The vast majority of shoppers (81%) spend time researching online before committing to a purchase. Research also shows that 75% of local-intent mobile searches culminate in in-person store visits within one day.
These statistics highlight the immense importance and value of digital marketing. With more than 32 million small businesses in the United States today, it is essential that a business effectively utilizes its digital marketing potential to stand out against its competition.
In this blog post, we will take a closer look at digital marketing trends to look out for in 2023. These include short-form, vertical videos, green marketing, micro and nano influencers, and more. Let’s get started with these digital marketing tips.
1. Short-Form, Vertical Videos
Over the past several years, we have seen a rise in the popularity of short-form content. For example, tweets on Twitter are capped to a certain number of characters, and sites such as TikTok have gained immense popularity on the back of their short-form videos. It’s fair to say that attention spans are getting shorter and shorter.
We’re now starting to see the TikTok effect spread, including with YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, where vertical videos that completely fill up a smartphone’s screen are taking over from landscape videos. These videos are typically short in length and snappy, getting straight to the point.
They are also easy to produce and are great at capturing the viewer’s attention. Such videos are also highly shareable, which is something all businesses should keep in mind as they attempt to spread awareness and interest in their services and/or products.
2. Green Marketing
In recent years, more and more of us have become conscious of our place in the world and how our actions are affecting the health of the planet. Green marketing refers to the marketing of products that are environmentally safe.
Today, businesses are starting to make positive changes to reduce their negative impact on the planet. This includes sustainable packaging, product modification, and changes to the production process.
Patagonia and Starbucks are just some of the high-profile companies that are active in green marketing. Even if your business is small and has limited resources, the positive impact of making green changes (and highlighting these to the public) makes it a worthwhile endeavor.
Remember to tie in any green changes you make to your business with a strong digital marketing campaign that leans into your efforts.
3. Micro and Nano Influencers
The idea of “influencers” isn’t exactly new, though it really came to attention in the early 2010s. Influencer marketing can be described as a type of digital marketing involving endorsements from people who have social influence or an expert level of knowledge in their field.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one example of a popular influencer. The footballer earns around $2 million per social media post. Not bad! However, Ronaldo is on one end of the scale whereas micro and nano influencers are on the complete opposite.
Effectively, they are everyday social media users who have between a few hundred and a few thousand followers. Their followers may be few, though they are highly engaged, which is crucial.
In 2023, it’s worth looking for nano influencers who have a loyal following. This makes it easier to create genuine relationships with your prospective clients or customers. Other benefits include the fact that the cost is lower, they are trusted by their followers, and they have a niche-orientated audience.
4. User-Generated Content
User-generated content refers to original and brand-specific content that is created by customers and published online. It comes in many different forms, including reviews, videos, images, podcasts, and more. Expect to see a rise in user-generated content throughout 2023.
This type of content comes from a range of sources, including brand loyalists, customers, and employees. To give you a better understanding of user-generated content, let’s look at an example. A number of years ago, Coca-Cola launched its Share a Coke campaign, where hundreds of popular first names were displayed on their bottles and cans.
It was a great way to encourage user-generated content across social media platforms, where members of the public could find their own name on a bottle or can (or even find their whole family or friends). It was a cool way for consumers to engage with the brand and express their creativity.
Another example is GoPro. The company’s most popular videos on YouTube are all videos filmed by their own customers. We encourage you to look at how you can boost user-generated content this year.
Some of the benefits of user-generated content include that it is adaptable and flexible, cost-effective, and works in harmony with social commerce.
5. Podcasting Comes to the Fore
Podcasting, if it doesn’t already, should belong to your digital marketing mix. It helps to amplify your existing marketing channels and encourage members of the public to visit your website.
The chances are that your target market, whatever demographic they belong to, is already listening to podcasts. Podcasts can be about anything, including whatever niche your business has.
They are beneficial for a host of reasons, including their accessibility. The initial equipment and skills required to create a podcast are readily available. Even with limited resources, it’s possible to put together a good podcast.
Podcasting is a little like blogging, in the sense that it works to establish a business as an authority within its niche. It’s perfect for promoting brand visibility, demonstrating expertise, connecting with a large audience, creating collaboration opportunities, and—as noted above—increasing website traffic.
6. Rise of the Metaverse
The metaverse is an immersive digital environment. It is an extended reality where digital and physical worlds merge. While still somewhat in its infancy, 2023 is a great time to jump abroad and join the metaverse in order to take advantage of its digital marketing opportunities.
The metaverse enables businesses to create their own world, one that represents their brand, in a way that no words or images could. Each of these works offers a fully immersive experience for customers. Businesses are able to create engaging campaigns that draw them—literally—into the world of their brand.
Some examples of what this could look like include product demos, gamified experiences, and full-blown advertisements.
7. Optimizing for Voice Search
Voice search is an important marketing trend, given that it offers convenience when consumers are searching online. Therefore, it is important that your business is optimized for voice searches going forward in 2023 and beyond.
When optimizing your digital marketing strategy for voice search, there are a number of things to keep in mind. Firstly, it is important to understand your audience and optimize your content to address the issues they have. For example, by understanding their most commonly asked questions, you can create an effective FAQ page on your website.
Other tips here include:
- Use long-tail keywords for your website
- Use your Google Business account
- Optimize your website’s UI for mobile
According to Google, a growing number of searches online are now done by voice, something we can expect to see continue in the years to come.
8. Live-Stream Videos
For businesses and brands, live streaming comes with a host of great benefits. We have seen its rise in recent years, especially on social media sites, and it’s an effective way to connect with your audience and customers.
By live streaming a video from your company’s office, you can increase brand awareness, generate interest in products and services, and establish and enhance credibility.
It’s also a wonderful way to create two-way communication between you and your customers. For example, hosting a live-streamed Q&A is super effective. Using live streams to give free demonstrations, show behind-the-scenes content, and share useful tips that benefit customers are also great ideas for content.
Takeover videos are also highly effective. If you partner with an influencer, give them the job of live streaming from your company’s office and allow them to show off your team in a new light.
Digital Marketing Trends to Look Out for in 2023
Digital marketing is changing constantly and it is important that your business stays on top of its strategy. In order to get the most from your digital marketing efforts, we recommend that you partner with an experienced digital marketing expert.
For the best conversion-driven digital advertising agency in West Palm Beach, Florida, partner with Trigger Digital. We are a full-service digital marketing company with the goal of helping our clients reach their full potential.
If you are interested in learning more about the above digital marketing trends, don’t hesitate to contact our team. Click here to reach out.
