In 2022, digital marketing is more important than ever before. We live in a world where everyone and their mother can shop online, and businesses large and small struggle to stay relevant. If you’re passionate about marketing and believe you can make a difference digitally, then this is a must-read for you.

Why 2022?

In 2022, we’re going to see major growth in eCommerce as more people shop online. According to Statista, eCommerce as a share of total retail is expected to hit 19% by 2022.

What does that mean for marketing?

It means that instead of walking into a physical store and spending a few hours perusing products and chatting with store associates, shoppers can now do all of that from the comfort of their homes or offices. If you’re running a brick and mortar store, you’d better be sure that you’re providing a good experience for your customers, otherwise you’ll lose them to your competitors. The same goes for online stores.

In 2022, people are going to expect businesses to provide excellent customer experiences, regardless of whether they’re physically in the same town or city, or even country.

What are the essentials for digital marketing success in 2022?

There are four essential pillars of digital marketing success in 2022:

1. SEO

SEO is going to be extremely important in 2022. When Google updated its SEO guidelines in May 2022, it stated that the importance of having a healthy and natural backlink profile is greater than ever before.

If you’ve been doing SEO incorrectly in the past, using low-quality link networks to artificially boost your rankings, then it’s time to change your strategy. In the future, having even a few low-quality backlinks could seriously hurt your rankings.

One thing that you must avoid is unnatural links or content. If your website receives a large amount of traffic from sites that you don’t own and manage, then this is known as ‘link reputation’ and it’s going to affect your Google rankings. The solution? Build a healthy backlink profile by getting inbound links from trusted sources.

2. Content Marketing

According to HubSpot Blogs research, 72% of consumers seek content that answers their burning questions. It’s well-known that answering a question is the best way to generate organic leads. If you’re struggling to convince potential customers to buy your products or services, creating educational content that provides value is the best way to go.

What makes content marketing compelling is that it provides value to the reader. When someone writes an article about how to properly cook a stuffed chicken breast, or how to choose the perfect present for your spouse, they’re able to connect with their audience. The result? The article becomes more engaging, and possibly even influential. When your brand is associated with education and quality content, especially when that content is backed by science, you’re sure to reap the benefits.

3. Paid Marketing

Paid marketing is going to become an even bigger slice of the digital marketing pie in 2022. According to Statista, 40% of consumers in the U.S. earn $50,000 and above. While the vast majority of these consumers are not particularly tech-savvy, a growing number of highly targeted individuals have made their way to the digital sphere. This group of consumers is more likely to be receptive to paid marketing strategies, especially if those strategies are focused on expanding their horizons, learning new things, and being inspired.

Whether you decide to use cost-per-acquisition (CPA) or cost-per-click (CPC) models to pursue paid marketing, you must keep in mind the end goal. More and more businesses are realizing that paying customers are the best kind of customers, and they’re willing to shell out for the privilege of having a consumer base.

4. Email Marketing

With the explosive growth of social media, many businesses have shifted their email marketing campaigns to gain more traction and to keep customers interested. According to Marketo Blogs research, 65% of consumers have decided that the companies they do business with have a significant impact on their life. When customers feel that their opinions matter, they’re much more likely to open up to future marketing efforts.

If your emails are not personalized and not sent from a credible source, you may encounter some backlash. According to HubSpot Blogs research, consumers trust brands that they see as genuine more than those they perceive as being overly commercial, even if the latter offers better deals.

Emails are a powerful weapon in your marketing arsenal. Personalized emails are going to become even more important in the coming months, so make sure that you’re providing customers with value even in these initial outreach stages.

Creating a healthy marketing strategy is a never-ending process, but with these four essentials, you’re sure to make the right move for your business.