8 Business Communication Trends To Watch out for in 2022

The ways in which companies communicate with customers, leads, stakeholders, and employees are constantly evolving. Whether changes have been looming on the horizon for a while or are intensifying in 2022 due to the widespread adoption of digital communication technologies, they all allow businesses to get their messages across in new and innovative ways.

Allow me to share my key observations for the business communication trends of 2022.

1.  B2C communication will snowball on social and digital media
Direct engagement with target audiences through social media will play a progressively important part in business communication strategies. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter continue to attract millions of users yearly and allow companies to communicate with their audiences in real-time. With 656 million downloads in 2021, TikTok has changed the way content is created, especially for younger generations, and the popularity of videos as a digital communication tool will continue to grow. AI-powered chatbots and messaging apps, such as Messenger and WhatsApp, will increasingly be used as e-commerce platforms.

2.  CEOs will be owning their stories
The people behind the companies will become more visible and approachable to the public. Customers, followers, and peers within the industry expect to see and want to hear from the CEO. On platforms such as LinkedIn, CEOs are becoming progressively more present and sending clear messages of owning their stories to build their businesses.

3. The future is for thought leaders, not followers
To remain relevant and competitive, business leaders will make use of specific communication strategies to position themselves as thought leaders in their fields. Thought leadership content is based on knowledge and credibility, offering expertise and value to the audience. If done well, thought leadership can build, manage and protect the reputation of a business.

4. The era of corporate empathy
If the pandemic has taught us anything it is the value of trust and authenticity. I will venture the opinion that traditional corporate discourse is antiquated, and that empathy is the future compass for both internal and external communications. To communicate genuinely and emphatically, however, companies need to know their audiences in-depth.

5. Personalised communication will become a prerequisite
In 2022 and going forward, business communication approaches cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution. Companies need to adapt to the needs and diversity of target audiences, internal and external, by creating bespoke content that is value-driven, immediate, engaging, and most importantly helpful. The explosive growth of TikTok is fuelling the trend to communicate instantly and personally.

6. Prepare for omnichannel communications
People do not exist on one channel alone and customer profiles differ, which means companies must be present across multiple communication channels. Some people will want to communicate via live chat, others via a phone call, and others again via a voice assistant such as Alexa. Companies should prepare for omnichannel communications to be where their customers are.

7. Growth of brand communities
Community building will become a focal point for ambitious brands and companies searching for the ultimate communication success: developing brand ambassadors from loyal customers. Brand communities are groups of devoted customers who engage directly with the brand on matters not only related to their products.

8. Dormant internal communication plans will need updating
With a largely remote workforce, companies have had to implement virtual collaborative workplaces and social intranets to just stay alive. As a result of this hurried change, existing internal communication plans have become obsolete and are now overdue for an update to the “new normal” with regards to employee engagement, motivation, information flow, change- and crisis comms, etc.

In brief, there are lots of opportunities among the above trend projections for companies to grow and prosper in their future communications. Just remember that your chances at successful business communication increase significantly with a strategic communication plan in place.

By Cristina Kristensen, Senior Communications Consultant