Marketing trends are always changing, and it can be hard to keep up. As we head into 2022, we’re tackling these trends using the proven methods our team mastered over our 10 years in business in new, innovative ways.

Here are five marketing trends that franchises should take note of as we move into 2022.

1. All Ears for UGC

   User-generated content (UGC) and postings from micro and nano influencers—staples of our own agency’s influencer outreach strategies—reign supreme in a social media landscape where more users than ever take an active role in content creation. Platforms like TikTok have lowered barriers for content to go viral and for users to monetize content, and other platforms have followed suit. Do not discount organic brand validation even in a franchise development capacity—where can you find ready-to-use brand testimonials from a third party? Tools like Hootsuite provide helpful social listening and mention monitoring to find positive client sentiment to repurpose.

2. KISS (Keep it simple… and short)

   Attention spans continue to shrink across all demographics, and busy multi-unit franchise investors are no exception. Bite-sized, shareable and informational content means more of your audience is likely to consume and disseminate your message to their networks. We’ve implemented short-form video content like Q&As or live tours in content marketing and social media pieces to communicate more with less.

3. Alexa, What is SEO?

   95% percent of searchers only view the first page of online search results and voice searching via AI like Alexa is also on the rise, meaning ranking highly within search algorithms is more important than ever. SEO is deeper than backlinking and interlinking processes—it requires a comprehensive content strategy to develop useful site content that many businesses don’t have the expertise to create. When drafting content marketing pieces, we always provide detailed rationale for the keywords and corresponding copy that we use to further business goals via organic search.

4. Show Me the Numbers

   Concrete systemwide data, consumer reports and industry statistics are necessary to support brand claims. Press outlets and audience members alike react positively to specificity in your data. How can you mine the stats to find golden nuggets of sales data? We assist our clients in finding the best numbers to tell the story of their brand growth in new ways.

5. Privacy, Please

   Apple’s latest update, iOS 15, provides enhanced privacy controls, including Mail Privacy Protection. Facebook has also acquiesced to users’ calls for less invasive tracking for advertising purposes. These updates require all marketers to scrutinize data differently and devote their content to a highly researched audience. For example, our agency has implemented innovative strategies across the board to not rely solely on data provided by digital platforms and to incorporate detailed profiles to reach the best target audience.