Luke Lazarus, a well-respected marketing expert based in Melbourne, Australia, recently published an in-depth analysis and review of the most important marketing trends for 2022. It’s essential to take a closer look at the current market trends in Australia, as they’ve changed tremendously in the last two years, creating significant challenges for marketers in nearly all sectors. Companies and marketers can better drive revenue to reach their expected results by better understanding these trends.
In his article, Luke Lazarus points out several significant trends marketers need to focus on this year. Here’s a look at what some of them are.
The Need to Improve Content
One of the most prominent points Luke Lazarus makes in his piece on marketing trends in Australia is the essential need for brands to provide a higher quality of content to their audience. Content is still vital, but the quality of that content needs to be more impactful and visually valuable. He points out the importance of making a move away from the heavy sales tactics and instead focusing on value.
Connection Enhancements
Connecting with customers isn’t a new buzzword but something that all marketing is designed to do. However, Lazarus notes that today there are new tools and methods that allow for significantly better connection opportunities. He sees it as essential that companies work to get to know their customer in a more in-depth manner allowing them to create connections not just based on sales but on shared values.
To achieve this, there’s a need to bring tech into the picture by automating various steps of the process. He also believes that personalisation along with segmentation are also core components of the process, enabling companies to make better use of every relationship they create with their customers.
Tech Connectivity
There are other ways Lazarus believes marketers need to alter their path for this year and beyond, including the use of more technology in the steps they take. One way to do that is through the use of voice optimisation, which he says is increasingly important because today’s consumer is not just typing words into a search engine but speaking to the search engine as well. When a person speaks to a voice assistant on their phone or in their home, they may use different phrases and ask varied questions.
He writes, “It’s important to understand who your customers are, what they ask, and how they use voice. It’s equally critical to understand how the competition is attempting to answer these questions so you can do it better.”
That’s not to say that marketers can step away from the importance of focusing on search engine optimisation (SEO), which is still just as important. He warns that when creating content for voice, not to make the mistake of creating content that is designed for search engines directly. Instead, that content needs to be designed specifically for consumers – the people that are going to engage with it, which goes back to the point of creating high-quality content within every touchpoint.
Why Is This Necessary?
Taking a look at today’s trends is very important because the way people communicate and connect with brands is changing. Marketing trends are always changing, but during the pandemic, people changed rapidly in terms of what they did and how they spent money. That’s why, beyond anything else, it’s critical for brands to realise another flux is happening.
While brands saw consumers readily purchasing during the lockdown – everything from entertainment options to stress management tools – that’s changing again. He says, “Consumers are again exercising restraint and prioritising their purchases. You’ll find consumers more discerning and gravitating towards brands that both share their values and deliver what they need right now in the buyers’ journey.”
Once again, the point of connecting with customers, Lazarus points out that today’s consumer wants more of a balance and a higher level of respect between the consumer and the brand itself. If there is a lack of respect, the buyer will turn elsewhere for their purchase.
More to that point, he notes that the selective consumer isn’t one that can be ignored but rather one to be supported throughout the buyer’s journey. They are not only more likely to become a loyal customer, but they are also likely to tell the world about your brand, making them critically valuable to your business overall. Engaging with that customer is a must for most organisations then.
What’s Helping Brands to Stand Out?
Throughout his article on the top marketing trends for the year, Lazarus provides key insights into what is helping brands to truly stand out today in a complicated and sometimes confusing market. Here are a few of the details he’s shared.
Videos
Video is clearly an accessible tool to companies today. It’s never been easier for a company to create really great looking videos that provide lots of connection opportunities. He recommends a few key ways to make video more impactful. For example, companies can create video mems that share a short story or a “feeling” that conveys their brand. They can also use smartphones to create augmented reality experiences without having to invest a lot of money into the process.
Social media
A big talking point from Lazarus is the importance of social media messaging. Specifically, companies need to be ready to respond to customers who are using social media messaging tools to connect with brands. This is an area that is continuing to evolve but what he’s found is that people are using this type of messaging much earlier in the buyer’s journey than before. That includes during the initial awareness and considerations phases. That means marketing companies, then, need to be readily available to connect with valuable information to customers in this format.
Personalisation
Personalisation is another way that companies will be able to stand out if they get it right. Specifically, consider email personalisation. He’s quick to note that email doesn’t sound like the most modern and up-to-date trend, but when used well, it can really work well. Specifically, companies must deliver very specific messages to consumers at various times. This is where technology comes into play again. The use of automation, segmentation, event-triggered emails and machine learning are all critical tools to help brands really stand out.
Interactive content
Another way to stand out is to use interactive content, which is content that, in some way, allows consumers to interact with the brand or the company’s products and services. Being creative here can be very important. Recognise what consumers love – they like charts, figures, and visuals. They want to see data in a clear and transparent way (be sure to learn more about Lazarus’s views on transparency, too). There are a lot of ways to provide that type of interaction, including by providing videos, calculators, tools, quizzes, and anything that is on brand. Being creative here could help companies to really stand out and make an impression on their customers and prospective consumers.
What Companies Need to Remember
When it comes to reviewing his top 17 trends for marketing in 2022, there are a lot of hot topics to focus on, but Lazarus also quickly notes that there are a lot of trends that are still at the top of the must-do list where they have been for a long time. What he believes, though, is that marketers need to adjust the way they apply these trends to their business and brand building because that’s where the real change is taking place.
About Luke Lazarus
Acting as the Chief Executive Officer of Luke Lazarus Consulting and being in the industry for more than 20 years, he’s learned a great deal about the marketing world. He believes in creating a story for each product, brand, or service that he’s working to support, which is one of the core reasons why so many of his recommendations in marketing focuses on connecting and better engaging with the customer or target audience.
Luke Lazarus knows what he’s doing, too, having revitalised numerous brands across various industries throughout his career, including creating presentations that have gone on to help raise millions of dollars in capital and seed money for projects. He’s also noted for his ability to support companies even when there is significant competition due to his ability to better understand customer needs and create campaigns that overcome any competition’s efforts.
Follow Luke Lazarus on Twitter to learn more.
