Marketing trends have evolved from black and white newspaper to keyword analytics. Brands need to adapt to new trends and learn how to leverage new technologies. The marketing world is an ever-evolving landscape, and brands must evolve their marketing strategies to succeed. Consumer values and preferences have shifted along with effective marketing strategies.
With new consumer behavior and technologies improving, 2023 is set to be an increasingly exciting year within the marketing landscape. Here are nine trends and marketing strategies that will give companies a competitive edge over competitors.
Influencer-brand relationships
Influencer-brand relationships is a new and up-and-coming marketing strategy, with this marketing strategy fulfilling one of the best marketing strategies - word-of-mouth advertising.
People are more likely to use a product or service if someone they know, respect, or trust recommends the product or service. Influencer marketing involves collaborating between a company brand and a social media influencer within a specific social media niche. Influencers often have an impressive online following, and when brands advertise with these influencers, the response benefits the brand.
This marketing strategy is so effective that 93% of marketing professionals use influencer marketing for the following reasons:
- Building brand trust and authority
- Generating new marketing leads
- Increasing brand awareness
- Brands can reach their target audience
- New trend creation
- Driving conversions
- Connecting to a broader target audience and market potential
Social media marketing isn't new to 2023. However, brands are seizing the marketing opportunity to create authentic connections with their target audience by appointing long-term "brand ambassadors."
Influencer marketing can mutually benefit the influencer and the brand, as both parties can build and maintain a lasting relationship that retains the consumers' trust that the brand is being marketed. A good idea for brands to implement is to send influencers a brand package filled with custom decals, stickers, and magnets. Companies like StickerYou are perfect to use when looking at creating custom branding for your business.
User Generated Content
From #OOTD posts and TikTok trends, user-generated content is a reasonably new term within the marketing world. This content is unique, original, and at times brand-specific. Brand consumers create the content, and brands should take advantage of user-generated content.
Examples of user-generated content include:
- Unboxing Videos
- Makeup Reviews
- Photo tags
- Branded Hashtags
User-generated content can be used by any brand, and by adding this tactic to your brand's marketing strategy, you can increase your brand's awareness and authenticity. Research has shown that consumers are over two times more likely to trust user-generated and brand-generated content.
Live streaming and video-based content
Live streaming and video-based content are becoming more popular and a key focus area within the social media marketing space due to their ability to capture the viewer's attention for a longer time than static posts.
Marketers use short videos to drive engagement and increase brand awareness among younger audiences.
According to one report, live streaming is becoming an effective marketing tool, with consumers spending approximately 548 billion hours streamed via their mobile devices in 2021.
When live streaming and video-based content are combined with influencer marketing, potential consumers can engage with influencers and increase the product's engagement through a digital platform.
New targeting solutions
By 2022, Google is set to start phasing out all third-party cookies. Google has stated that they are phasing out third-party cookies due to increased customer privacy concerns.
Cookies play a role in potential target marketing by tracking users' behavior across their browsers so marketers can deliver customized user experiences.
To remain relevant, brands will have to test alternative targeting solutions so that they can develop personalized content and ads.
Emphasis on social responsibility and reputation
In today's world, customers prioritize bands that prioritize social responsibility by balancing their money-making initiatives with socially responsible practices.
One study mentioned that over half of the United States consumer base now factors company values into their purchase decisions, and 66% of consumers are willing to pay additional money for goods and services that display their social values and commitments.
As a marketing professional, you should prioritize highlighting your brand's social responsibility efforts within your marketing campaigns to attract consumers who want to make a positive difference in their purchasing decisions.
Some examples include:
- Advocating for social justice
- Promoting recyclable packaging
- Promotions that spread awareness of societal issues
- Portions of sales that go towards charity
- Fairtrade promotions
- Running one-for-one campaigns that donate to those in need
- Brands that host company-sponsored community service events
Agile marketing
Agile marketing is a marketing approach that is inspired by the Agile methodology. The method involves working on rapid iterations rather than one big project.
Agile marketing emphasizes real-time collaboration and is designed so marketing professionals can efficiently respond to change.
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Agile marketing benefits include:
- Increased transparency and collaboration through visualized workflows and frequent touchpoints
- Flexibility to adapt to changes thanks to iterative planning
- Increased data-driven decisions due to an emphasis on experimentation
- Greater focus on consumer value and business outcomes compared to activity and output
- The ability to deliver marketing value early and often by grouping individual clients into small cross-functional teams that finish projects autonomously
Brand awareness through captivating email campaigns
Email marketing is a crucial tool for businesses to retain customer retention. Everyone loves a good story, and marketers can use storytelling to assist small businesses in developing personal relationships with customers through email campaigns and newsletters.
Newsletters give customers the feeling that they are on a journey alongside the company. Casually sending newsletters lets consumers connect to your brand and business.
Interactive content
Gone are the days of passive consumption and static posts. Today's internet audience craves content that demands their attention. Marketing professionals are creating dynamic content that utilizes a two-way experience that encourages active engagement from the target audience.
81% of marketing professionals agree that low-cost/high-impact content is more effective at grabbing potential consumers' attention than static content. However, the benefits of interactive content aren't just specific to consumer attention. Interactive content is a great marketing tool to try if your marketing goals include:
- Enhanced audience engagement
- Streamlining customer experience
- Increased lead generation and conversion rates
- Greater customer learning
- Increased brand awareness and loyalty
AI for trendspotting
Razorfish recently reported that three-quarters of marketers do not use behavioral marketing data for ad targeting.
AI technology makes online marketing data accessible and affordable for small businesses.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently poised to significantly impact industries around the world over the next few years. Marketers have begun leveraging AI algorithms, data models, and machine learning to understand their brand's target audience better.
Data from AI algorithms can help marketing teams optimize their spending budget, customize their target content, and personalize their customer experience.
Benefits of AI technology include:
- Higher ROI through effective targeting
- Increased customer retention and loyalty
- More intelligent targeted advertising
- Accurate prediction analysis and trendspotting
- Improved understanding of buyer behavior
It is nearly the end of 2022, and the marketing world has seen some exciting trends come and go. However, as we near the beginning of 2023, marketers can expect new marketing trends to shift towards accommodating new technologies and buyer behavior. These marketing trends will impact how you market your company and yourself in future years.
