New year, new trends.
While there are a plethora of articles that surface around this time of the year around marketing trends, it can be somewhat overwhelming of what to read and who to listen to. Quite honestly, those of you reading this are probably already in tune with trends you’ve seen taking shape as we rounded out 2022.
For me, I view trends as not being something new you’ve never heard of, but rather as something that is already happening and will see accelerated growth due to market and economic disruptions that we will experience in 2023. I won’t be making any economic predictions here, but I think we can all agree that sometime this year, we will see some type of recession. I think we can all agree that the world is still figuring out how to operate and live in a post-COVID world.
As we head into 2023, here are five marketing trends that I will be following in 2023:
The transformation of social media. Social media has transformed from checking in to checking out. It used to be we would use our social media platforms to share photos of our experiences with our friends and families, and when we logged in, that is what we would see in our feeds. But that has all changed now. Social media is now a viable form of media where people go to be entertained. You can spend hours looking at content and ads just as if you were watching TV. The question now is, how can brands provide more entertainment and be educational at the same time to influence consumer purchase? They call it edutainment. What types of new ads do brands need to create in order to fit into the social media feeds and not get snoozed? What metrics are brands using to measure the effectiveness of social media? Here’s a hint: it has to be more than website referrals! What new tools will be rolled out that brands need to be prepared for? Do brands really need to be on every single platform?
The adaptation of influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is still an area that brands are trying to leverage. We all know that we need it, but how can brands use influencers in a more effective way? Should brands devote more resources to influencers? Of course. Ninety-two percent of consumers purchase a product because of a recommendation from a family member or a friend, so an influencer is going to give you the inside track to influence potential customers. Not all influencers are created equal. Don’t shy away from micro-influencers, who may have smaller follower numbers, because they tend to have more influence over their niche. Will brands start to use more influencers in national TV spots? Will brands utilize influencers in their offline marketing activities? There is more to influence than just a post, so as we adapt to influencers, don’t be surprised to see them move behind the scenes to start creating and directing more content for brands.
The dissolution of third-party data. Nothing is more precious to the consumer than their data. No one wants to get unwanted emails, robo-calls and robo-texts. Consumers have long been pessimistic about ads, mainly because they are irrelevant. However, most consumers will give you their data, if the content they get in return is relevant and personalized. As brands prepare for a cookie-less feature, how can they creatively collect first-party data? Proactively collecting data directly impacts the customer experience.
The evolution of the customer experience. The customer experience is the entire journey a customer has with a business, and it is no longer linear. In order to meet these needs with all the technological advancements happening, brands will have to get into some uncomfortable areas in order to enhance the customer experience. Can brands create new and adaptable experiences using augmented reality, virtual reality and the metaverse? What do your customers even want now? Consumer mindsets and priorities have shifted. When was the last time you asked your regular customers for their feedback and opinions? Factoring into the customer experience are also the brand efforts around sustainability and company values, as consumers want to support brands that are transparent. Transparency builds trust.
The proliferation of consumer mental health. If the years of 2020 – 2022 taught us anything, it was that we need to take more control of our lives and protect our mental health. With products and services, they have benefits and features. Features tell and benefits sell. In knowing that consumers are focused on their mental health and overall wellness, what benefits can your product provide for the consumer? A vacation resort has features such as all-inclusive activities on property, and the benefit is you can have peace of mind on your vacation without having to leave the resort or pay any extra fees. In selling benefits, marketers need to get back to the basics in content creation, which is storytelling.
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