In such a dynamic industry, it’s paramount for us as marketers to stay ahead of the game. Last year we produced a ‘Trends for 2022’ blog filled with predictions that all came to fruition, which is pretty impressive considering how chaotic the evolution was for social networks last year.
As technologies continue to advance and consumer landscapes evolve, the components of an effective marketing strategy should follow suit. Being an effective marketer is more than understanding the dynamic between TikTok and Facebook and leveraging the most popular platform. To execute successful strategies, we must be integrating trending tactics whilst also understanding their synergy with social,political, economic and cultural changes that impact our work.
It’s a given that Meta will continue to innovate and expand in an attempt to keep up with TikTok and that short-based, video content will remain supreme across these platforms. For this blog we’d like to look beyond the obvious and perhaps highlight some of the underdogs in the marketing space. Read on for some of the top trends we predict for 2023!
According to industry research, the number of podcast listeners is projected to surpass 160 million in 2023, after incremental increases of roughly 20 million a year. (Statista)
This easily positions audio marketing as one of the fastest growing and perhaps underrated forms of marketing out there.
When thinking of traditional marketing and advertisements, polished photography or even casual UGC video content springs to mind – we rarely acknowledge the power of audio marketing. The inherent affordances of a podcast mean that your content can be consumed at practically any time with minimal attention span required. This ‘any-time, anywhere’ consumption of media intersects with the popularisation of tech accessories from brands like Beats and Apple, who truly glamourise the world of streaming platforms, e-books and pod-casts.
Beats X Kim Kardahsian Collab 2022
Leveraging this cultural shift in media could be one of the most rewarding investments you make for your business this year. Use a podcast to showcase the innovations and solutions your brand provides, while also showcasing your brand personality – podcasts are perfect for this.
Podcasts are also valuable for a passive out-reach strategy as many streaming platforms will organically feed your content to new consumers. People are more likely to listen to a new podcast for a couple minutes because there’s a lower commitment level than following an account or subscribing to something.
There is also a prime opportunity to incorporate podcasts in your paid marketing strategy, with audio advertisements flourishing in 2022 and predicted to grow in 2023. A study by Signal Hill Insights and Cumulus Podcast Network found that 3 out of 4 weekly podcast listeners take action after hearing a podcast ad. Integrating ads into your podcast can be a really effective tactic as it doesn’t disrupt the flow of content and appears more genuine to the consumer – just be careful with your transparency.
Pinterest had a rocky performance last year, although it seems it’s set for an upward trajectory in 2023. Pinterest has always been regarded as an escapism app – the aesthetic is beautiful and it prompts curation of your dream life. The app’s massive boost during COVID lockdowns perfectly aligned with this concept. However, considering its new CEO is former Google commerce chief, Bill Ready, it’s safe to assume the app is being reborn for product discovery and an innovative e-commerce solution.
Although still in development stages and heavily focused on US markets, the app has significant opportunities in front of it. 2023 will be a big year for their developers, with international expansion, refined search and discovery, improved AR discovery and live-stream shopping on the horizon.
Ad opportunities are not as maximised as Meta’s or Google’s but it is important your team is across the app’s development for when it does become a key player in the paid space.
Pinterest will continue to improve its catalogue ingestion tools and allow more merchants to list their items as Buyable Pins. Facilitating direct product integrations means they will probably be advancing their AR tools, allowing businesses to easily render their products in 3D.
Pinterest AR Features
Following in the footsteps of Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok who have already expanded their e-commerce capabilities, Pinterest will be experimenting with live-steam shopping. This could potentially include a full-screen, live-screen shopping tab in the app. Looks like mobile experiences are becoming all the more important, hey? More on this below.
Consumers are spending an all-time high on mobile devices, with more than half of annual website traffic being traced back to mobile devices, including tablets. It is essential that marketing strategies are intentionally tailored to mobile experiences, especially considering the user behaviours of younger generations, who will increasingly be the majority of the new age economy.
In 2023, it is vital that your business focuses on optimised mobile digital experiences, in all areas of your marketing. Changing your website layout to compliment the user journey will be your best shot at keeping consumers engaged and maximising conversions. The same can be said for email campaigns and experiences for your subscribers.
Blogging has been popular since people started building their own websites – but don’t let the age of the tactic deter you here. Ignore everything we’ve said about constant adaptation and innovation when it comes to this marketing strategy – blogging has survived this long simply because it’s effective.
Beyond encouraging consumer engagement, fostering trust and connection with your audience and possibly conversions, blogs are one of the best ways to to boost your website’s search discoverability.
The bottom line is that websites that integrate several blogs, have a far higher search potential and can leverage SEO strategies a lot more effectively than those that don’t.
This trend may not be as flashy as the others but we can almost guarantee that it’s one to stay, even beyond 2023.
There you have it! We’ve just scraped the surface of the myriad of trend predictions we could provide for the digital world and social media in 2023 and beyond. It is important to remember that social media is a dynamic, cut-throat, and subjective space, with tactics never 100% guaranteed to generate results. However, education on the latest developments, tools, and key players is a promising start.
Let’s have a chat to explore how Wise Up Marketing can help you grow your business
the principle of “treating your business like our own” and we have created a flexible, accessible solution for start ups and SME’s who value a personal approach.
