Digital Marketing Trends in 2023

In this day and age, running a business that doesn’t appear on the internet is as useful as a chocolate teapot in a sauna – not useful at all. Now more than ever, it’s become really necessary to monitor and keep up with the digital marketing trends in 2023.

Let me tell you a little story to emphasize the power of online marketing.

Did you hear about the #Breaking2 campaign by Nike back in 2017?

The company came up with this brilliant marketing campaign that would go down in history and marketing books. 

Nike brought together athletes Eliud Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa and Zersenay Tadese in Monza, Italy to achieve an “impossible” feat: finish a marathon in less than two hours.

And while the final result may have come up 26 seconds short, Nike still won.

How? They kept people glued to their screens for 2 hours. They used powerful advertising across all online platforms. And at the end of the day, their marketing team won.

As a result of the event, #Breaking2 accumulated 2 trillion impressions and was used over 407,000 times within that time. Nike was mentioned more than 584,000 times on social media. And the sentiment was over 87% positive.

Then, in 2019, INEOS company sponsored Eliud Kipchoge to beat the record once again: Run a marathon in less than 2 hours. And, against all odds, he did it!

49 networks broadcast the race across more than 200 territories. It had an estimated 500 million+ TV viewers, 1.5 million engagements, and 12 billion impressions at the time.

On Twitter, it represented five of the top seven trending topics on Twitter worldwide, including the #INEOS159 and #NoHumanIsLimited hashtags (Another breaking record).

image from https://www.ineos159challenge.com/news/history-is-made-as-eliud-kipchoge-becomes-first-human-to-break-the-two-hour-marathon-barrier/

Digital Marketing in 2023

These two strategies were genius! They took advantage of the exponential rise of online users to achieve their marketing goals! And when thinking of digital marketing in 2023, we can’t ignore remarkable marketing strategies such as this.

What remains clear to me is this…

In an era where the answer to every question is one click away, you can’t afford to ignore digital marketing.

And to do so, you have to not only be innovative, but also keep up with the trends. You have to know what’s going on out there. And as a small business owner, you just have to stay on top of things.

6 Digital Trends That Every Small Business Owner Should Apply

1. Artificial Intelligence

Around November last year, Chat GPT was launched. And around the same time, AI was gaining some real recognition and popularity among marketers.

Chat GPT has been credited for its ability to create detailed, natural-sounding content in seconds based on a simple prompt.

A.I tools should not entirely replace your marketing strategy. They can’t create quality content.

Yet, Google values this most when determining what should rank first in its search results. 

In fact, Google explicitly said that they penalise any AI-generated content they find on websites. This is because AI content is often spammy and not the most accurate.

Still, here are the safe ways that you can use AI tools:

• Idea Generation

Every business needs a constant flow of ideas. And when it comes to marketing, this is even more essential. A.I tools can speed up your content creation process by generating a variety of ideas, which gives you the time and space to work on other things.

• Research and Brainstorming

A.I tools can give you a clear starting point when it comes to your research. It gives you more contextual information. Follow up with the tool on a fascinating idea, and request more context that piques your interest.

The best thing about A.I is it can literally help you with anything! So, when used well, it will definitely enhance our marketing efforts.

2. Short Videos

The average human attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish.

I’m not joking…

It currently stands at 8.25 seconds.

You may have noticed that many online platforms are now promoting short form video content. 

It all started with TikTok. And now, on Instagram, they call them reels. On YouTube, they call them shorts. On Snapchat, they call them spotlights. 

Long story short (pun intended), every business owner needs to hop on this wave. 

Use this short time to show people you know what you’re talking about. Videos showing someone how to use a product are especially beneficial.

Here are two top tips when it comes to using videos in your digital marketing:

• Good Quality

If anyone is going to stop scrolling to watch your videos, they have to be good quality. Use a good camera with a fitting background. If someone is talking, they need to do it at a reasonable pace – not too fast and not too slow.

Use fitting presets and transitions. If possible, add subtitles to engage as many senses as possible.

• Make the First Seconds Really Stand Out

Since people’s attention spans are so short, you have to convince them to stay right off the bat. And the best way to do this is to focus on the first few seconds.

Start off with thought-provoking questions, strong hooks, inspiring quotes, ridiculous statistics, and appealing music.

Your first 3 seconds must make the user want to stay and keep watching. That’s where your focus should be.

• Optimise for Different Social Media Platforms

A big mistake people make when it comes to video is repurposing the same video for different social media. You need to optimise your content for each platform because they all have different requirements.

A quick Google search will show you the dimensions, video length limit, and other important specs for each channel.

These play into the algorithms and determine how well your video performs.

3. Chatbots and Real-time Messaging Platforms

Consumers in 2023 are different.

They want information, and they want it fast. And if you take too long, your competitors will replace you.

