When it comes to the future of digital marketing, there are 3 top contenders that everyone is talking about. The first is the revival of content marketing as the first thing a business does in marketing. Before this pandemic, startups and B2B SaaS marketers considered buying social media to grow their businesses.
Research by the Content Marketing Institute shows that 50% of marketers will increase their content marketing budget in 2023, with 1 in 5 growing in double digits.
The second big trend is AI-powered content. We will begin to understand the opportunities for AI-powered content marketing strategies. If 60-70% of the content we create is not used, AI will start forcing us to rethink what we create and why.
And finally, the third most important process is employee activation. AI will tell us what to create, but the best storytellers are our current employees across the industry. Every business needs the plan to engage these users both as creators and the most effective distribution channels to distribute this content.
Having said this, let’s look at what will be big in marketing in 2023, and more importantly, how the cookieless movement will play a role in it all.
What are the digital marketing trends for 2023?
Some things in life are inevitable, change being one of them. When it comes to digital marketing, businesses and marketers know that things have the potential to change in the blink of an eye. Knowing what to look out for can help all involved prepare for the impending change sooner rather than later – while remaining ahead of the competition of course.
You may be asking yourself “What is the next trend in digital marketing?”, and to help shed some light on this, let’s take a look at a few trends we anticipate seeing this year – including the death of third-party cookies.
Changing Trends in Digital Marketing Era
Here are the top eight digital marketing trends to watch in the cookieless world 2023:
1. Metaverse
Metaverse is often called a virtual world within a world, and Meta (Facebook) is the current owner of Metaverse. It is an unknown digital universe where virtual or embedded objects interact to create a social environment for all.
Having your own digital representation in a future world where you can do whatever you want seems to have a lot to do with video games. Social business is now possible through the network of reality/universe where opportunities are almost everywhere. That’s why today’s digital marketers have found ways to fill that void and create a new digital marketing model with video.
2. NFT
These tradable tokens are tradable digital assets. Each NFT token (Non-fungible Token) has a unique token that identifies it as your first and only one. Besides art and technology, NFTs are also entering the market. NFTs are distributed in lotteries as part of their marketing strategy.
3. Cryptocurrency
In the financial world of Instagram, cryptocurrency is one of the most popular methods. Although no one expected it to be successful, it entered the market and gradually swept the competition under the rug.
As a result, there are approximately 420 million crypto users globally, which is expected to increase.
Investing in cryptocurrencies is popular among millennials, who see them as hip and futuristic. Cryptocurrency investment strategies tap into the younger generation’s desire for free cryptocurrency to raise awareness and give investors a taste of this new investment opportunity.
4. Social business
When it comes to social entrepreneurship, China has already established its billion-dollar business, while India is just starting. Brands use social media to promote their products in real life, and the audience can buy the product there.
5. Voice search
According to a study, 55% of teenagers use voice search every day. Voice search is poised to gain popularity in the coming years, as evidenced by the widespread use of technology among today’s youth.
For the second time, Google claims that its voice search has a 95% accuracy rate. The ease of use of voice search has increased due to improved search accuracy. In addition, the system is more attractive and personalized now that it is easier to use your voice to get results and more accurate than what you asked for.
6. Event advertising
Programmatic ad buying is used to acquire digital advertising. On the other hand, automated buying is a process that uses algorithms and machines to buy ads instead of human intervention.
Advertisers can better target their customers using AI-enabled programmatic advertising.
7. Automated and personalized email marketing
Email marketing automation, as the name suggests, involves sending emails to your customers periodically, based on a specific trigger or schedule. When it comes to digital media channels, email is always a trusted partner. Promotional emails are a great way to communicate with your customers about your company’s achievements or upcoming sales.
8. AI and marketing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been causing a stir lately, and many people say that it will soon dominate all aspects of human life. By using AI Chabot, 60% of Internet users can answer their questions on any number of apps or websites instantly.
There’s a lot of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in what we consume on social media, and it’s designed to keep us engaged for a long time! Therefore, digital marketers have an excellent opportunity to use expensive technology, which is expected to cost $ 190 billion by 2025.
15 Digital marketing trends to look out for in 2023
In an everchanging world, everchanging digital marketing practices are a given. In some instances, they are simple and easy to implement, while others require a bit more effort – like the cookieless movement. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
1. Long-term influencer-brand relationship
Historically, one of the most successful marketing strategies has been word of mouth. Influencer marketing, which involves a partnership between a brand and someone with a specific niche and a large online audience, takes this concept and makes it fresh for today’s new digital era.
2. Live broadcast and video content
Video content is becoming a key part of social media marketing because it can hold a viewer’s attention longer than static posts. From TikToks to Instagram reels, marketers are using short videos to drive engagement and increase awareness among Millennials and Gen Z.
Live advertising is also proving to be an effective marketing strategy. According to a report, consumers spent 3.8 trillion hours browsing through content on mobile devices in 2021. When combined with influencer marketing, live advertising allows consumers to connect with become familiar with the product and interact, talk about the product, and buy while watching.
