As we approach 2023, your marketing strategy should also keep pace with digital evolution. If there's anything we can learn from this year, it's that having a strong online presence is vital for any business. Creating a website has shifted from being an option to becoming a necessity.
In this article, we examine the ten most relevant marketing trends for 2023, covering various types of marketing, to help prepare your business for the future.
Marketing Trends for 2023
01. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
02. Long-term partnerships with influencers
03. User-generated product promotion
04. Video marketing
05. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
06. Live streaming
07. Conversational marketing
08. Audio content
09. Organic SEO
10. Inclusive marketing
01. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Developers and engineers are no longer the sole users of AI and machine learning. Marketing professionals will increasingly leverage these technologies in their daily work, such as artificial intelligence in marketing.
Ross Simmonds, CEO of Foundation, told Marketing Millennials, "In 2023, I think we will see major campaigns executed based on creativity and content generated by AI." You've probably noticed this trend, with DALL·E 2 images flooding social media in recent months.
May Habib, co-founder and CEO of an AI writing platform called Writer, explains that intelligent tools can make the content creation process much more efficient, whether you're creating a blog or just trying to write a few paragraphs for your About Us page.
02. Long-term partnerships with influencers
In the past year, influencer marketing has grown dramatically and will continue to do so. Influencers excel at fostering personal relationships with their audience. Marketers looking to capitalize on these connections have begun harnessing the potential of influencer marketing by building strong partnerships with influencers.
Instead of paying a bunch of influencers to post about the business a couple of times, brands are investing in long-term partnerships with a smaller number of influencers, prioritizing quality over quantity.
Shachaf Rodberg, a marketing trends analyst at Wix, believes that not only are influencer relationships changing: influencer marketing seems to be changing marketing altogether. "Social media is changing," he explained. "It's bringing in not-so-famous creators or allowing their own creators to be the face of the company."
Additionally, other marketing strategies are gaining relevance, such as Guerrilla Marketing, which presents innovative and disruptive tactics.
03. User-generated product promotion
Marketers have focused on making customer interaction smoother and amplifying community-generated content. This includes creating forums, showcasing user-generated content on social media, posting testimonials on websites, or initiating a referral rewards program.
Some companies have even acquired community-driven businesses. A community-driven marketing strategy is most effective when the community is integrated into the business itself. For example, Figma offers a plethora of templates, most of which come from the users. This feature emphasizes the brand's identity and collaboration with users. Figma also sponsors and supports local groups through an initiative called "Friends of Figma." By nurturing the community, Figma deepens brand loyalty and facilitates word-of-mouth marketing.
04. Video marketing
Short-form content is on the rise, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down. Nowadays, Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts are some of the primary channels for video content. Due to their ability to capture audience attention and prompt higher engagement than other content, video marketing is expected to play an even more prominent role in 2023.
More videos will be utilized in various marketing strategies in 2023. Additionally, email marketing campaigns, websites, and advertising formats will incorporate more video content. The analytics for measuring video performance will become more sophisticated. As the technology for tracking this information improves, we will see more companies investing in video marketing.
For instance, remarketing is a type of advertising that will integrate video marketing like never before. By using personalized video content, it will be possible to optimize the type of videos used for retargeting, showing ads with the highest probability of conversion.
The videos used this year will mostly be created by influencers. Likewise, user-generated content will dominate in video marketing. Both sources will not only save time but also contribute to the performance of marketing strategies. People are increasingly rejecting traditional advertising. Leveraging the work of influencers and videos created by customers will allow you to capture the attention of your audience in a much more authentic and meaningful way.
How to prepare for the rise of video marketing:
Invest time in producing high-quality video content for your brand. You can use a video creator to assist you.
Get active on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Collect user-generated content and encourage your customers to film their purchases.
Allocate more budget to video production.
05. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
One of the marketing trends that will not only be evident in 2023 but also in the coming years is Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). We will begin to see these technologies in the promotion of products and services, and they will change marketing forever.
Firstly, what is the difference between VR and AR? VR creates a computer-generated reality that constructs a three-dimensional fantasy world. Users immerse themselves in this new universe with VR glasses and can interact with objects using their hands. On the other hand, AR is based on the current real world but overlays parts of the virtual world. In AR, users connect through their phone or tablet to interact with this overlaid dimension.
VR and AR are often referred to as 360-degree marketing. Companies use this type of marketing to enhance the buyer's brand perception and increase their purchasing decisions. Successful brands like TOMS Shoes, TopShop, Oreo, Sephora, and IKEA already use these technologies for marketing purposes.
For instance, let's look at what IKEA is doing. The home furniture company created the IKEA Place app, which, through AR technology, allows shoppers in their store to place virtual items in real physical spaces. AR technology enables consumers to visualize how products look and feel before purchasing. Undoubtedly, this "hands-on" experience can significantly increase purchase intent and drive sales.
The advantage of integrating VR and AR into your marketing lies in providing a remarkable competitive advantage. You can engage with your target audience in a truly unique way. However, this technology is still relatively expensive and challenging to implement for many businesses.
