Marketing Strategies to live by in 2023
Each year, HubSpot conducts a review of and releases a report pertaining to the state of marketing. In 2022, HubsSpot released its report based on data collected from a large group of B2B and B2C marketers around the world and across all industries, revealing the most impactful trends of the year and what to expect in the future. Here at InboundAV, we’d like to share with you what our biggest takeaways are from this comprehensive and invaluable report.
In its State of Marketing in 2022 report, amongst many things, HubSpot revealed emerging marketing trends, the most effective marketing strategies, and how to connect with consumers. The biggest takeaways from their report are:With no signs of slowing, videos were the top content format for 2022.
- Short-form content was the most effective social media content and social media marketing is by far the most effective form of marketing.
- Self-ownership of marketing channels and publishing content via these channels is imperative.
- Mobile-friendly web design is crucial, with mobile devices being the number one avenue of web traffic.
There are many actionable ways to take these points into consideration and apply them to inbound methodologies. Keep reading on how you can implement actionable inbound marketing approaches based on 2022 marketing trends, to set yourself up for success in the upcoming year and build a strong foundation into the future.
Marketing in 2022
For their report on the State of Marketing in 2022, HubSpot collected data from over 1600 B2B and B2C marketers. These marketers hail from all across the globe and from a multitude of industries. Including information ranging from the importance of influencers in marketing to which specific marketing platforms are the hottest at the moment (and in the upcoming near future), this report truly is the report of 2022 for all marketers.
The report itself is dense and contains all things marketing, but it is important to underscore the importance of what was mentioned above: videos as the top content format, the importance of social media and short-form content in marketing today, the necessity of owning your own marketing channels and publishing content via these channels, and how mobile friendly design is paramount to a business’ success in 2022 and beyond. While the other data presented in HubSpot’s Report is important and certainly worth looking at, these four takeaways are the crux of marketing moving into 2023.
For the third year in a row, video was the top content format in 2021 with over 14.6 billion minutes watched, a number that is on track to increase in 2022. As mobile traffic to various sites that host video formats, so does the number of videos watched as well as the number of watchers. This format can range from short-form to long-form, dependent upon the circumstances that call for video content. However, regardless of the form, TikTok influencers, Instagram Reels creators, and YouTube personalities are dominating digital engagement. They are doing so by consistently creating and publishing high quality content that rivals that of major brands and at a faster rate.
According to HubSpot, the ascent of influencer marketing is not slowing down and will only continue its dominating descent. It’s also important to understand why this upward trend within marketing is taking place. While consumer engagement via video is important no matter the form, it’s important to note that the biggest increase in traffic and video engagement has been through TikTok and Instagram’s Reels, which is where the form of video content absolutely matters and comes into play.
“5,346,279 videos under one minute long were uploaded and 2022 is on pace to surpass that number.”
While video content has been the top form of content of 2022, video content on social media platforms were by far the most effective; short-form content is the most effective form of social media content. Such content is highlighted on platforms like TikTok and Reels. Moreover, it’s important to note that social media was the number one marketing channel in 2022.
It’s clear that the rise of social media as a marketing channel necessitates participation by all marketing teams. Moreover, investing in short-form video content on these platforms is something every marketing team should be investing in, which is also underscored by HubSpot in their State of Marketing in 2022 report. According to HubSpot’s report, 5,346,279 videos under one minute long were uploaded and 2022 is on pace to surpass that number (HubSpot). It’s no wonder that producing high quality content quickly, while reaching a large audience that can easily share that content with friends and family, has made short-form content the most effective form of social media marketing content.
Very few things in this world are static and that is amplified in the marketing world. With rapid changes in technology, new platforms popping up regularly, and the virtually instant sharing of information, change is one of the few constant and reliable things in marketing. Things being in a constant state of flux isn’t a bad thing, however; change leads to opportunity. As pointed out in their State of Marketing in 2022 report, HubSpot underscores that flexibility pays off and that marketers need to be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice.
