Every year the digital marketing landscape evolves again, bringing new trends to the fore. Digital marketing in particular has faced countless changes during the past two years, especially during the pandemic. During that time, we’ve seen a huge emphasis on the importance of brands having an online presence as consumers have shifted to the online world to fulfill their needs. Consumers now expect a personalized and seamless experience across all channels, making it more of a challenge for digital marketers!
With all of that in mind, here are some interesting trends to look for in digital marketing during 2023. Let’s explore them!
The Shift to AI
Running marketing campaigns years ago was a lot more manual than it is today, as you’d have to do everything from scratch, with limited tools and resources to fall back on. In today’s tech-heavy world, there is now an abundance of available tools to help run your campaigns efficiently. With the shift to augmented reality, these platforms and tools are getting “smarter”, meaning the insights and data that can be provided go beyond anything we could have imagined years ago. Google campaigns can now suggest which campaigns to drop based on performance, analyze customer data at the speed of light, and can provide actionable insights for your brand. There are also AI tools such as SEMrush and Optimove that allow you to track how your keywords rank against competitors and produce content from written material to images and videos with a click of a button.
A new tool called ChatGPT has also been a topic of discussion for many online marketers. This tool is a powerful AI bot that engages in human-like dialogue based on a prompt. Due to its simplicity and quickness in providing humanlike answers, some say this will become the new modern search engine. However, others worry that this revolutionary technology may pose a threat to marketing jobs. Luckily, we are still far from AI completely replacing human interactions and abilities, but it is an interesting technological advancement, nonetheless and one digital marketers need to be aware of!
Influencer Marketing
Now more than ever, we see brands eager to collaborate with influencers to increase their exposure and growth. Pierre-Loïc Assayag, CEO and co-founder of Traackr, believes that brands will actually increase spending in influencer marketing going forward. "What we already experienced during the pandemic — when resources were scarce but the ROI on influencer marketing was stronger than traditional digital media — will be further cemented by a recession.”
Social media users appreciate genuine content and when it comes to brand’s social media presence, the strategy is changing for 2023. Social media is shifting back to its original roots as being a place for brand awareness and engagement rather than traffic generation. Brands should look to connect with their audience in 2023 rather than persuade them. What better way to do that than to utilize social media influencers with a large community of followers?
READ MORE: Growing Your Brand Using Influencers and Brand Ambassador
Video-Based Content
Short-form videos have become increasingly popular on all channels, especially TikTok and YouTube. Video content tends to be more engaging and can increase conversion rates, as it can capture a viewer’s attention for longer than a standard ad can. Many brands are now focusing on creating short-form videos that relate to their audience and showcase their brand in a natural way. Many have explored video ads on TikTok and YouTube Shorts and this seems like a big trend this year. Also, with the rise of 5G networks, optimizing mobile marketing campaigns will be important in 2023. Location-targeting mobile ads have been an effective method brands have used to deliver ads that are customized to a user based on their geographic location.
READ MORE: Battle of the Brands: YouTube vs TikTok
Closing Thoughts
As we’ve entered the new year, the growing digital marketing landscape has seen new trends arise. To remain competitive in this everchanging industry, brands need to stay aligned with technological trends and utilize them to their advantage. In 2023, the shift to augmented reality is prominent and we’ll be seeing more brands embracing this change. To be successful in digital marketing, brands who adopt new trends and changes instead of sticking to their old ways will see the most success with their customers. It’s an exciting year of upcoming trends, and we can’t wait to see what else is yet to come!
