11 Digital Marketing Trends and Tricks For 2023
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This story originally appeared on Under30CEO.com
The world doesn’t seem to sit still for too long these days, and that’s especially true when it comes to tech-related fields. If you’re up to date at all with the tech world, then you’ll know how challenging it can be to keep up with all that’s going on, and we don’t just mean the latest shenanigans at Twitter (or is it ‘X’?).
Take digital marketing, for instance, which companies of all sizes rely upon to attract and retain customers. To casual observers, this sector changes gears every other day. While things do progress a little more slowly — and a little more linear — than that, there’s no denying that it’s an aspect of digital life that can be hard to stay on top of. What was relevant and innovative one year can be outdated and obsolete the following year.
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Companies that depend on digital marketing for their success (which is to say, the vast majority of businesses that have an online presence) need to be aware of the developing trends in order to prevent them from falling behind. Let’s take an expert look at the trends to expect this year and beyond.
1. AI tools
The big news in the past year has been the development of ChatGPT and related artificial intelligence tools, which have effectively changed the game when it comes to digital marketing (and just about everything else). The technology arrived (in usable form at least) late in 2022, so even at this stage of 2023, people are still finding their feet when it comes to how to incorporate the technology into their digital marketing campaigns.
So, what have been the early findings from marketers that have used ChatGPT and other AI tools? The takeaway, so far, has been that it should be used as a tool, rather than considered as a marketing replacement. AI-generated content is performing poorly on Google, and there have also been some accuracy issues. Still, when it comes to the hard work of handling those repetitive marketing tasks, artificial intelligence can be a terrific timesaver.
It’s too early to tell what the future of AI will bring, but we can all be pretty confident that it won’t be going away anytime soon.
2. Content rules
Marketers tend to follow Google’s lead. After all, while there are other search engines available, the vast majority of searches take place on Google, so that’s really the only place that marketers care about reaching. Google has long had a focus on quality content, and that remains true today; in fact, it’s even more true today, since Google has updated its E-A-T algorithm to include another E, which stands for ‘experience.’ This has all made content even more crucial for marketing success. As digital marketing experts FatJoe say, ‘having an SEO content plan is essential for businesses hoping for organic traffic in 2023.’ The days of keyword stuffing a webpage to trick Google into making it appear on the front page are long over. Today, only the best content gets pushed to the front.
Related: 4 Reasons Why Content Is (and Always Will Be) King
3. Privacy improvements
Marketers have long relied on lax data rules to tailor their digital marketing campaigns. Now, due to changing legislation that puts more power in the hands of the consumer, things are changing. Both Google and Apple have made changes (or are forced to make changes) that change what data can be collected and how, and the impact is having ripple effects across the industry.
There’s more than one way to gather data from consumers, but, unfortunately for marketers, the old, now-banned method was the easiest and most effective. Moving forward, marketers will need to think carefully about how they’re collecting their data, because penalties can be severe. Expect platforms that specialize in first-party data to become increasingly important.
4. Purpose-driven marketing
It’s easy to think that the main difference between traditional marketing and modern marketing is the tools and methods used to communicate messages. But you can argue that the biggest shift has been the legitimacy of those messages. It wasn’t all that long ago that marketers could effectively say anything and expect that consumers would take the message at face value. But the internet and the younger generation changed that.
Today, transparency and purpose are both key. Consumers of all generations, but especially Generation Z, want to support brands that take a stand on social issues. Not doing so is seen as being complicit in the existing systems. And just as important as the message being sent is the authenticity of those messages. For example, brands can’t claim to be supportive of the fight against climate change while simultaneously having working practices that do the opposite. The takeaway? Companies must take a stand — and back it up with their actions.