13 Marketing Trends for 2023!

Economic turmoil really affected businesses in 2022 and marketing has a key role to play in the year ahead to help businesses more forward with confidence. We’ve taken a look at 13 trends for marketing content for 2023 that marketers will be using.  

1. Influencer marketing – The rise of the Micro-influencer  

Influencer marketing increased in 2022, and it’s predicted to increase further in  2023. However, we are increasingly seeing the rise of the micro-influencer, social media promoters with smaller followings (typically thousands to tens of thousands of followers) as they have often found a niche in their industry and are starting to play a bigger role in connecting audiences, converting leads and boosting brand awareness. Furthermore, as they are still considered “everyday” people their audiences are more likely to trust their opinions and recommendations.     

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2. Short Form Video  

Short-form video has taken the marketing world by storm, and it is predicted to increase this year. Over 90% of marketers use short-form video and 1 in 5 marketers plan to leverage short-form video for the first time in 2023.

Whilst long-form videos offer in-depth information about a product, brand, or services to audiences, marketers have learned that getting to the point with short-form videos can actually be much more effective. Not only does it take less bandwidth to create a short-form video, but this type of format aligns well with the fast-paced attention spans of online audiences in a variety of demographics. This is why platforms like TikTok, Reels, have gained quick growth and marketing interest. 

3. Social media – the customer service tool.

Leveraging social media as a customer service tool is relatively new, but this trend is quickly increasing. In fact more than a quarter of marketers use direct messages (DM's) to offer customer support, and 15% of marketers plan to try it for the first time in 2023. Furthermore, it's no coincidence that this trend is emerging at a time when many social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are expanding their  e-commerce capabilities. For this reason, providing customer service on these platforms will become even more crucial.

4. SEO to concur search traffic

As marketers, we must ensure that our websites and content are as discoverable as possible — especially on Google — which can provide both long-term and short-term traffic returns. And, while SEO is not new, it's strategies are becoming even more ingrained within modern day marketing strategies. Therefore, when it comes to the trend marketers will invest the most money in for 2023, SEO ranks third behind short-form video and influencer marketing. And as the interest and need for SEO strategies grow, so do all search optimisation opportunities. As Google algorithms have evolved, SEO has become much more than churning out basic posts that answer simple search queries. Now, brands are investing in SEO experts who can help them with everything from search insights reports, to multimedia optimisation. 

5. The rise of Mobile optimisation

Consumers are spending more and more time on mobile devices, with more than half of annual online website traffic coming from mobile devices including tablets.

As millennials and Gen Z audiences continue to grow buying power, mobile-optimised digital experiences will be even more vital to consider as a business owner who markets to these fast-paced, highly connected generations. 

And, mobile experiences aren't just important on brand websites, they're also important in other key marketing strategies. For example, 56% of marketers who work with email are focused on delivering mobile email experiences to subscribers. 

6. Social responsibility

Social responsibility, ethics, and transparency matter to the modern consumer. Gen Z-ers and Millennials want companies to take a stance on social issues, specifically racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, gender inequality, and climate change. When companies advocate for these issues, it has a strong impact on their purchase decisions. Therefore, with this in mind, companies have begun to focus social media strategies on inclusive initiatives, promotions, and offerings, while highlighting causes or missions they support. Although this might not sell products immediately, showing a sense of social responsibility is still both thoughtful and effective.

7. Alignment of marketing and sales

In 2023, it will become increasingly more crucial for sales and marketing teams to work together. When these teams are aligned, marketers can get a more complete picture of their customers, including their interests, hobbies, and demographics. Furthermore, working in harmony will create better and more effective campaigns that will drive results.  

8. Experiential marketing

Experiential marketing campaigns enable audiences to step into an immersive experience that is often in a physical place or via an Augmented Reality /Virtual Reality platform. These allow the user to effectively try before they buy and as we step back into reality the possibility of experiential marketing looks to increase rapidly so look out for more in the year ahead!

9. Inbound marketing

Inbound marketing can be a valuable asset to create brand awareness and build trust digitally through refocusing strategy to drive customers to seek out your content.

The process of inbound marketing requires you to produce quality, valuable content tailored towards your target audience and buyer personas and their needs.

10. Native ads.

This year many marketers are planning to leverage native ads for the first time because research has shown that they work! When your brand pays to feature content on a third-party website, you’re investing in native advertising unlike traditional advertising, which is designed to interrupt and stand out, native advertising is designed to blend in and promote your brand to a new audience who might otherwise never learn about you. Because native ads don’t “feel” like traditional ads, consumers are more likely to consume them — in fact, consumers view native ads  over 50% more than banner ads.

11. Video

Video dominated the marketing space in 2022 and 2023 is predicted to be no different. Many marketers plan to invest in short-form video more than any other trend this year. In essence video creates a deeper connection with your potential customer base and it’s easy for brands to repurpose video content into podcasts and text- based content.   

12. Case studies

Case studies offer prospects an incredibly deep and exclusive look into how people or brands benefit from a product, service, or strategy. While some businesses place them publicly on their web pages to persuade a potential buyer as quickly as possible. others might utilise them as free PDFs that require a lead conversion to be downloaded.

13. Infographics

Infographics not only have the shareability and visual appeal of a nice photo — but they're also packed with helpful data and informative information. This makes them incredibly engaging to web visitors and social media audiences alike. Of the marketers who regularly use infographics in their content strategy, 56% say they are their most effective content type as the credible stats and information is condensed and more visually engaging to tell compelling and persuasive stories.   

If you need any help with your marketing content please get in touch.