Last Month in Digital 🚀 – February 2022

7 Mar 2022

Just like medicine, technology, and even humans, (millennials, your time is up) the digital world is ever-evolving, and in order to stay relevant, you need to keep up. As a digital marketing agency, we know the importance of moving with the times, staying up to date with what’s in and what’s not, and just generally adjusting to any new trend that takes a seat at the top table – however short-lived it may be.

This is why we’ve curated a list of some of the latest updates in the digital world from February 2022 so you can utilise them in the best way possible, and maybe anticipate what new trends might be coming next. Digital marketing is where it’s at, and if you’re serious about taking your business to the next level, you’re going to want to take note.

Trust us, if you stay in the fast lane, you’ll never miss a trick.

Meta Released the Results of its Culture Rising: 2022 Trends Report

If you’re looking to upgrade your marketing efforts, you’re going to want to take some time out and read Meta’s new cultural trends report. At 57 pages, the 2022 report focuses on the latest emerging trends and conversation shifts – all based on what the 3.5 billion Meta platform users are posting and talking about across its apps. (Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.)

Naturally, out of over 600,000 conversation topics, one of the main focuses was how COVID-19 and world events have impacted many of the communication exchanges. Incorporating 21 months of hashtag use and 15 months of conversation data, the culture rising report definitively identifies the rising and shifting of trends, (the extensive developments in societal attitudes and the way users have approached these adjustments have been especially significant), which can be instrumental in your content strategy documents moving forward.

Minty Digital Launched a UK-based PR Campaign Showing Brits How Much They Could Be Paying For a Beer By 2030

While the actual content itself is not what anyone wants to be hearing, especially after the last few years we’ve had, (can we have some good news, please?!) this campaign demonstrates the power of strategic digital marketing. (The results of this campaign created some very good news, however.)

In a blog written for Admirals, the content describes how by spring 2022 inflation rates will have risen to 7.25%, and how by 2030 your favourite pint could set you back over ten whole pounds in certain parts of the country. And after launching the campaign, the original post has been shared over 600,000 times and has received coverage and links from major national and regional publications.

LadBible covered the Price of a Pint project with a link included. It was also shared on their FaceBook page and syndicated on Daily Advent. The Mirror also covered the story and included a link, as did The London Economic, Metro, and Morning Advertiser. Business Leader added the link to Admirals from the Newsjacking article about Disney.

TikTok Videos Can Now Be 10 Minutes Long

TikTok has increased its video length for the fourth time, with the platform granting users the ability to upload a whole 10 minutes’ worth of content. While this significant change is still undergoing months of testing, TikTok has officially launched this change globally.

When the video-focused social media app first made an appearance back in 2016, the videos were limited to a short and sweet 15 seconds. As TikTok quickly became more popular and it became an integral social media platform for influencers, musicians, creatives and businesses, video lengths then increased to 60 seconds. And as of July 2021, TikTok tripled that and allowed videos to last a maximum of 3 minutes.

A spokesperson for TikTok (via Metro) said: “We’re always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience. Last year, we introduced longer videos, giving our community more time to create and be entertained on TikTok. We’re excited to start rolling out the ability to upload videos that are up to 10 minutes, which we hope would unleash even more creative possibilities for our creators around the world.”

As social media has evolved, the original short-form content can be very limiting, both advertisement-wise and money-wise, especially when you’re promoting a service, product or brand. So, this is a really exciting time for content creators and businesses who rely on apps such as TikTok to influence and inform their clientele of new products and trends. And with TikTok being the third most popular social media platform behind Facebook and Instagram (especially amongst Gen-Z), this expansion gives brands the opportunity to keep audiences engaged for longer on one platform.

Google Search Local Pack’s Map is Now Interactive

Google Search’s local pack’s map has switched from being a static map to an interactive one. But what does that mean? Well, in terms of physical changes, you are now able to zoom, hover, pan, and click to find out more details from where you’re looking on the map. Before, you could only go into the Google Maps interface when you clicked.

Business-wise, this could be a potential game-changer, as when you make a query, the local pack will show you businesses nearby that match your search. This means you can hover over the business and check out their reviews, zoom in and out, drag the map to see the neighbouring areas and click on a direct listing.

If your business isn’t ranking in the top 3 positions, it could still have a pin on the map, meaning people can still click and read your reviews and stats. This is why reviews could now be a make or break aspect of a company (more than ever before), as customers can quickly check your critiques and decide whether or not to click on your listing.

But even though it’s too early to say whether this could have a momentous impact on local businesses, it’s still worth taking note of and acting accordingly.

Aldi Tops Valentine’s Day Ads Charts With Their Tongue in Cheek 2022 Advert

System1, the ad ranking database recently shared its highest-ranking TV advertisements for February, and Aldi’s Valentine’s Day effort was amongst those in the top spot alongside Fairy Max Power, Tesco and McDonald’s.

The methodology behind crowning the top 10 ads tests each on measures that predict whether they’ll achieve long term brand growth and short term sales growth. This test is confirmed by awarding (between 1 and 5 for each) a star rating for the long term, and a spike rating for the short term. This information is then backed using sales data and the independent IPA database.

The long term rating (star) focuses on the emotional feedback the advertisement creates. Basically, viewers are quizzed on how it made them feel, and how strongly they responded to it. In response to the Aldi ad, their tongue in cheek effort instilled a cheerful and upbeat reaction, in contrast to other advertisements that maybe take the holiday of love too seriously. Alongside them advertising steak, flowers, and (their award-winning) prosecco, they also made a point of including an 18-inch combi drill. This witty tactic helped to prevent any negative thoughts from those who do not celebrate the occasion, while still promoting some of their top offers.

And while Aldi ads get it right on most occasions (remember the deadpan granny who proudly proclaimed: “I don’t like tea, I like gin?”), this Valentine’s Day one is up there with the best of them when it comes to an all-around solid response. Some food for thought for your next product advertisement.

Keep Up To Date and Watch Your Business Thrive

While keeping up to date with changing digital trends may not be number one on your agenda right now (we get it, running a business, whether that be a small, new-starter or a more experienced brand is very time-consuming), it’s definitely worth assigning some time out of your busy schedule to do so.

Because if you want your brand to evolve and thrive in the busy eCommerce universe, you need to make sure you are staying on top of the ever-changing and shifting updates. From taking advantage of TikTok and creating longer videos to showcase your services, brands or products, to keeping a closer eye on Google reviews, if you don’t move with the digital times, you’ll get left behind.