While all marketers should be adapting to the social media world and creating short-form content, there are other areas of marketing that are essential and should not be overlooked or neglected. Within the inbound methodology, each stage of the customer journey is important, from attracting to delighting. There are two important areas in which any marketing organization can pivot and adapt to the state of the world, creating a better journey for both the business and consumer:
- Emphasizing first-party data collection.
- publishing a blog, newsletter, podcast, etc. on your own website.
Rather than relying on third-party data collection, an emerging trend in 2022 is collecting data from those that you’re interacting with directly from the attracting to delighting stage of the business-consumer journey. Doing this allows your business to cut out the middle-man all together. In its State of Marketing in 2022 report, HubSpot underlines this importance, stating that creating pressure online throughout the entire journey creates a positive perception of your business and increases brand awareness, but also presents an opportunity to collect first-party data, which is essential in the marketing world right now. This data will help you understand your customers better and even help you refine your buyer personas. Ultimately, well-structured and privacy oriented data collection in conjunction with excellent content and a strong online presence is both an opportunity for businesses to thrive in today’s climate and a necessity to survive.
As things have changed and new opportunities present themselves as a result, businesses not only need to be able to publish short-form videos, have a social media presence, and collect first-party data, but they also need to adapt to publishing content on their own websites. HubSpot identifies this in its State of Marketing in 2022 report and emphasizes that publishing a regular blog, newsletter, podcast, etc., is no longer an optional course of action; publishing serial content on your own website is a necessary means to the survival of your business.
Social media being the most effective form of marketing and owning your own content presents a conflict. All content published to social media sites is controlled by the social media platforms themselves. There are many leading thinkers in the marketing world who feel that the next big social media marketing success will be on Web3. With Web3, the platform will be decentralized and users will control their own content and not be subject to issues such as algorithm changes mentioned above. This is something to keep an eye on as we move forward into 2022 and beyond, as it will provide a massive opportunity for both B2B and B2C businesses alike.
The importance of publishing on one’s own site is quite simple. Building your business strictly on “rented land” like social media platforms means that it is always subject to algorithms that can change without warning. As a counterbalance to the unpredictable nature of these algorithms, businesses need to be publishing exciting content on their own respective websites that keep consumers engaged throughout their respective buyer’s journeys. As HubSpot states in their report, it’s time to think like a publisher.
“41% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices, while only 38% of website traffic comes from desktop devices.”
As technology has advanced rapidly, accessibility to information has increased tremendously. Rather than just using apps on our smartphones, we’re increasingly using the web browsers on our mobile devices to use the internet. We can look up virtually anything while on the go and even in the comfort of our own homes it can be more convenient to look something up on our phones than on a computer.
However, it can be quite frustrating or off putting when we visit a website on our mobile browsers that isn’t mobile friendly. Of the top marketing trends in 2022, mobile friendly web design came in at number two, just behind influencer and before short-form video content. Quite simply, mobile friendly web design is absolutely crucial to a business’ survival in today’s business climate. In fact, most web traffic comes from mobile browsing; 41% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices, while only 38% of website traffic comes from desktop devices (HubSpot). It follows that investment in mobile friendly web design should be a top priority for businesses in 2022 and 2023.
2022 in a Nutshell
Having collected the data from over 1600 B2B and B2C companies, HubSpot gained a deep insight into the marketing world in 2022. In this lengthy and in depth report, many trends and strategies for businesses to connect with consumers were highlighted, but there were a few that particularly stood out: videos continue to be the top content in the marketing world and there’s no sign of this slowing down, short-form video content and social-media marketing are the most effective content/marketing types, ownership of your own marketing channels and publishing regular content on these channels is necessary for your business to survive, and investment into mobile friendly web design is imperative with mobile web traffic outpacing that of its desktop counterpart. Using these takeaways, every marketing organization can equip itself for success in the latter half of 2022, the upcoming year, and beyond.
Inbound AV is Here to Help
Inbound AV is a Platinum Tier HubSpot Solutions partner working to help clients grow their businesses with stellar marketing strategies. We’re here to support our clients’ efforts to improve and maintain quality customer interactions. We can help you achieve your marketing goals by providing key services and important tactics, helping your company adapt to the current climate.
Contact us today for a free, no-strings-attached consultation of our inbound marketing services.
