In 2023, what will be the major digital marketing trends? There is no way to know for sure, but industry professionals can provide insight into some possible developments based on careful observation of the recent past and without launching into reckless predictions. The majority of these phenomena have existed for some time but are just now beginning to manifest their full potential: marketing destined to diversify and become more inclusive.
Customer-focused marketing that goes beyond customers’ imaginations to meet their concrete needs.
In the coming months, Marketing Insider Group predicts a renewed emphasis on all things related to content visualization, affecting both customer experience and employee engagement.
Targeting emerging markets requires marketers to avoid simplifications, and to draw on topics that target audiences may feel are relevant.
1. Content Marketing | Top Digital Marketing Trend for 2023
Our most significant takeaway from the pandemic is the importance of content marketing within a brand strategy. In some cases, it represented a revelation, in others, a confirmation of a successful approach. In content marketing, customers are no longer interrupted by useless and annoying content imposed by marketers, but by content that conveys information that has already been profiled and is therefore likely to be more useful when and in the right (virtual) place at the right time.
Despite the long periods of social distance, digital transformation has become obvious to even the most skeptical companies: content marketing generates the best ROI. The following is according to a recent report from Semrush, which also contains another interesting statistic: in 2021, 97% of respondents (business decision makers and marketers) indicated that content was by far the most important marketing tactic. As a result, it’s not surprising that content marketing initiatives will also be among the trends in the coming year.
The use of explainer videos, one of the most effective ways for a company to establish themselves in the daily news flow, is one of the most effective applications of content marketing. Explainer videos are videos that provide excellent information about complicated concepts, processes, and issues (like the use of a product or service) in an easy-to-understand manner. They are able to convey even complex messages in a clear and fluent manner. Sales are not the goal, but rather to inform and educate, without any rhetoric or pedagogical intent. For digital marketing to succeed in 2023, it will be about producing useful and meaningful content that can “compensate” for the time users decide to spend on it.
2. Omnichannel Marketing | Top Digital Marketing Trend for 2023
In 2023, companies that have not yet adopted an omnichannel strategy will have to do so. This is the only way they can intercept the trajectories of consumers (potential customers or already acquired) during the purchasing process, at different times and via different channels (largely online, but also offline). In the near future, digital marketing will require distributing content across a mix of channels, creating ad hoc versions of each piece of content.
3. Video Marketing | Top Digital Marketing Trend for 2023
Videos continue to be the content of choice for most businesses and users today. The majority of companies consider video content to be the most effective content for achieving business goals, and 73% of consumers say they prefer videos when researching products and services.
Video marketing’s irresistible rise is nothing new. The trend has been around for quite a while and shows no signs of fading. There are three noteworthy elements within this general trend that will influence digital marketing efforts in the coming year:
The creation of personalized videos. In light of the popularity of user-generated content, specifically videos created by individuals and shared on social networks, the first thing that springs to mind is how broad the horizon of contemporary marketing is. In order to chase this unstoppable trend toward first-person narratives, marketers would have to seek out a formula that is elusive. Today, personalized videos translate data from numerous sources into stories where the user himself is the star. In this sense, they are a powerful technological outcome of a now widely established trend that puts customers at the center of brand communication.
Video with interactive features. Video automation tools have been used by some particularly innovative companies to speed up and improve the production process in recent years. With video automation platforms, interactive videos can be created, which tend to be more engaging and multifaceted and are extremely effective for acquiring and retaining customers.
Automated video production. Traditional video production requires time, specialized skills, skilled professionals, and substantial budgets. Unless all the factors involved in the production process are mastered, the results will be disappointing. Adapting the video for different channels also increases costs, among other factors. By automating video, we can achieve greater speed and simplicity without compromising the quality of our visual storytelling. It also allows the user to participate in the creation process firsthand by offering him or her automatic ways to create the sequences.
4. Gamification and the Metaverse | Top Digital Marketing Trend for 2023
Gamification is a digital marketing trend that cannot be underestimated, as it is contaminating a wide range of sectors. It may seem risky to experiment with new languages borrowed from entertainment, but it can prove incredibly rewarding in the long run. Younger generations of consumers are notoriously mysterious and difficult to reach.
According to PwC, the global gaming market grew 26% between 2019 and 2021 and is expected to grow to $340 billion by 2027 (source: Mordor Intelligence).
As a result of both the technological premises and the virtual game world, the metaverse is a place where companies hope to intercept Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as well as to a lesser extent, Millennials. Metaverses are virtual spaces where people meet, play games, socialize, shop, and so on. Creating a universe through the integration of different game worlds would allow some to visualize a transition from the internet era (Web2) to a later era, Web3, where the rules of the game are yet to be written and there are plenty of marketing opportunities to be found.
As we move from an abstract to a decidedly more practical plane, we can see that the prospects for gains are quite real. By 2024, some forecasts predict the metaverse market will reach $800 billion. Until now, the metaverse has remained a universe of power. Microsoft, Disney, Nike, Adidas, and Gucci are some of the giants who have successfully developed metaverse strategies, beyond the great curiosities and expectations.
Digital Marketing of the Future
By 2023, interactivity and personalization will become even more important. Similarly, consumers are becoming accustomed to omnichannel: they want to be recognized every time they interact with the brand and take it for granted that they can do so smoothly and frictionlessly. The customer journey must be seamless between digital and offline channels, as the audience is receptive to transitions that occur in hybrid contexts (for instance, buying online and in-store).
We have discussed several digital marketing trends that point to the creation of increasingly interactive, personalized and omnichannel experiences, from the growing investment in content marketing and video marketing to the pursuit of the younger generation into the digital worlds, where they will spend part of their virtual lives in the unspecified future.
Digital marketing is a creative field that is not limited by technology. However, each of the trends we have described would not be possible without advanced user and customer data management systems. With today’s digital tools, teams are able to dig deeply into the company’s information base to identify preferences, needs, consumption habits, and perhaps latent issues that characterize each user’s profile.
Every year, digital marketers will strive to strike a balance between purchase and consumption, but no final balance will ever be reached. By balancing technology enabling processes with human quality, digital marketing will be poised to succeed for 2023 and beyond.
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