INSIGHT
TREND WATCH : FIVE FOR PROGRAMMES TO TRACK IN 2022
Lee-Ann Johnstone identifies her five essential digital and marketing trends that affiliate programmes should stay aware and on top of in order to stay relevant as 2022 unfolds
A s 2022 kicks off , what better time to review your affiliate marketing strategies and get ready for the year ahead ? There is no doubt that the digital landscape is continuing to evolve at a rapid pace , and it ’ s our job as digital and affiliate marketers to ensure we keep our finger on the pulse of latest trends , technologies and emerging opportunities within our industry . Here I will discuss some of the trends I think are critical to look at and consider for your programme growth and development in 2022 .
THE POWER BEHIND LONG- TAIL SEO , VISUAL AND VOICE SEARCH
It ’ s estimated roughly 50 % of search is now voice activated . Many affiliates are working to this end in their content creation strategies already . However , some affiliate managers are none the wiser in terms of how this could affect their partner referrals and traffic sources . It ’ s imperative that programme managers collaborate closely with their affiliates to seek and find niche audiences using phraseology that doesn ’ t depend on keyword-specific search terms . We also need to consider content strategies that support the growth of voice search activations across multichannels .
To rank effectively on search engines , you now need to answer the questions that are being asked . While tools such as Google Suggest can be used for the more generic questions , affiliates and operators can work together to create content that is meaningful and relevant to the user to drive traffic on to the brand .
Invest in the content that ’ s on the website . If you have a portal that ’ s already packed with valuable content , excellent ; build on it and add in relevant FAQs . Are the operators you are promoting hosting a slot game that you are performing well for in search results ? Add an FAQ or something specific around that slot to that page and link to the operator . Do they offer a specific type of bet or bonus for which you have created a guide ? Update that page with question-specific answers and link that back out to the operator .
In terms of the visual element , content needs to be easily digestible – and infographics or videos are a great way to break content up . It can increase dwell time on your pages and allows you to add SEO data to other elements of your site . It ’ s a worthwhile exercise to do an SEO audit of your site , find the content gaps and opportunities and create a content plan to build on those . Compare it with your competitors and add in voice and visual search attributes for your affiliates to help you to outperform competitors .
52 • ISSUE 89 • Q1 2022