent bad press, its shift toward Meta and the Metaverse will continue to change how we look at the virtual experience and where we host social events.

From web seminars to hybrid events, there is no end to the ways you can connect to your customer online. Digital events can give you multiple opportunities to leverage sales and lead acquisition at a much lower cost for both you and your attendees.

Target Your Digital Market

Thanks to algorithms and the numerous tools we have available for data, it’s easier than ever to target your marketing to a specific group of people. If your social media marketing and paid ads aren’t yielding results, you may want to revisit who you’re reaching. Social media apps themselves are even becoming more demographically driven, requiring more precision on digital marketers.

For instance, LinkedIn has quickly solidified itself as the go-to platform for thought-leaders and industry educators. And if your business relies on B2B marketing, you should be spending just as much time on LinkedIn as you would on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Conversely, if wellness, lifestyle trends, and Gen Z users make up your target market, you might want to focus more on TikTok and Instagram.

The most important thing to remember is that brand consistency and customer service should take center stage of your marketing plan—more than any new app or digital trend. Even if you’re experimenting with new ways to reach your customer base in 2022, don’t lose sight of who you are as a business and a brand.