06. Live streaming
Audiences find live streaming very appealing. This format, and at the same time, a rising marketing trend, is excellent for brands to showcase their personality and values authentically.
Live streaming not only helps users better connect with brands and feel more comfortable when making a purchase, but it will also change online sales. More and more channels are incorporating shopping features that allow brands or influencers to recommend a product and share a link during live streams. The term social commerce is used to describe this new form of shopping experience, and in 2023, we will continue to see it gaining momentum.
Features like Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Twitter Live, and YouTube Live are the most well-known for this type of marketing. These features will become even more commonplace and sophisticated across various industries as the year progresses.
Live stream ideas:
Organize a Q&A session to address frequently asked questions.
Announce the launch of a new product.
Create a live shopping event.
07. Conversational marketing
Conversational marketing is a more personal way of engaging with your audience with the aim of enhancing customer experience and boosting sales. These conversations can take place through live chat, chatbots, voice assistants, and other means.
Improved communication with customers means your business can shorten the sales cycle, thereby enhancing the marketing funnel. Time and money are also significant reasons that underpin this shift in marketing.
To effectively leverage this trend, it's crucial to personalize the experience. Increased automation through the use of artificial intelligence will lead to conversions based on users' previous interactions with your business.
Another trend we'll see in conversational marketing is the use of video chats. Unlike text-based chats, it will become more common for customer service and sales representatives to engage in video calls. Additionally, the localization of content should not be overlooked.
08. Audio content
Screen exposure fatigue, the pressure of being on camera, and the flexibility offered by consuming audio content have driven this cutting-edge marketing trend for the current year. Podcasts, audio on social media, and audio editorials fall under the umbrella of "audio content," something we will all hear much more of in 2023.
As podcasts can immediately enhance brand perception and recognition, an increasing number of companies will follow this trend. This allows them to reach new audiences and better shape brand perception. Instagram Rooms and Twitter Spaces demonstrate the high demand for audio content on the internet.
Adding audio content will broaden your content marketing strategy and even boost your website's SEO. Google is starting to rank podcasts on the search engine results page (SERP). Therefore, having podcasts or videos integrated into your page can help increase your ranking. Additionally, consider transcribing your podcasts into blog entries to assist in natural voice search recognition. This marketing trend comes with low costs and significant rewards.
09. Organic SEO
Driving traffic to your website through SEO is a robust marketing strategy. In 2023, SEO will continue to be one of the primary sources of new customers and traffic for most businesses.
There are significant changes in SEO as more keywords generate featured snippets. Featured snippets appear among the top search engine results and display a small portion of your article. It has been proven that they generate a higher number of clicks to your website and help improve your credibility.
Get ready for the trend of the increasing importance of featured snippets: follow best practices such as using bullet points, numbers, and complete answers to organize your content, thereby increasing your chances of generating featured snippets.
Here are more SEO tips and trends:
Blogging: If you haven't already, create a blog for your business. This allows you to rank for more keywords related to your products, services, and industry.
Mobile-friendly website: Nearly 60% of all searches are conducted on a mobile device. Ensure that your website is optimized for mobile to avoid negatively impacting your SEO.
Follow the EAT principle: EAT stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Search engines take this into account when determining your rankings. Build a strong EAT for your business and include everyone who contributes to your content.
10. Inclusive marketing
An inclusive marketing plan is not just about showcasing diverse images on your website or social media. In addition, inclusive marketing is not a sales gimmick. As a marketer, you must be aware of how our world has changed and understand that being inclusive and respectful to all is the new norm.
Consumers are looking for brands that practice what they preach and align with their values. If you seek customer loyalty and lasting respect from users, you have to project an authentic brand. Allow all individuals and groups to see themselves in your marketing strategy and know that they can connect with your business.
One company that has successfully launched an inclusive marketing campaign is Gillette. The razor giant created an innovative advertisement featuring a transgender man shaving in front of the mirror for the first time, guided by his father. This ad, promoting gender inclusion, was shared on Gillette's Facebook page and garnered over 1.6 million views. As a result of launching an inclusive ad, the audience can see that Gillette takes a stand and supports the transgender community.
Inclusive marketing tips:
Foster Diverse Perspectives: Ensure diverse perspectives at all levels of your company, from your user experience designer and sales team to top management.
Feature Different Groups: Strive to highlight a different group in each marketing campaign.
Share Real Stories: Tell real stories whenever possible. People need to feel genuine representation rather than fictional characters.
Challenge Prejudices: Aim to showcase individuals or stories that positively challenge prejudices and stereotypes.
Cultural Adaptation: Tailor your marketing strategy to different cultural contexts to make your brand inclusive for diverse groups worldwide.
Conclusion
While the use of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, or inclusive marketing may sound daunting, we are confident that reviewing these 10 marketing trends will be beneficial as you design your marketing strategy in 2023.
By Danae Salinas
Blogger & Marketing Specialist
