.png?width=850&name=WMA%20Blog%20(9).png)
2021 was a whirlwind year for many, as evolving consumer preferences and continued health concerns forced many businesses to shift their strategies. As we work on our annual Bankers as Buyers report, which highlights predictions and trends for the financial services industry, we couldn’t help but wonder what the next year will bring. We reached out to the rest of the WMA team to see what they thought. Here are a few PR and marketing industry predictions for 2022:
“I predict that in 2022, companies’ media coverage by tactic will continue to shift, with podcasts playing a bigger role. Today, podcasts are more popular than ever, as they’re an engaging way for companies to share key messages with their target audiences. Next year, it will be increasingly important for PR practitioners to familiarize themselves with different podcasts and form strong relationships with the hosts of these shows so they can provide their clients with better opportunities.” – Maggie Wise, Account Agent
“Digital privacy changed the way marketers report metrics in 2021 (see: Apple’s privacy updates – “ask app to not track”, email privacy). In 2022, I predict that communications professionals will have to change the way they measure ROI to focus less on metrics like open and click rate and more on conversion rates for specific campaigns.” – Joelle Johnson, Marketing Manager
“I think something we’ll see more of in PR this year is sponsored content. A lot of publications have already been making that shift recently to offset the financial effects of the pandemic. Since I started in the industry, "advertorials" have been slowly on the rise, but they’re pretty common now. And with podcasts, a lot of them – especially the big ones – are pay-to-play too. I think we’ll need to be more prepared to guide our clients through sponsored opportunities in the new year and be more diligent about finding good, earned media opportunities.” – Gracie Gay, Account Agent
“The impact of NFTs (and their possible uses and implications) will gain further ground in 2022, continuing to draw the attention of companies across all industries, even for B2B. Coupled with the recent, increased focus on the virtual world and the "Metaverse," we will also most likely see an increased interest in leveraging NFTs to help enhance marketing and PR campaigns in this area.” – Derek Howard, Sr. Account Agent
“Lead generation is so important to everyone these days. The PR Team can produce all the great content in the world but if customers do not share it with prospects, etc. it becomes all for naught. Marketing Services with the HubSpot integration will become the most sought-after service. What customers need to understand is that Marketing and PR must work together to ensure great results. And it is not an overnight fix. It needs to be continually nurtured.” – Catherine Laws, Executive Vice President
“The best practice for B2B organizations will be a growth of PR combined with content/digital marketing because email marketing effectiveness is in decline as is mass advertising, telemarketing and direct mail. B2C organizations will continue to grow their spend on social “influencers’” – William Mills, CEO
“In 2022, we are going to see LinkedIn create media properties that will compete with traditional trade media. LinkedIn has the best list of professionals and their interests; employers, more so any other publishing company could ever dream about.” – Scott Mills, President
As we prepare for the year ahead, it’s crucial to stay up to date with PR and marketing trends to achieve success. If you’re interested in submitting an article to Bankers as Buyers 2022, contact Scott Mills at Scott@williammills.com.
