Introduction
Business and digitization go hand in hand in today’s tech savvy world. Without adapting to new communication channels and advanced platforms for data exchange, your business will be left behind in terms of offering an enhanced customer service, which in turn is key to attract and retain customers. By moving into this digital space, your organization is presented with opportunities to create new ways of doing business and improving customer experience, internal communication and employee engagement.
Before 2020, not all businesses realized the dire importance of embracing digitization. And by now, the bare minimum to survive in the market is to offer a superior browsing experience, an e-commerce gateway and online customer data platform. In fact, the digital revolution has also taken over in terms of business communication within the workforce, particularly in the pandemic era. This article discusses business digital communication trends in 2022 and how businesses can prepare to embrace it all.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has taken a leap in the technological world ever since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. AI is the secret behind many services such as chatbots, search engines and content creation too. Imagine blog posts and website copy being generated automatically! Yes Jarvis is a good example of where SEO experts have taught a robot how to create 5 star content, ideal for content marketing purposes.
Search patterns, consumer behavior, and other understanding of customer behavior through social media platforms can all be handled by Artificial Intelligence. With AI-powered chatbot technology, businesses can increase the efficiency and efficacy of communications with customers. Take Google as the best example of this = with AI, the search engine has higher precision in understanding the true intent of people when they enter a search keyword.
Interactive mobile messaging
According to research, messaging services have increased in popularity by over 50% since the last two years. With the widespread use of smart mobile devices, there will be an increase in the trend of ‘mobile friendly’ business communication. Text messages, WhatsApp messaging and Facebook Messenger are more like rich and interactive conversations. Businesses have observed that these personal interactions and quality of conversation is appreciated by customers. Moreover, with more and more customers preferring to stay indoors, efforts to drive foot traffic will not be effective. Hence companies need to build better relationships and strengthen loyalty with existing customers. Personalized interaction with messaging is a great way to do that!
Enhanced privacy protocols
Data breaches are picking up at an alarming speed over the last couple of years, while cybersecurity professionals are working hard to combat these attacks. Because media highlights many of these incidents, customers are more cautious about their data and security. Companies require valuable consumer data and for this reason, they will implement tighter privacy and security practices. They will also communicate these measures to customers so that customers are aware that the company is serious and wants to respect customer data.
Voice search and commands
User-friendly speech-driven chatbots are more commonplace as compared to dual-tone multi-frequency-based menus, and is taking over the space of traditional voice technology. Because home automation devices are on the rise, the quality of speech recognition technology is also increasing. Imagine questioning a device regarding your concerns and getting just the right answers out of it! Google Assistant and Alexa are two popular voice assistants that provide very specific reactions to user commands and queries. By incorporating voice search, customer satisfaction can sky rocket, and operational costs can reduce if implemented correctly.
Still not convinced to rethink your digital marketing strategies with voice search? Consider this:
- One in every five internet searches are voice-based.
- Every other customer uses voice search to find information regarding local businesses.
- Four of ten adults use voice search every day!
- Every month, about one billion voice searches take place.
Don’t be surprised if in a few months, Alexa and Google answer your question along with a ‘word from their sponsor’! This is because companies looking for a unique approach to customer interaction are producing audio content with an aim to achieve brand awareness. This channel makes way for a broader and more connected brand experience.
Personalization
Research shows that 80% of customers will purchase products and services from a brand that offers customized experiences. Personalization is beneficial for both customers and businesses. Customers will only see what is relevant to them; not having to stare at the screen wondering ‘why am I seeing this ad’? Instead, when an ad connects with customers, there is a higher chance they will purchase the product, which will in turn benefit your business.
Businesses can create more meaningful experiences with personalized communication. For example, it makes a big difference to just ask a customer for their preferred method of communication so you can avoid frustrating them with methods they don’t prefer. In 2022, personalization will focus on digitally transformed spaces such as social media and other communication apps through which companies will reach out to customers with promotions, updates and other personal messages.
Podcasts
With audio interactions seeing a tidal wave, podcasts too are proving to be successful. There is evidence that states 8 out of 10 people will listen to majority of a podcast episode. In fact, Google is now incorporating podcast episodes directly into their search engine results. Therefore, optimizing your podcast is of utmost importance. Here are some tips:
- Each episode must have one dedicated keyword
- Create a landing page for each podcast episode
- Dedicate a 300-word blog for each episode
- Use one call-to-action for each podcast episode
- Summarize the key points
- Avoid ‘sign up’ or ‘download file’ actions to listen to podcasts
Video Marketing
Video marketing has been emphasized significantly over the last few years and will continue for the next 5-10 years.
What is video marketing?
Don’t just limit your thoughts to YouTube. You can drive engagement by posting a video on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. You can schedule regular posts or start a real time (live) broadcast often to keep fans engaged. Instead of coming up with new video content all the time, you can turn existing static content such as blogs into a video with some images and highlighted points. Businesses can also invest in interactive digital signage to encourage guests to interact with their brand.
- Video marketing is used by 60% of businesses
- According to 61% of marketers, video is ‘extremely important’ for marketing
- 74% marketers believe video has a better ROI than static images
- 52% marketers believe video helps maintain trust with customers
Classic neon signage
2022 will also see some older digital communication methods being rediscovered with a twist of new innovations in marketing trends. While AI powered chatbots are brilliant, this technology is more suited for larger enterprises with bigger budgets. Smaller businesses are looking to directly target potential customers in an effective, simple and inexpensive way – and classic neon signs do a great job with that! The growth in interest and appreciation for retro and classic aesthetics is evident, which means that the commercial value of neon signs will be rediscovered in 2022.
Conclusion
The relevancy of digital communication to your business depends on the market, industry and your strategic position. Special attention on artificial intelligence and machine learning is required because it will impact almost every industry in the coming year.
