Seven digital marketing trends you need to know for 2023

Digital marketing opportunities are set to gain mindshare and market share at a faster rate than ever before. 2023 is set to be another year of massive change. The tsunami of digital transformation that has gripped businesses will continue across the board but we will also see more and more organisations focus on data-driven strategies.

Many businesses are already mapping out their digital marketing plans for 2023 and beyond. Smart businesses are looking for the latest trends to incorporate to maximize their results and impact.

Below are some pivotal trends in digital communication that will change the trajectory of digital communication and communication in general as well.

Trend #1: AI Adoption Accelerates and ChatGPT

AI has been slowly gaining traction, mainly in the form of virtual customer service options like chatbots and virtual assistants. In 2023, however, we’ll see this digital marketing trend’s accelerated adoption.

AI has already been integrated into almost every digital marketing channel and indeed powers all marketing. Algorithms determine the social media posts you engage with, the search results you see and even the ads displayed to you. AI is making marketing smarter, connecting consumers to the exact right products

and messages.

In 2023, AI is expected to get real. Generative AI (content producing AI) is already being called the next era-defining innovation, changing how we experience the internet and receive content. OpenAI launched Chat-GPT last month – and this time, the detailed responses and well-reasoned answers it produces has garnered a lot of attention.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence bot that can chat and write essays, poems and computer programs. It’s the latest AI chatbot that is set to revolutionise the AI bot space.

Trend #2: The Metaverse

The metaverse is a fully-realized digital world that goes beyond the analog one in which we live right now. The pandemic led to a sharp shift to virtual experiences, environments and assets. When everything moved online, these virtual worlds gained momentum. This all paves the way for what the internet will become next.

Video games have metaverse tendencies where players can build their own world. Additionally, cryptocurrencies are part of the metaverse experience. Virtual and augmented reality are metaverse adjacent too. So if you’ve ever experienced any of these, you have experienced some part of the metaverse.

Simply put, the metaverse is the next big thing. With heavy investment and interest from leaders worldwide, it could be the future of the internet.

Several businesses and countless big brands have announced about venturing into the metaverse this year. While there is a lot of excitement for the metaverse, most businesses don’t have practical use cases or return on investment just yet.

There are boundless opportunities to create worthwhile and impactful brand experiences in the Metaverse. For example, luxury brands, including Balenciaga and Gucci, have already leveraged AR technology to sell virtual clothing for gaming avatars for real dollars. This venture in the fashion industry has already created a cool user experience and generated chatter.

Trend #3: Growth of Voice Search

“Alexa, add milk to my shopping list” is becoming as common as jotting down a grocery list on paper. With improved voice search, consumers are embracing the ease of simply saying what they want, from movie requests to directions.

Marketing strategies, therefore, must be adjusted to match this new type of search language. That means analyzing and understanding the difference between how a search is typed and how it is spoken. Developing SEO tactics that work with voice search is one thing marketers need to consider to get ahead of the competition in 2023.

Trend #4: Visual Search

In addition to voice search, visual search is going to be a growing concern in 2023 as well.

By using tools like Google Lens, a consumer can search what they see—which means that image alt-text is taking on a whole new level of importance. Rather than merely relying on SEO, marketers will need to improve image sitemaps for images discovered by search engines and use descriptive filenames for those images.

Savvy digital marketers will keep tabs on both voice and visual search in 2023 and develop their SEO for both.

Trend #5: Video Marketing and Short format-viral videos

Video marketing has taken over. It’s one of the best ways to engage with customers and prospects. The average person watches a minimum of 30 minutes of video content per day. If you create engaging content, then you’ll be able to attract new leads and keep existing ones engaged.

Apart from the longer format, short videos like Instagram reels are going viral on social media feeds, grabbing consumer attention. Undoubtedly, this format will only continue to grow further. If you want your business to stay relevant then you need to appear in the channels and formats where their customers are.

The good news is that short video formats are making their way into social media management tools and schedulers, so it will become easier for businesses to plan and post next year. Explore how your brand can tap into the benefits of short format viral videos on social media.

Trend #6: OTT Platform

In just a few short years, the OTT industry has experienced significant evolution and it’s still close to the beginning. OTT apps combine the reach and power of traditional pay TV. The flexibility of the internet creates an unstoppable force, & has opened up opportunities for content creators, distributors, and brands everywhere.

Today this immersive platform has garnered more interest than traditional viewing habits. That’s because this trend solely depends on bringing up newness in services offered by over-the-top content publishers which always helps them to taste success!

You’ll be surprised to know that the OTT video market worldwide is expected to double in size by the year 2023! The business is expected to develop much more in the future years, according to experts. By 2027, the OTT market is anticipated to be valued $1.039 trillion.

Including the OTT platform in your long term marketing plan will help you leverage your business substantially.

Trend #7: Omnichannel Approach – Seamless Integration

Business has changed for both consumers and the brands they purchase from, and it’s tricky to decide which of those changes will be permanent in the future. The shift to conducting business online has conditioned shoppers to demand convenient instant gratification for their newly reshaped needs.

For instance, we’re seeing an increase in the “brick-and-click” retail model: an integrated online-IRL model in which customers can order a product on their phone, then pick it up curbside.

Omnichannel messaging will become even more important.

Also, seamless integration between the online and offline channels will be key. Since the digital platforms increase, it will be important to ensure seamless integration between these multiple channels as well.

About the author:

Anoushka Adya, Founder at Relier Connect