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5 Digital Marketing Trends for Small Businesses in Canada in 2022
5 Digital Marketing Trends
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN CANADA IN 2022
2022 is just around the corner . And this is the right time for you to evaluate the strategies for your small business in Canada . You should have a solid digital marketing plan which will help you navigate through any unforeseen emergencies in the coming year with ease . Why digital marketing in particular ? That ’ s because we have witnessed a significant shift in the digital space in the past two years . The social norms have changed , the way of doing business has changed . We have now become digital beings , to be precise . The pandemic had a significant impact on changing our habits . And even when all this is over , consumer habits will remain the same .
So , how do you think your business would cope ? As per Gartner, on its State of Marketing Budget Report 2021, marketing budgets for businesses have gone down to the lowest level, dipping by 6.4% of the company revenues in 2021 from around 11% in 2020. In addition, marketers are facing disruptions due to the pandemic. And that’ s not all – between new technological applications, business models, and regulatory changes, whatever digital marketing strategies have worked for your business in the past might not work today. So, with 2022 on the horizon, you will have to find ways to digitally engage your customers by harnessing the potential of different technological innovations.
Ways to Boost the Digital Marketing Game for Your Business
The best marketers are constantly looking for ways to implement new trends in digital marketing to boost their sales. If you are looking for similar ways to pump your business online in the coming year, five trends are to keep in mind.
1. Make Use of Data-driven Technologies
Google recently announced that it would end cookie tracking in 2022. What does that mean for small businesses? Pretty simple. It is bad news and will require specific drastic changes. For businesses across the web, tracking user activities is essential. However, maintaining user privacy is also necessary. It is said to be the perfect time to implement GDPR strategies, all set to make customers better aware of their online privacy. Although there ’ s always an option to opt out from third-party cookies, digital advertisers are constantly looking for ways to alter their tactics.
2. Try to Include Mobile-first Marketing
As people are now using tablets and mobile phones more than laptops and desktops, businesses should create content that’ s mobilefriendly, and which will keep their websites higher on the web pages. Mobile marketing strategies could be simple. However, optimizing those properly is a trick. Make use of responsive website designs which will fit into any screen. In 2022, it is vital for your website or app to allow customers to browse your products and services on any kind of device they are using. AMP (accelerated mobile pages) could be another option to make your content load faster on tablets and smartphones.
3. Consider Video Marketing Strategies
Although it’ s been lurking there for a long time now, video marketing is still overlooked by business owners worldwide. In 2022, you should give it a thought if you have been one of them. Video marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools businesses can implement to market their products and services better. According to the video marketing statistics 2021 by Wyzowl, 70% of consumers have either shared a brand’ s video, or 50% of them have said that their confidence in online buying is boosted after watching a product-related video by a brand.
Video marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools which businesses can implement to market their products and services better. According to the video marketing statistics 2021 by Wyzowl, 70% of consumers have either shared a brand’ s video and 50% of them have said that their confidence in online buying is boosted after watching a
4. Go for Geofencing Technology for Targeted Messaging
By 2023, 2.3 billion consumers will use geofencing technology to learn about a particular brand. It is a location-based service that allows businesses to send targeted messaging to people entering their ‘fenced’ area. The messages could be through emails, texts, social media, or app notifications. It has already been used by Burger King, Waze, and so on. The best part is that more than 50% of people who receive a geofence alert act on it. Isn ’t that great?
5. Embrace Omnichannel Commerce Solutions
’ ve heard about omnichannel commerce solutions before. And now it’ s time to implement the same for small businesses in Canada. Companies, irrespective of their size, should focus on reaching potential customers through every avenue, from social media to physical stores. With social media gaining much momentum in the past two years, you can even think about promoting your products on Instagram and Facebook. This will create an additional avenue for you to reach consumers who could become your loyal customers in the long run.
Wrapping it Up
With such a long stay-at-home period, customers have now reset their expectations from their preferred brands. So, businesses need to find ways to engage their consumers better. In addition, they keep in mind that the above-mentioned digital marketing trends will allow you to provide better services to your customers in the years to come.
Do you wish to learn more about such trends and techniques of operating your small business in Canada the right way? Subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.
Canva - The Best Design Platform
for Your Small Business
The world is a visual place. This has become even more true with the advent of new social media platforms and the shift towards more active online interactions. Businesses need a high-quality branding image to compete, stand out, and be successful. If you ' ve never done a design before, or are busy with other parts of your business, creating the required number of images can seem like an overwhelming task or a low priority. If that' s the case, we recommend you to use Canva.
So, What Exactly Is Canva? How Is It Effective For Small Businesses?
Canva is graphic design software for creating promotional content, materials, social media content, and other design products. It has attracted millions of companies with easy-to-use drag-and-drop features and layouts, letting you create and share stunning graphic designs. If you want to expand your creative side and amplify your business ’ offerings, choose Canva to bring innovative change with robust designs by applying a personal touch, ensuring visually impressive designs.
Here are a few reasons why Canva is the best bet for your small business:
You can even save images and share them directly from the app to your social media pages.
Free to Use, and Upgrading is Affordable
Small businesses often have strict marketing budgets, and every expense is critical to their bottom line. Canva, having an unlimited free account with valuable features, lets you get instant access to loads of stock photos, templates, icons, etc. A free version is sufficient for many small businesses.
However, free accounts have limitations. If you upgrade to a Pro account, you can unlock more photos, templates, and fonts. You can also gain team members to save brand colours and extra storage space. In addition, the Pro version starts at $10 per month for the annual plan, so it' s a lot cheaper than hiring many design programs or agencies.
Access Your Projects from Any Device
Since Canva is an online service, it saves your designs in the cloud. This means you can start a project at home and continue working in your store or office. Of course, it' s a lot easier to design with a computer or laptop than a phone. However, the Canva app allows you to quickly download and use photos taken with your phone. Doesn
’t Require Design Experience – Just Eye for What You Like
Using Canva is the same as online shopping. Whether you ’ re looking for social media quotes, handouts, or a complete presentation for your presentation, Canva has a ready-made template for you. Just find the project you ’ re working on and search for a template you like. You can easily change fonts and colours to match your brand. You can even add photos and logos to further promote your brand. You can also use Canva to create your own designs. If you have design experience or need more control, begin with a blank page and add your typography, elements, etc.
Send Links and Work with Others
You can share your project with others by generating a link to your project. It helps you invite people to a comment-only mode or provide them full access to edit designs. It’ s easy to get help and feedback from colleagues and trusted friends. If you ’ ve someone designing for your business, you can also use the link to send your design for review and approval.
Automatically Resize Your Designs
’ ve created some great Facebook images, but now you need to make Pinterest pins and images for your website banners and blogs. The sizing tool will automatically convert your designs to different sizes when using a Pro account. It is beneficial and saves much time. You can always create documents of different sizes and copy design elements by hand with a free account. Create Brand Consistency and Save Time Resize Your Designs
One of the best things about Canva is that you can easily copy and edit graphics. This means that the graphics can be easily reproduced with new content. A consistent selection of templates, colours, and fonts will help increase brand awareness and help you stand out. It helps you stay consistent as you can copy designs and pages without any hassle.
Final Thoughts
If you want to take your small business to newer heights, it’ s no exaggeration to say that Canva can ’t be ignored anymore. It’ s one of the best design tools to create business designs faster and easier. For more information, you can check their website and also create a free account to explore more.
