Keeping up with digital marketing trends can be a challenge.
We subscribe to marketing newsletters but barely open them. We register for free webinars, but something more important always comes our way. At best, we get our bits of information from self-promotional LinkedIn posts. And that’s not that great.
We decided to open those newsletters, press a replay on one or two webinars, and go through trustworthy blogs to see what other marketers are up to. We’ve picked the eleven marketing trends that were the most frequently repeated and analyzed them in this article.
The digital marketing trends of 2023
- Short video content will take the stage.
- TikTok will become a must in marketing campaigns.
- Social media platforms will encourage accessibility.
- Marketers will go back to permanent social media posts.
- Live streaming will bring crowds.
- Marketers will take influencer marketing seriously
- Voice search won’t slow down
- Story-driven visual content will reign
- Conversational marketing will bring everyone closer
- Marketers will invest in social responsibility
- Mobile-first marketing will become even more vital
Let’s have a look at each of them individually.
Social media marketing trends
1. Short video content takes the stage.
Nicely curated images aren’t enough anymore! Here are some numbers to help you finally find the courage to start using reels.
According to a HubSpot survey, short-form video content boasts the highest ROI of any social media marketing strategy. 30% of social media marketers surveyed claimed short videos would be their preferred form of investment among other social media marketing tactics. And 89% of all marketers questioned said they would either spend the same budget on short video content or increase it.
Image source: influencermarketinghub.com
This doesn’t mean that you should not be making long videos, e.g., in-depth explainers of how your product or service works. Longer videos can do an excellent job when you need to address the objections and fears of your potential customers.
However, if you want to stand out in the feed and raise your brand awareness, short videos need to be in your marketing strategy for 2023. Remember, TikTok and Instagram reels are not just for GenZ! You’ve got this.
2. TikTok will become a must in marketing campaigns
TikTok, the epitome of short video content, deserves a separate mention in this list.
Image source: wearebooster.com
In 2020 and 2021, TikTok was the fastest-growing social media platform in the U.S., currently boasting over 1 billion users worldwide.
The fact that TikTok is more geared towards a younger generation shouldn’t discourage you from including it in your marketing strategy. According to Statista, in 2021, GenZ and Millennials made up over 42% of the U.S. population. So, if your product or service is tailored to them, ignoring TikTok is a big mistake.
Image source: gfycat.com
The good news is that your CEO doesn’t need to learn the latest dance moves to make it on this social media platform. You can stand out as a brand by sharing tips and tricks, helpful life hacks, and tutorials. You can also collaborate with influencers in your niche.
Most importantly, remember that GenZers treat TikTok like a search engine—make sure you’re found there!
In May of 2022, Twitter wrote that only 6% of images on Twitter are accessible.
Image source: twitter.com
A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that around 246 million people in the world have low vision, and 39 million people are blind. You may miss out on these huge numbers by not putting alt tags or captions to your visual content.
By making your posts accessible to everyone, you make someone else’s day much better and boost your rankings—social media platforms embrace and reward accessibility.
Here are a few tips on how to make your social media content more accessible:
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Use captions in videos.
Captioned videos get 40% more views! Plus, social media platforms will rank you for the terms used, even if they’re not present in your video title. Where possible, go for closed captioning.
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Write alt text for your images.
You can make images more accessible by writing a description (or alt text). Be creative! Don’t just write “A man scoring a goal”—add statistics or other relevant info.
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Don’t use too many emojis, hashtags, or funky fonts.
Emojis are great for dividing the text but keep in mind that the screenreader reads all of them out loud. So it’s better not to put three emojis in a row, or your text will sound like “smiley face, smiley face, smiley face, check this out”. The same goes for hashtags and funky fonts.
While stories have taken over in the last few years, permanent grid posts are here to stay and, in some cases, might show better results than ephemeral content. Standard image posts, live streams, and videos can be viewed by your target audience multiple times—even months or years after, continuing to bring you exposure and, possibly, sales.
Image source: thetravelbootcamp.com
HubSpot’s survey also found that 44% of marketers worldwide plan to boost their permanent social media budgets.
This doesn’t mean you should stop doing stories—they’re great for creating authentic and appealing social media content. What this means is that posting only on stories isn’t enough anymore. Whatever you share on stories, find a way to put it in the grid, too.
5. Live streaming will bring crowds
Yes, live streaming looks intimidating. You may fear making mistakes, looking ridiculous, or speaking just for twelve people.
But here’s the thing—live streaming is authentic as heck, and it’s 2022 (or 2023)—people love authenticity, especially regarding brands. Your potential customers will appreciate your willingness to be vulnerable and go live because watching events unfold in front of your eyes is super exciting!
Image source: techcrunch.com
What’s also great is that these events offer fantastic engagement opportunities. Your audience can ask you questions, leave comments, and participate using other interactive features.
And the best thing? You don’t need any special equipment to get started! You can go live in just a few clicks. Of course, it’s always a good idea to let people know of your upcoming live stream upfront. This way, they can plan watching it into their schedules.
Here are a few ideas about what you could talk about during your live stream:
- Product reveal
- Mission & vision
- Behind-the-scenes
- Q&A
- Discussion with an expert
Content marketing trends
6. Marketers will take influencer marketing seriously
Influencers are now increasingly perceived as serious publishers who build highly engaged and valuable audiences. This is especially true with micro-influencers—social media users who have around 3,000-100,000 followers.
