We’ve compiled trends for 2023 that will guide your marketing strategy and give you an edge over the competition.
#1. Video content
Video content is already a must in content marketing, and live video will play one of the most important roles in 2022. Expect to see even more of this type of live content throughout the year, from short tutorials and how-tos to live webinars.
An official Cisco report estimates that by 2022, 82% of all IP traffic (enterprise and consumer) will be video traffic.
Moreover, with the growing popularity of Instagram Reels and the TikTok platform (where the number of users has grown from 500 million to 1 billion in just one year), short videos will remain at the peak of popularity. These videos are great for keeping the attention of today’s customers.
According to Elite content market, 66% of respondents would like to watch a short video to learn about a product, and only 18% are willing to read a text article, website or post. And according to a Vidyard report, 68% of people will watch a video in its entirety if it’s less than a minute long.
#2. Content marketing
According to a Technavio report, the global content marketing market is expected to grow by USD 417.85 billion from 2021-2025 at a CAGR of nearly 16%.
All because content marketing has the highest ROI of any digital marketing strategy. Overall, it costs 62% less than classic advertising and triples the number of potential customers. In addition, it generates 19.7% more organic traffic than other forms of interaction.
82% of marketers have already reported active use of content marketing in 2021, up from 70% the previous year.
A study by the Association of National Advertisers of the United States showed that the average content marketing budget increased by 73% in two years. The growth won’t slow down, and many experts predict that experts in the field will need to create more content than ever before.
#3. Personalization and interaction with the user
Content personalization is not a new trend, but today’s consumers expect more targeted and relevant communications than ever before.
According to Adobe’s report, 67% of respondents believe it’s important for brands to automatically tailor content based on context, and a whopping 42% of respondents said they don’t mind when messages aren’t personalized, directly influencing the decision to buy or not.
According to a study by Digital Connections, 49% of people ignore a brand if they find its ad irrelevant. 36% of respondents are more likely to buy from a company that sends them personalized messages.
#4. Shopping via social networks
Social platforms extend the functionality of shopping (for example, Facebook Shops and Instagram Shopping). Even Snapchat and TikTok are picking up on this trend.
According to forecasts, social networks will be even more integrated with e-commerce in 2022-2023. According to Smartinsights, 87% of online shoppers believe social media helps them make purchasing decisions, and 30% of consumers say they will purchase goods and services directly through these channels.
#5. Artificial intelligence and analytics
The pandemic has made people realize that traditional business is no longer enough. Therefore, companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics to succeed, survive or mitigate the impact on their revenue.
According to a Blueshift report, 28% of marketers use AI for product recommendations and 26% for optimizing their campaigns. In addition, experts use AI and analytics to collect and study data, as well as automate marketing-related processes.
Gartner predicts that AI will replace about a third of marketing analysts by 2022. In addition, more than 40% of data processing and evaluation tasks will be automated.
#6. Voice assistants
Digital assistants such as Google Assistant and Alexa are growing in popularity.
According to industry forecasts, the market value of voice purchases will reach $40 billion in 2023, and consumer spending with the help of virtual assistants (Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri) will be estimated at 18%.
Trends show that voice search users are increasingly searching for establishments or places nearby. Last year alone, 58% of consumers used this tool to find local businesses.
According to a Google report, 52% of smart speaker owners are interested in information about offers, sales and events from companies. Consumers are open to building relationships with brands through voice channels.
#7. Chatbots
Today, it is the fastest communication channel for business. According to the Drift State of Conversational Marketing report, the use of chatbots has increased by a whopping 92% since 2019. And according to Invespcro, 67% of consumers worldwide have interacted with bots at least once in the past 12 months.
The implementation of such mechanisms increases the efficiency of processing support service requests through social networks, e-mail and other online platforms. On average, bots handle 68.9% of chats from start to finish, and 68% of consumers like them because they provide quick responses.
According to a Global Market Insights study, the chatbot market will reach $1.34 billion by 2024 and will be the driving force of business communication.
The dialogue with the bot is usually done using artificial intelligence (AI) and allows companies to provide a personalized user experience to the customer. 87.2% of consumers rate their chatbot communication experience as neutral or positive.
#8. Involvement of non-profit organizations
According to Ernst and Young, 69% of consumers believe that brands should change the world for the better. This is especially important for millennials: 83% consider it important that the values of the companies they choose align with their own. And 81% are ready to support socially responsible businesses that publicly declare their stance.
According to nonprofit consultant Mallory Erickson, these types of partnerships can help you attract new audiences around the world.
This trend will only grow stronger, and in this development, it is necessary to use a well-thought-out marketing plan of cooperation with non-profit organizations. It should include effective goals:
- Product placement
- Affiliate marketing
- Percentage of sales donations, or corporate sponsorship.
For example, Rebbl adheres to the principle of “sustainability” in transport, packaging and agriculture. It also donates 2.5% of its net profits to the anti-trafficking organization Not For Sale.
#9. Meaning and value of personal data
As Google plans to phase out third-party cookies, contextual advertising and search engine optimization experts will be forced to develop a new cookie-free strategy.
46% of the experts surveyed believe that their main problem in 2022-2023 will be the corruption of such files.
As ad targeting and behavioural analysis become more complex, the value and importance of personal data will only increase. Users are demanding more privacy and control over their personal data, and marketers will need to adapt.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 72% of people believe that almost everything they do online is tracked by advertisers, technology firms or other companies. And 81% of respondents say the potential risks of data collection are outweighed by the benefits.
Plan now how you will handle consumer and privacy issues, storage and deletion of information. Determine what value you can offer users for their data.
According to a report by Absolunet, 83% of consumers were open to sharing personal data as long as it created a personal experience and businesses were transparent about how the data was being used.
#10. Transparency and reliability
Gone are the days of “polished” posts and perfectly chosen aesthetics.
More and more people expect authenticity from the brands they follow. Consumers want to see behind the scenes and feel the connection between a person and a store. According to the Cohn & Wolfe Authentic Brands study, 91% of people are willing to reward a brand for its authenticity with a purchase.
Transparency is important to all demographics.
According to a recent survey by Sprout Social, 86% of consumers believe business integrity is more important than ever, and 73% are willing to pay more for products that guarantee full transparency.
