Welcome to the New School of Marketing podcast. This is the last episode of the year and I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has tuned in this year. I really love creating this content for you and I hope that it has been helpful for you in your marketing journey.

If you’re new here, welcome and I hope my insights, tips and tricks and interviews with amazing people will help you on your journey too. 

As we wrap up the year, I’m going to make a bold move and try to predict what will happen in 2022 in terms of marketing. 

Last week I already gave some insights into what you should be doing to have marketing success in 2022 and this episode continues on from that in a way. 

I don’t have a crystal ball, but by looking at the year we’ve just had and the changes that are happening in the digital world, I think these predictions will be fairly accurate. 

So let’s dive in.

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Transcript

Welcome to the New School of Marketing podcast. This is the last episode of the year and I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has tuned in this year. I really love creating this content for you and I hope that it has been helpful for you in your marketing journey.

If you’re new here, welcome and I hope my insights, tips and tricks and interviews with amazing people will help you on your journey too. 

As we wrap up the year, I’m going to make a bold move and try to predict what will happen in 2022 in terms of marketing. 

Last week I already gave some insights into what you should be doing to have marketing success in 2022 and this episode continues on from that in a way. 

I don’t have a crystal ball, but by looking at the year we’ve just had and the changes that are happening in the digital world, I think these predictions will be fairly accurate. 

So let’s dive in.

1. We’re going back to basics

I already spoke about this in the previous episode, but connecting with your audience, having laser targeted messaging, building relationships and trust are all going to be vital for anyone moving forward. Gone are the days of funnel hacking and pouring cash into Facebook ads to see a return. We’re going back to basic human connection. So your foundational strategy needs to focus on connecting with your audience and building trust. The genuine people are really going to stand out, and if you focus on standing out by being genuine you’ll see a return.

2. Video, stories and reels are the content to use

In the previous episode I also mentioned that you need to focus on content and have a well thought out content strategy.

For the past few months we’ve seen an uptake in video content. So reels, stories and videos are the way to go. It’s a relatively easy and cheap way to connect with your audience. 

I know some people don’t want to create video content, or are really not into dancing on a reel but there are other ways to create video content too and I really encourage you to look into it. 

Videos are being pushed in the news feed as Facebook is going in this direction right now. Reels and stories are seeing a change as some accounts can now make longer videos, and Facebook ads introduced the reels placement last year as well so you can make your content go further and further.

3. Basic lead gen funnels are coming back

When I first started managing ads a lot of the funnels were quite simple. We drove traffic and conversion ads to a pdf opt-in that people downloaded and then the nurturing would begin. Over the past few years this has been taken over by webinars and challenges, but now we’re starting to change back. 

Why? Simply because webinar ads are starting to become very expensive in many industries. 

We can often get cheaper leads with a download/pdf instead of webinar ads. It doesn’t mean that you can simply create a pdf and start raking in leads. Your lead magnet must be insanely valuable and your messaging must be spot on for you to attract your ideal clients. 

For a number of my clients we’re testing two step funnels, which involves a pdf lead magnet first, and then we focus on nurturing and building a connection with the audience before we invite them to a webinar. 

I suggest that if your lead costs are up that you look at your funnel and re-evaluate what’s working and what isn’t. Is there another way you can grow your list and then build your connection? Can you simplify your lead gen funnel?

4. Facebook will improve tracking & attribution 

Facebook is hard at work to improve tracking & attribution, especially after Apple introduced iOS14 and the ability to opt-out of tracking. Right now the data in Facebook ad manager is very off. There’s a delay in tracking plus they’re using statistical modelling which basically means that they’re guessing by looking at the data they’ve received. It’s a nightmare for someone like me, but things are slowly improving.

Things will never go back to how they were but I think Facebook’s engineers are working on new ways to improve tracking and attribution. It’s probably still going to be based on statistical modelling but hopefully in a better way.

5. New things coming with Meta

To be honest, I’m not sure what we can expect here but with the rebrand to Meta we can expect some changes. 

My mind can’t quite comprehend the virtual reality that Zuckerberg is promoting so we’ll have to wait and see with this one.

6. One on one interaction with the audience is making a comeback

Having one on one conversations is making a comeback, especially for high-ticket programs and offers. 

For a while Manychat was the thing and then it dropped off a bit but they’ve made some changes and it’s back again. The other option is DMs in Instagram, I’m seeing great results with them for my clients. People buy from people and that’s more true now than it ever was. 

I don’t think this is something that should be your core strategy but it  could supplement your overall strategy.

7. Changes for low ticket funnels

We’re seeing that low ticket funnels are struggling to be profitable, and although I generally don’t work with businesses that have an offer under $1000, some clients have low ticket funnels that lead into their higher ticket items. Right now anyone with an offer of less than $500 is starting to see changes that aren’t very positive. 

Lead generation is getting more expensive which means that their funnels are becoming less profitable, especially if you think about all the business expenses that aren’t necessarily related to Facebook ads. 

SLO funnels are also going to change I believe, because they’re no longer viable to bring in a profit but they do work well as a good lead generation tool. The way to see them is that they offset your ad spend and potentially lead into clients for your higher ticket offer. 

It takes time to make your money back, with ad costs being up, your conversion would need to be high or your funnel would not be viable. 

That said, you need leads, and ads are the fastest way to grow your leads but you need a solid strategy to make your money back. You may need to put your prices up, or have a follow up offer that is high-ticket.

8. Build relationships with affiliate businesses 

Affiliate marketing has been around for a while and I think it’s one strategy that could really work for you in 2022. I don’t necessarily mean affiliate marketing in the traditional sense but in the way that a lot of product based businesses are using it. 

What I think could really work in 2022 is to build a few very strategic relationships with other business owners or digital influencers and pay them for endorsing your program or inviting their audience to join your webinar. It’s in a way the same as traditional affiliate marketing as we know it, but I think we could see some changes there that could help expand your audience and the way you build relationships with your audience. 

Lot’s of changes coming, but at the same time lots of things are staying the same in terms of what we’ve already seen happening in 2021. 

I think the biggest focus is on going back to basics, making sure that you’re focusing on community and connections and having an offer that’s genuinely needed and wanted. Your messaging is going to be vital and nurturing your audience will help you with your sales. 

It’s a wrap for the year! I’m taking some time off to spend with my family and I’m sure our paths will cross again in 2022. Take care, enjoy your holidays and here’s to growing your business.