Part One
Social media has 1.5 billion users worldwide. That means every company must tap into the potential to attract new customers and retain current ones in the digital world. There are hardly any companies that ignore digital marketing as a route to their customers anymore, because it’s clear that adapting to a changing marketplace is critical to their survival and growth. Many businesses have already changed their digital marketing plans for 2023 to incorporate the latest trends to maximize their results and impact.
So what are the digital marketing trends in 2023?
Metaverse
The Metaverse is one of the hottest topics in digital marketing. By this general term, we mean various immersive virtual experiences that happen online, usually simultaneously with others. Starbucks, Nike, and many other major brands have announced their own experiences in the metaverse. However, it’s still in its early stages and most companies can’t boast much in the way of realized experiences or ROI.
If you own a business that wants to take advantage of the metaverse, start experimenting by diving into it personally. Look for new opportunities for your business to participate in while observing what your competitors are doing. The metaverse is still in an experimental phase for most companies, so don’t worry, everyone in it is a newbie.
Artificial intelligence
One of the unobtrusive but ever-present trends in digital marketing over the past few years is artificial intelligence (AI), which is being integrated into almost every channel of it. Algorithms determine the social media posts you engage with, the search results in you see, and even the ads you’re shown. Thanks to AI, digital marketing connects consumers with the products and messages that are relevant to them. And experts know how algorithms influence your results. Optimize your content strategy to take advantage of artificial intelligence.
You’ve probably already heard of the ChatGPT tool, built on artificial intelligence. It’s already proven its ability to create meaningful content in a natural-sounding language in seconds from a short piece of information submitted. On the one hand, with its advent, we can mark the beginning of a trend that will only grow. On the other, however, such AI bots cannot replace marketers entirely. Google does not index content on websites that are generated by artificial intelligence, it outright punishes it. In many cases, it can be perceived as spam, and users themselves will sense if the level of content is lower than expected.
So, in conclusion, we can say that AI tools can be useful to research where to go or even instead of brainstorming. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to write you a text on a certain topic and then use it as a starting point for your text. This can speed up your creative content creation process.
You can also use AI to improve your customers’ experience. For example, search engine optimization (SEO) updates in 2022 focused on delivering the most useful content to users. Beat the algorithms and delight your customers by focusing more on their experiences.
Short videos
TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram Reels are taking over social media and consumer attention. There is no doubt that this format will continue to grow. Businesses have no choice but to be present on the channels and formats where their customers are. The good news is that short video formats are now integrated into professional social media management tools so that you can take advantage of them.
Now is the time if you haven’t been active in these formats. Watch Reels and TikTok to understand the format, the content, and what exactly attracts users. Then start experimenting with short video content for your company. Every company owner, regardless of size, is expected to be an expert in their field. The best way to demonstrate your knowledge is by posting a short educational video on your website and social media platforms. And these platforms limit people to just a few seconds/minutes. So, adjust to these metrics and use the short time to show users that you know what you’re talking about. Videos showing in simple terms how to use a product are particularly useful.
Short and clear messages
With the advent of short videos and the ever-decreasing volume of consumer attention spans, businesses are facing their biggest challenge yet. It needs to be able to communicate with short and snappy soundbites to gain the attention of consumers on their mobile devices.
That’s why you should dedicate yourself to crafting shorter and clearer messages. Transform marketing and brand priorities into short sentences, and clear ideas and experiment with short video formats.
Influencers
Influencers continue to be all the rage. In the US, for example, for every dollar invested in this type of advertising, the average return is $5.20. The oversaturated advertising landscape is forcing companies to find new ways to present themselves to their target audience. That’s why influencers continue to be one of the preferred ways to reach customers through content that doesn’t lose its authenticity and originality, even though it’s advertising. Digital marketers will continue to rely on influencers because many have already gained a huge audience, and new faces are constantly emerging that if original enough, can fill in the missing pieces in the niche.
If you’re not already working with influencers, pay attention to how your competitors are doing it to get ideas. Think carefully about what type of influencers you need for your brand. Don’t be a literalist, break the cliché if you have to, because it’s better to work with no influencers than the wrong influencer for your brand.
Employees as an advertising strategy
This isn’t a new trend either, but it’s growing because more and more companies are realizing they have a lot to gain if their employees share their personal work experiences. This helps direct identification by consumers/customers and puts a human face on the business. Use this opportunity, especially in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Evaluate the opportunity for employees to contribute to your marketing efforts and build a plan to engage them. It usually includes training and various other tools and resources to motivate employees to speak on behalf of the business.
LinkedIn as a marketing tool in business-to-business marketing
In recent times, LinkedIn has seen record growth and engagement. It is expected to account for 25% of business-to-business (B2B) advertising within two years. So, take advantage to help your business grow. Build LinkedIn strategically into your plans. Optimize your content. Grow your audience and look for new features and opportunities to increase your success.
End Part One. Stay tuned for part two of our article coming soon.
