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Top Marketing Trends for 2023
As the new year approaches for small business owners, it’s time to start thinking about your marketing strategy for 2023! As you plan your budget and gather resources, consider adding these seven marketing trends to get ahead of your competition in 2023!
- Interactive Content Marketing
- Live Streaming
- Voice Search Optimization
- User Generated Content
- Artificial Intelligence
- Omnichannel Marketing
- Micro-influencers
Interactive Content Marketing
First, what exactly is Interactive content? This type of content encourages user participation. Meaning it engages with people and incites them to click, hover, fill a form, answer questions, tick in a box, etc.
Typically, this type of content is more enjoyable and is more likely to keep a customer engaged with a social profile for a bit longer. Not to mention, if they stay longer the chances of sales will also be increased significantly!
What people really like about interactive content; is that it is typically more personalized than just a graphic or video. Customers will each have their own unique interaction with the content, making it more valuable.
Some examples of interactive content:
- Quizzes
- Digital Flipbooks
- Webinars
- Polls
Live Streaming
Live sessions on Facebook and YouTube help humanize brands by showcasing its personality and values while connecting to their audience. Also, this has the opportunity to bring in a new audience and creating trust during the first interaction.
According to a report by Technavio, live streaming is set to grow by $25.18 BILLION from 2021-2026.
There are many types of “live” events you can have:
- News Announcements
- Product Launches
- Interactive Question and Answer sessions
Voice Search Optimization
Google is pushing voice search more and more. So you’ll need to be prepared to optimize your content as voice search becomes more prevalent.
Voice search optimization is the new face trend in digital marketing and the reason is people like to search by saying rather than typing. Not only is it efficient, but it also works to improve the overall customer experience. This can include personalized messaging, which creates a more natural interaction between customers and brands. So, when a customer asks about buying shoes, their device can show them deals and styles related to their past purchase information, geographic location, and intent.
User-Generated Content
Creating strong customer relationships is more important than ever. In the past, these relationships would lead to referral marketing. A small business owner would form a bond with a customer, and they’d tell their loved ones about the business.
Now, the internet is the newer version of referral marketing. Where before, people were limited to their family and friends, where internet users could potentially reach millions worldwide. This is why user-generated content is perfect if you own a small business.
Some, examples of user-generated content that’ll become more popular in 2023:
- User-posted videos on social media where the person is using the product/sharing their opinion about it.
- Hashtags (like #ShareaCoke) that’ll build an online following and entice people to join.
- Create customer challenges (share a photo of yourself interacting with a brand) where customers can potentially win a prize.
Artificial Intelligence
Paid advertising is one of the best and most common methods of paid search engine marketing. Google is already using AI in its products, most notably in the Smart Bidding feature in Google Ads. There are many benefits to this automated process. These include increasing the number of qualified leads, improving brand or product/service awareness, and maximizing conversions.
AI is also used with Content marketing. After collecting information with the help of AI, it turns out to find out what exactly is interesting to the client. Data helps to create interesting content that attracts traffic.
Chatbots are another area where AI can help to streamline the buyer’s journey, by providing simple tech-based solutions without human involvement.
Omnichannel Marketing
Your digital ads are imperative. However, if these ads are not going to connect with your brand’s offline branding, then there is a huge gap to fill. Now every brand has audiences who love discovering products on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, finding reviews about them on YouTube, browsing for deals on websites, and then visiting a store to place the order.
This hopping between platforms happens multiple times and in any order. Small businesses that are just starting out with their digital campaigns should stay ready to embrace this omnichannel approach. That’s one way to prepare for 2023.
A few things you can do include:
- Adding your website address and social media handles either directly or embedded in a QR code on flyers, business cards, and other print marketing materials.
- Placing easy store-finder tools in your email, website, and other digital marketing channels.
Micro-influencers
Influencers have the attention of the people who can help grow your business, and [84%] of consumers trust peers more than brands (at least until they form a relationship).
Influencers typically have more peers than “fans,” and the right person can make all the difference.
That’s the key: working with influencers who are relevant to your audience. It needn’t be a mega-celebrity, either. “Micro-influencers” can be just as or more effective in achieving your unique goals.
If you are interested in generating more traffic, increasing brand awareness, and increasing sales, try incorporating these digital marketing trends into your marketing strategy. They will help set your business up for success
