Technology

Why retailers should embrace digital platforms for success in 2022

As we dive headlong into 2022, retailers continue to search for technology to reach consumers. But, where does that leave small retailers? While many lack the funds to pay for AI platforms, they can find other ways to leverage technology and continue to thrive.

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January 25, 2022

As we dive headlong into 2022, businesses continue to search for new, innovative technology to reach consumers.

Out-of-home advertising — especially digital-out-of-home — appears to be thriving as businesses explore opportunities to grab potential customers. The retail and restaurant industries have been dealt a blow from the pandemic. To counter the losses from COVID-19, businesses are investing more into outside advertising to drive consumers through their doors.

Street

In addition, many businesses plan to experiment and implement artificial intelligence in 2022. It's predicted the labor shortage will continue well into 2022, prompting companies to find other means of delivering goods and services to patrons. That opens the door for AI. If AI functions well and consumers feel comfortable using the technology, businesses can rely less on human employees.

But, where does that leave small businesses? While many lack the funds to pay for AI platforms, they can find other ways to leverage technology and continue to thrive.

Daniel Street serves as CEO of Scorpion, a marketing technology provider that helps small businesses. Scorpion, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021. Street shared his 2022 predictions on how small business will utilize digital marketing in an email interview with Digital Signage Today.

Q: What role will marketing AI have in the business world this year?

A: Marketing AI will finally beat humans in advertising, SEO and targeting to redefine what it means to compete as a business. With the ability to quickly serve up market intelligence and other data-driven insights for more personalized user experiences and smarter decision making—all while automating time-consuming tasks—AI-enabled marketers will run circles around any non-digitized competitors who let themselves fall behind.

Q: Why is it so important for businesses to build and online brand and go all-in with social media?

A: More small businesses will turn to short form video, flocking to social sites like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to drive traffic, build an online brand and even make a little extra money participating in the creator economy by showcasing their expertise.

TikTok will become particularly popular among local businesses as word continues to spread on the new geo tagging features that allow creators to market to local users. TikTok's audience is also tremendously hungry for DIY content.

While it might seem counter-intuitive for a plumber to show people how to switch out a garbage disposal rather than call a professional, we've found customers are more likely to call on the service providers they've seen on TikTok for help with more complicated fixes and installations down the road.

Q: With people spending more time at home during the pandemic, they're finally tackling those long overdue home improvement projects. How can local businesses use digital marketing to promote their services and help with do-it-yourself projects?

A: Some local service providers will find they're not just competing with each other, but increasingly with customers themselves. We all know home improvement stores enjoyed massive growth through the pandemic, but with rising costs, all the extra time spent at home and, increasingly, an unwillingness to wait out service delays, many people, particularly millennials and members of generation Z, are taking the time to learn how to solve plumbing and other household issues and maintenance on their own.

This is a good time for local service providers to get in on the DIY game. There's large demand for videos that walk people through various home projects plus the opportunity to pick up those customers when they're unable to finish a job or do it right.