This can only mean one thing: chatbots and real-time messaging platforms.

With many marketing teams, real-time messaging platforms have become an excellent opportunity to reach customers quickly, directly, and for data collection.

Chatbots automate customer communication and engagement in an accessible, simpler, and faster process.

If used together with AI, chatbots will be a game changer for the industry in 2023.

If you decide to go this route, make sure to:

• Use Simple, Specific Prompts

When you’re using chatbots, you need to use layman language. Assume that the people you’re speaking to do not know. Provide vital information according to specific keywords. Offer buttons for quick answers. And maintain a friendly tone and voice.

• Divert to Human Agents’

Chatbots are not always effective, especially when it comes to very user-specific questions. Your chatbot needs to be able to detect when customers are struggling and provide them with a human agent.

4. Conversational Marketing

Marketing is special in this way…

No matter how formal or ‘serious’ the company is, you have to speak to the consumer in an enticing way.

Big words just don’t cut it when it comes to marketing. People are more likely to respond to a tone that they can relate to.

In 2023, we value a close connection to the company.

People don’t want to fill out a lead form and wait for a day or two to hear back from your business.

Instead, they want to start a conversation now. Therefore, conversational marketing will be crucial in 2023.

This will popularise phone call marketing, sms marketing, and email marketing if done correctly.

Here are two tips for doing this effectively:

• Humanise your Brand

People buy from people, and successful businesses thrive from genuine connections. The way that you market your products and services needs to be relatable to everyone. This creates trust, loyalty, and relatability.

This is why you see people naming their chatbots with actual names of people. Share authentic stories, and show the faces behind your band. Personalise your communications, and be as transparent and honest as possible,

• Ask for Feedback

In the book “They Ask, You Answer,” Marcus Sheridan repeats constantly that if your business is to succeed, you have to make it about the customer, not about you.

Never be scared to ask for feedback. This is how you grow. This is how you maintain relationships and build customer loyalty. It’s a great way to show that you actually care about your consumers and are constantly looking for ways to improve your products.

5. Social Responsibility and Inclusivity

In the last few years, consumers have been asking one really important question.

“What does this company stand for?”

Now more than ever, it’s more than just the product or service that you’re selling.

What are your values? And what is your contribution to society?

Displaying this information is likely to attract more visitors to you.

Inclusivity will be on the rise as well. Does your brand accommodate all users? And does it have features that help all users to navigate it?

The more you show people what you stand for, the more likely trust will be developed.

How do you do this:

• Understand your Audience

First and foremost, you will need to gain a deep understanding of your target audience’s demographics, needs, and values. Recognize the diversity within your target market and ensure your marketing efforts reflect that diversity.

• Diversity of Visuals, Customer Stories, and Cultures

In 2023, people are watching you even more closely. They have access to what you stand for. And if you want to stand out and enhance your digital marketing in 2023, you will need to be diverse.

Your images and videos need to have a diverse range of people. Collaborate with diverse influencers and partners.

Most importantly, if your marketing efforts extend to different cultures or communities, be sensitive to cultural nuances and avoid appropriating or misrepresenting those cultures.

6. Stylish Website Design

Competition is continuously getting stiff.

And if you want any website conversions, you have to stand out among the crowd.

A basic website just won’t cut it.

Your website should not be over-crowded on any page. If this means leaving out a ton of dead space, then let it be so.

Consider mixing different forms of content – unique custom graphics, well-produced videos, pictures that tell a story, written-form content, animated cursors, magazine-style pages etc…

So if your site has not seen changes in a few years, it might just be time to give it a facelift.

When you do, here’s what you need to look out for:

• Customer Engagement and Support

You want your customer to feel like their questions are being answered on the website. The best way to do this is to engage with them through various interactive features. 

You can incorporate contact forms, live chat, blogs, social media integration, and FAQs to address customer inquiries and provide support. This fosters customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Competitive Advantage

A website is, in many instances, the first point of contact between your business and potential customers. It’s your online storefront.

A well-designed and user-friendly website gives you an edge over competitors who may lack an effective online presence. It allows you to stand out, attract more visitors, and convert them into loyal customers.

Conclusion

2023 presents exciting new digital marketing trends to hop on.

Now, more than ever, digital marketing has proven itself to be among the most important forms of marketing.

As small business owners, this can only mean one thing. We can’t ignore our online audiences as they are easiest to reach now.

In summary, the 6 digital marketing trends that you cannot ignore in 2023 are:

1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Short videos
3. Chatbots and real-time messaging
4. Conversational marketing
5. Social responsibility and Inclusivity
6. Stylish website design

If you’d like support in exploring thse digital marketing trends in 2023, get in touch or take a look at our 1-2-1 coaching.

Onwards and upwards my friend,

Px