There’s always something shiny and new that’s trending in the world of digital marketing. The rapid growth of technology will continue to bring new trends, and it can be tough to know what’s coming next.
Will it be a new social media feature or fad? Or a bot that can write content and chat with customers? It might have you wondering if AI is going to replace or revolutionise sales and marketing. And how political tensions and economic instability will affect your planning for next year.
We’ve got our crystal ball out, and we’re exploring the latest digital marketing trends that will shape your business strategy in 2023 and beyond.
Buyer behaviour is changing
One thing we know for sure is that consumers will be more cautious in 2023. Concerns over inflation and a cost of living crisis will have customers wanting to squeeze as much value out of the products and services they choose to invest in.
While they do want affordable options, they don’t want to compromise on quality or experience. In fact, recent found that:
“73% [of customers] point to experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions – behind price and product quality.”
And the same goes for business-to-business (B2B) customers. Procurement processes are becoming lengthier and more focused on business benefits.
So, how do you connect with customers that are spending less and have shorter attention spans? The key lies in your customer experience (CX).
Customers want personalised experiences
In 2023, consumer choice has never been higher, and switching to a new brand has never been easier. The thing that will set you apart from the competition is your CX strategy.
CX involves everything from the buying process to after-sale care and communication. At every step of the buying journey, your customers want to feel like you understand their needs and are personalising their experience.
Technology’s role has always been to make the decision-making and purchasing process simpler. This will evolve as virtual spaces like the metaverse become more commonplace.
Communication with companies will become more engaging and interactive. You’ll even be able to try on a pair of shoes or tour a showroom using virtual or augmented reality.
But, when you’re considering new digital marketing trends, the decision to adopt them should always come down to how they improve your CX.
Data privacy will impact user trust
Creating personalised customer experiences requires a lot of data. But, collecting that data in 2023 will come with increased regulations and the need for greater transparency.
found that:
“When customers feel in control of their data, they experience significant increases in trust and brand preference.”
Consumers aren’t the only ones concerned about data privacy. Governments worldwide are also taking notice. In 2018, the was rolled out in the EU. Now, other countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia, are beginning to introduce new data protection laws.
This has led to a rise in technology like secure messaging apps and internet browsers that block tracking. Both Apple and Google have phased out third-party cookies in their web browsers, and more are likely to follow suit.
What will this mean for your business? The trend toward building trust in your brand will mean experimenting with more secure and private ways of tracking users. This will also include giving people the ability to access, update, or delete their personal data.
Technology will make marketing more human
There’s been a lot of talk recently about artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on digital marketing.
The release of Open AI’s ChatGPT-4 is a huge milestone for smart content creation. The AI-powered chatbot can mimic human-like conversations and produce user-friendly content. But, with it comes questions about whether AI can replace marketers.
The answer, like with all smart technologies, is no. What AI and machine learning (ML) can do is process information much more quickly. This takes a lot of the manual work off the shoulders of marketers—freeing them up to do the strategic analysis.
It can support content creation and customer service, but you’ll need a person to add their creative flair. AI is only “human-like.” So, it lacks the emotional intelligence and lived experience needed to create genuine human connection. It also can’t spot inconsistencies or inaccuracies just yet.
In terms of the risks involved in using AI, you’ll need to consider intellectual property. Who owns the content that’s written by AI? And how will Google’s algorithm rank it? These are all things that will come to light as we continue to work with new technologies in our day-to-day lives.
What is the future of digital marketing?
While new trends in digital marketing will come and go, one thing will always remain—the importance of adopting the technologies and tactics that work best for your customers and your business.
Your needs to align with your business goals so that your efforts are always concentrated on growth.
So, there you have it: the top digital marketing trends for 2023. This year we’re seeing a shift towards providing personalised, human experiences for your customers and teaming up with smart technology to do it.
Partner with One Stop Media to stay ahead of the trends
At One Stop Media, we’ve got our finger on the pulse of what’s trending in digital marketing. Leave the experimental technologies to us, so you can focus on what matters most—growing your business.
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