3. User-generated content
From TikTok trends to #OOTD posts, user-generated content is the new buzzword. This type of content is original and specific, created by consumers rather than brands. Video clips, makeup reviews, branded hashtags, and photo tags are all examples of how brands can include user-generated content.
4. New targeted solutions
Google is set to phase out more cookies by the end of next year due to growing privacy concerns. Cookies participate in targeted marketing by tracking user behavior across the web so that customers can provide a personalized experience. To stay relevant, brands are experimenting with targeted methods to continue creating highly customized content and advertising.
5. Agile marketing
As the name suggests, Agile marketing is an approach inspired by the Agile process. It is a way of working that involves more rapid movement than one large task.
Agile marketing emphasizes true collaboration (rather than silos and hierarchy) and is designed to make it easier for marketers to make changes.
6. Consistent customer experience
Customers expect a personalized and customized experience that meets their immediate needs. At the same time, marketers should avoid looking at the media space only because customers don’t interact with the brand through a single system or channel.
Marketers need to understand the different interactions across the entire customer journey and focus on the complete experience, not a one-time ad.
7. Improved user experience on all devices
User experience, or UX, refers to human emotions when interacting with the system. Good UX design provides a good experience that meets the user’s needs and keeps them loyal to the product or brand.
Your website (and/or app) is a valuable asset to your business, and great UX can make all the difference when it comes to convincing high-performing customers to become customers. When designing your site, keep the layout simple, include easy-to-use navigation, and don’t overwhelm users with bulky information on basic landing pages. You need to optimize your website for mobile, especially since more than half of users worldwide use their mobile phones to browse the web.
8. Voice search for SEO
Marketers are starting to promote voice search as a search engine optimization (SEO) tool. These digital assistants are designed to answer short descriptive questions.
9. Marketing communications
Instead of directing people to conduct a form of engagement and wait for a response, conversational marketing uses targeted messaging and AI automation to interact with people while they are on your website.
This trend in digital marketing uses intelligent chat with machine learning and natural language processing (NLP), allowing customers to have a two-way conversation with the brand. Moving from an asynchronous marketing model to a real-time conversational model represents an important learning curve as the conversational market grows in 2023.
10. Content sharing
If you’ve used the Internet in the past decade, you’ve come across interactive content without even realizing it. The days of static posts and freebies are over – today’s audience wants content that demands attention. Marketers develop strong, two-way experiences that encourage active engagement from their target audience.
11. Devices and applications based on virtual reality
In 2021, Meta (formerly Facebook) unveiled its promising metaverse. This has made it easier for marketers to implement hybrid and mixed reality experiences in their marketing mix. Virtual reality (VR) marketing allows customers to promote their products or services by using VR technology to create an immersive and realistic experience.
12. AI content planning
According to a recent survey by Razorfish, three-quarters of marketers do not use behavioral data for online advertising purposes. New technologies are working to make this data more accessible and affordable for small businesses.
Artificial intelligence is expected to have a major impact on many industries in the next few years. Marketers are now using AI methods such as data models, algorithms, and machine learning to better understand their audience. This data can help marketers optimize budgets, plan, and target content, and customize their customer experience.
13. Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) has taken off in recent years and is now ubiquitous (think Alexa and Siri). This term describes a network of “things” connected by sensors and software for connecting and sharing data with each other on the Internet.
14. Emphasis on public service and reputation
Today, consumers are putting social media brands first by aligning their financial planning with value-added practices.
According to one study, more than half of American consumers consider values in their purchasing decisions. Additionally, 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for products from brands that demonstrate social commitment.
Marketing experts have made people who emphasize social media activities in their marketing campaigns to attract customers who want to make positive changes in their purchases.
15. Representation and Participation
Marketing and media professionals have made great strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts over the past two years, but it is still an issue that will need improvement in 2023. It is more important than ever to make sure that your marketing strategy does not alienate a segment of your audience.
According to research from Facebook, 71% of consumers expect brands to promote diversity and inclusion in their digital marketing strategy. Companies like ThirdLove, Nike, and Bumble are leading the “revolution” with new ads featuring people of different races, body types, ages, sexual preferences, and more.
Bonus Trend: Focus on customer privacy
Amidst the recent privacy and security controversy, many reputable companies are developing new systems to ensure that customers feel comfortable when providing their personal information. While identity theft and data breaches have always existed, the rise of cyberattacks is making consumers realize just how vulnerable their data is.
Although not a marketing strategy, increased data security allows customers to sign up for services, presentations, white papers, and more without worrying about data loss or identity theft. If generating qualified leads is your marketing goal for 2023, you may want to consider upgrading your encryption software.
The Bottom Line
Digital marketing is a competitive field and staying on top of trends is the right way to stay ahead. Are there any trends you’re looking forward to seeing this year? Let us know below!
This blog post is Last updated on Feb 14th, 2023.
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