A brand new year is a perfect time to give your marketing strategy a pulse check. Are you where you want to be? And more importantly, are you heading in the direction you need to be going?

With big regulatory changes coming from digital giants Apple and Google, the marketing landscape is set to be adjusted once again in 2022 and beyond. Below are a few tips, tricks, and action steps you can take now to ensure you are ready for another year (or more) of marketing evolution.

The Human-First Experience

Customer-centric marketing isn’t a new concept within the marketing world, but it’s easy for businesses of all sizes to forget the human element of promotion.

As we embark on 2022, it will be imperative for brands to be authentic in their go-to-market approaches; marketers need to make sure they are designing a member experience that creates value to their customers first.

ACTION STEP: Inbound marketing will continue to be key. Spot check your marketing plans to ensure you are meeting your customers where they are versus where your business wants them to be. 

A few key questions to keep in mind as you are planning:

How can we attract customers? 
How can we delight our customers? 
How can we engage our customers?

Preparing for a Changing Digital Landscape

With third-party cookies sunsetting in 2023 and Apple’s recently released Mail Privacy Protection, marketers will need to rethink how they approach their digital strategies and how they measure engagement. 

ACTION STEP: In an effort to curb reliance on third-party data, brands need to make a larger effort to get closer to “owning their audience.” This means becoming more sophisticated in gathering first party data given directly to your business. 

Serving more personalized content such as newsletters, online events and even product launches are a great place to get started. 

But keep in mind, “batching and blasting” your customers isn’t the way to go. Content needs to be relevant and specific to all sub-segments of your audience base. 

Content, Channel Mix and Events

The rise of short form video doesn’t just pertain to Gen Z. With the rise in popularity of TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook stories and YouTube shorts within broader age ranges, short form video isn’t just a strategy targeted for younger audiences anymore. 

In addition to short form video, audio content continues to grow in popularity especially in the B2C space. Audio content is another great tool to help establish your brand as a thought leader in your specific industry and provides additional value to your customer. 

ACTION STEP: Consider adding a few video shorts. For example, if you are in the travel industry, consider using the Instagram Reel as a great space to serve up prime, targeted trip inspiration. 

Up the ante and seek out micro-influencers to help serve more personalized and unique content to your current or potential customer base.

For more marketing tips and tricks, be sure to keep checking the MKPR blog as we dive in deeper on how you can put your brand front and center.