2022 has been an interesting year for marketing. The continued growth of TikTok, the disruption within Twitter, the unknown Metaverse and the rise of short-form video being some of the many industry changing factors we’ve experienced this year.
What can 2022 teach us for 2023?
The channels for attraction continue to grow and the mediums by which we engage our audiences are ever-changing.
Unsurprisingly, video is taking the lead massively with platforms rushing to develop video-heavy experiences. For example, in SEO, posts with videos get 157% more traffic than those that don’t.
When it comes to channels, we’ve seen a huge rise in brands adopting TikTok and with it the engagement of influencers for UGC-style content to better resonate with audiences.
Now that 2023 is in sight, let’s go through the top trends that I believe you must be aware of if you want to stand out in tomorrow’s digital marketing space:
Table of Contents
#1 It’s all about CRO
We can all agree that the explosion of channels that brands are present on can make it difficult to align objectives and benchmarks holistically. However, the overarching goal for many will be to drive newly engaged audiences to their websites. Data has shown that marketers with a dedicated Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) budget can increase ROI by 30%.
The importance of CRO makes complete sense when we consider the varied journeys and channels audiences now take to find our brands. A beautiful website does not cut it anymore – an intuitive one does. Going into 2023, ensure frequent and dedicated reviews of conversion rates and user journeys more broadly.
#2 Content, Content, Content Marketing
Given the increased popularity and demand for video content, it’s to be expected that content marketing in general will continue to grow. The cost of content will likely come into scrutiny, with marketers urged to consider a more thorough content strategy that will maximise content diversification across channels.
#3 More influence, please.
According to eMarketer, influencer marketing spending in the USA alone is predicted to increase by over 23% to $6.1 billion. That’s all fabulous, and we look forward to helping even more brands engage the right influencers… But what will they look like?
The rise of interest-based algorithms will create an interesting shift in influencer marketing by taking the pressure off vanity metrics such as how many followers an influencer has. We will likely see an increase in popularity of micro influencers with hyper-focused audiences and content niches. These creators will have higher engagement rates and higher discoverability potential with audiences with shared interests. In turn, their impact on conversions will be very positive.
#4 Are we insta-over it?
Short answer, no. According to eMarketer, Instagram will stay strong and in the lead with YouTube directly after it and TikTok last. We shouldn’t be surprised, however, if brands evolve their requirements for Instagram influencers.
Again, the growth of short form video coupled with the always smarter interest-based algorithms will require brands to be innovative with their Instagram influencer selection as well as the deliverables required.
#5 Yeah ok, but do you mean it?
Authenticity is no longer a choice in 2023, be authentic or leave. The “news” as we know it is changing – platforms like TikTok have been more successful in getting newsworthy content to Gen Z audiences. With that, the rise of at home reporting and investigative accounts. This rise is what has taken down campaigns (and potentially companies) like Balenciaga.
People want better, need better, and really deserve better from the brands they trust.
That doesn’t mean piggybacking on the sexiest cause of the month, as that will not work. What does your organisation stand for? Who does it care for? These are vital questions to have solid answers for in 2023. When you know it, put it into action. Our consumers want to support brands that say and do the right thing.
#6 Sustainability?
This has been my pet peeve of the year, brands coming out with sustainability messaging without understanding that the word itself is an overarching term for numerous things. It gave me flashbacks of the “diversity” label in the least diverse businesses.
Sustainability will continue to be an important and vital part of 2023. Our advice is do your best to understand how your brand can help, no matter how big or small, but be transparent. For example, if your technology reduces paper waste, then focus on preventing deforestation as your message.
Final thoughts
As you prepare to bid farewell to 2022 keep these trends in mind when creating your 2023 marketing strategy. Make sure to leave enough room for testing, if next year is anything like this one we know we’ll have a lot of exciting new opportunities to scale our marketing efforts.
If you liked this, we have more ways to help you prepare for the year ahead. Check out our Influencer Marketing Trends in 2023.
