The future is here – are you ready?
Join Agency FIFTY3 as we time warp through the future of the marketing industry. As the future dawns on us, we start to blur the line between what’s real and what’s fake… but maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Robots, artificial intelligence, and automation aren’t here to take over the world (yet), so lean into their ability to make your job easier. As humans, it’s time to stop wasting time doing what robots can do and start doing more human sh*t. As a collective, our industry will continue to innovate and improve, and we have the power to decide what’s next.
Technology (Robots)
Many of the platforms we work with and within are embracing automation as a core function of their strategy for 2022 and beyond. Google is leading the charge across several of their services, including organic search listings and Google Ads.
UX has played an increasingly large role in SEO over the recent years, and our tools are taking this into account. Since Google is user-centric, they continue to roll out ways of measuring UX, including the recent Core Web Vitals. UX ranking factors were announced in 2020 and went into effect mid 2021. Websites, specifically in multifamily, seem to be slow to adapt. Shifting focus to these ranking factors in 2022 is a great way to give your website an edge against close competitors.
“Robots,” technology and automation are also becoming more commonplace in the multifamily industry.
Apartment homes are continuing to get “smarter” in response to prospect demand for aspects like smart entry, smart thermostats, etc. Searches for “smart apartments” are growing, and these amenities are quickly becoming the norm.
Automation is the name of the game for Google Ads.. A variety of changes will increase marketers’ ability to manage accounts at scale and give us the opportunity to take a more strategic approach. Which features are changing in the coming year?
• The option to optimize for various campaign goals is becoming more sound.
• Text ads are sunsetting, responsive ads will become the new default.
• Performance Max campaigns will allow advertisers to access all of their Google Ads inventory from one campaign.
• Automated bid strategies and auto applied recommendations will become regular tools for any marketers managing accounts at scale.
“Robots”, technology and automation are also becoming more commonplace in the multifamily industry.
The leasing experience is also moving online, and before long there will be completely virtual offices in some communities. Several companies help to support virtual and self-guided tour options. Consumers, now used to doing everything online post-2020, value this convenience and may move their search elsewhere if not presented with virtual and digital options. We will see fully digital communities thrive.
EXPERIENCE (HUMANS)
It might sound like a sci-fi cliche, but raw, unfiltered human-ness will be the only way to really connect with our target audience. Here are a few ways we think this prediction could manifest into our world:
As linguistic softwares develop, it will be easy for computer-generated ad copy to take up the market share on ad platforms, but it’s conversational brand voice and human-like writing that will really catch the eyes of these users. Allow your messaging to bend the rules to stand apart.
It’s easy to photoshop, face tune, filter, preset, overlay, or finesse any image to make a product look better than it is — our consumers aren’t buying it anymore. Video is harder to shop and feels more authentic — not to mention it’s more eye-catching.
Instagram stories are a great way to bring authenticity to your brand’s profile. While feed posts are crucial for building a concrete look and feel, less-professional content on Instagram stories can show what your brand’s lifestyle is like.
Having more accessible content, ads, websites and user journeys won’t just be a cherry on top anymore. Caption your videos, add meta descriptions, and keep color contrast in mind.
Users are being offered more options than they’ve ever had — they’re allowed to be picky. Consumers will not engage with brands/communities that don’t actively align with their values. Teams will need to get ahead and roll out strong creative campaigns that users will care about.
INDUSTRY (THE COLLECTIVE)
• Homes have become more than just the place you go when you’re not out doing something else. Even beyond COVID, space to work, exercise, and connect with friends is important. This means apartment homes with more versatile spaces will be increasingly valuable in the years to come.
• Multifamily Branding: We anticipate that the rise of family brands and the consolidation of brands will increase exponentially. We’ll see lots of adoption of house brands and family brand architecture. Brands themselves will find inspiration from other industries like food and beverage, hospitality, fashion, sustainability, and more. Design and marketing will also be influenced as brands pull from these outside elements.
• Housing Types: Affordable Housing will receive billions in government investment and build-to rent (BTR) will continue to pick up steam as a housing type as well, though it will be important to watch this space as land values surge and the supply chain remains slowed.
• Growth in CTV/OTT: Users will continue to move away from traditional cable and TV providers and switch to streaming platforms. Marketing spend for CTV spots will grow and is expected to reach paid search and social levels. This trend is in keeping with a general push toward more video.
• A new kind of influencers: Influencer marketing will expand further this year, especially to different platforms, attracting different types of influencers and their audiences. Additionally, micro and nano influencers will become more popular — more people with smaller individual followings across more platforms.
• The Immersive Experience: The brand experience is expanding to include all five senses and technology is evolving to allow marketers to digitally deliver more elements. One example is Facebook/Meta’s virtual environment, the metaverse. Some brands are already exploring ways to advertise within this new landscape.