Image source: quuu.co
While micro-influencers usually reach a much smaller audience compared to celebrity moguls, their followers tend to be much more engaged. This is usually because influencers with smaller audiences usually create more authentic content in a specific niche, making them look more trustworthy. A goldmine for brands!
Virtual influencers
With the metaverse promising us the next frontier of the world wide web, virtual influencers are already a thing. There are over 200 virtual influencers you can hire to promote your brand!
Research shows that virtual influencer marketing works just fine. In fact, virtual influencers boast engagement rates up to three times higher compared to their human counterparts! That’s something to think about.
7. Voice search won’t slow down
Voice search will have a significant impact on how brands display themselves online. Currently, 20% of searches are driven by voice, and this number will only increase in the coming years. Research by PwC has found that 61% of consumers aged 25–64 expect to use voice search more in the future.
And we don’t even talk about mobile devices! Voice search also includes smart speakers, which are also a huge thing. Around a quarter of US households own a HomePod, Google Home, Amazon Echo, or another similar device.
Image source: theguardian.com
Optimizing your content for voice search not only makes consumers’ life easier but also comes with additional bonuses for your marketing campaigns. For example, since voice searches are usually longer and pretty conversational, your more informal FAQ may be more likely to be picked up as a featured snippet.
8. Story-driven visual content will reign
The rise of voice search doesn’t mean visuals will become less important—quite the contrary! 62% of millennials claim that visual search interests them more than other emerging technology like augmented reality (try before you buy) or shoppable content.
Image source: insiderintelligence.com
So, to stay relevant, brands in every industry should provide their consumers with visual content that comes up on google image search, is shareable on social media, and informs while telling a compelling story.
The great thing about using visuals is that you can start small. For example, if your brand’s voice is a bit more relaxed, memes are a great way to incorporate visual content into your marketing strategy! Other examples of visual storytelling include GIFs, memes, images, illustrations, videos, and graphics.
Digital marketing trends
9. Conversational marketing will bring everyone closer
Online shopping has made our lives much easier, especially with the pandemic, but it has always lacked one thing—face-to-face human contact, the kind you can only get in the actual brick-and-mortar store.
This is where conversational marketing steps in.
Conversational marketing is one of the key marketing trends of 2023. It can help you create more meaningful relationships with your target audience by delivering messages and dialogue the way consumers want and where they want it. This includes chatting with your customers through instant chat on your product page and replying to Facebook and Twitter messages.
Image source: time-to-reinvent.com
People usually want to feel connected to a business, so getting an instant and personalized reply will boost their confidence in buying from you. For brands, conversational marketing allows for real-time consumer interaction with continuous brand engagement.
An essential tip for a great customer experience
Don’t use templates for your responses. Your customers will pick it up quickly and may not care about engaging with you anymore. Custom responses take time but being genuine pays off!
Here’s why marketers will be willing to invest in creating a social responsibility strategy in 2023:
- 94% of GenZ believe businesses should address social and environmental issues.
- 55% of consumers are prepared to pay more for products or services that help to bring about positive change.
- More than 90% of global buyers are inclined to switch to brands if they support a good cause.
Of course, highlighting social causes in your content may not help you boost your sales instantly. Showing a humane side to the business is a reputation-building strategy that will bring modern consumers closer to you in the long term.
It’s essential to align your social responsibility strategy with your business priorities. Don’t just go for sustainability just because everyone is doing it. Look for a cause that fits your values and will directly impact the business.
Also, if you choose a cause, be consistent with it. Let’s take Pride Month as an example. When it comes, companies change their social media profile pictures and covers, donate to charities, etc. But when the month is over, those donations tend to stop. But the LGBTQ+ community is here all year!
11. Mobile-first marketing will become even more vital
“Your website must be optimized for mobile”—every digital marketer knows it by heart. And yet, so many of us are still just creating plans for finally making that landing page look good on someone’s iPhone.
As we approach 2023, a mobile-first marketing strategy will be a top priority for online businesses and content creators who want to decrease bounce rates, especially if their target audience consists of GenZers and Millennials.
Talking about Gen Z, this generation already has an impact on more than $600 billion in consumer spending. They are also the largest generation in history. In 2019, Gen Z surpassed Millennials, and now constitute 32% of the global population. It’d be a shame not to cater to such a massive audience!
FAQ
What are the current marketing trends?
The digital marketing trends of 2023 are:
- Short video content will take the stage.
- TikTok will become a must in marketing campaigns.
- Social media platforms will encourage accessibility.
- Marketers will go back to permanent social media posts.
- Live streaming will bring crowds.
- Marketers will take influencer marketing seriously
- Voice search won’t slow down
- Story-driven visual content will reign
- Conversational marketing will bring everyone closer
- Marketing teams will invest in social responsibility
- Mobile-first marketing will become even more vital
What are content marketing trends for 2023?
Influencer marketing, voice search, and story-driven visual content are some of the top content marketing trends for 2023.
Julija Paškevičienė
Julija is a freelance content marketer. Specialized in content writing, social media, and finding the best dog memes, she helps businesses get their message across and create content that sells.
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