Marketing Trends for 2023 | INCAE Business School
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Marketing Trends for 2023

02 de Enero 2023
Diego Ramos

This guide summarizes the marketing trends of 2023 that we must take into account to trigger our results.

Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out, it is crucial to incorporate the latest marketing trends in your strategy to stay competitive and relevant in today's market.

A well-informed marketing strategy is a driving force behind building a successful business.

What consumers want, need, and expect from brands today is nothing like it was five years ago. Digital marketing trends are constantly changing, forcing companies to adapt their strategies accordingly.

Unfortunately, not all companies are rushing to keep up with these changes. You need to check the latest reports, talk to influential industry experts for hours, and monitor endless consumer behavior data to stay ahead.

Top marketing trends for 2023

1. Increased use of video and live streaming

Like the marketing trends of 2022, brands will continue to invest heavily in YouTube, TikTok and Instagram and use the power of video content to engage and engage with consumers in 2023.

Video continues to be an increasingly popular medium for storytelling.

Live streaming is rapidly gaining ground and allows brands to build closer relationships with their audiences and foster greater trust.

Live streams show behind-the-scenes aspects of your business, create deeper connections with customers by hosting Q&As and webinars, and offer more personalized interactions through video messaging.

Short form video will see the most growth.

Marketing trends 2023

Graphic taken from Hubspot.

YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok are all short-form video formats that have exploded in recent years.

Virality is a game changer in today's social media driven world, which is why short form video has become so popular. Short videos are the best way to engage and entertain audiences, tap into hot topics, and go viral with relatively little effort and cost.

In 2023, companies should focus on incorporating short-form video into their marketing strategy. Whether you create unique branded content, use user-generated content (UGC), or partner with influencers to promote your brand, short-form video is a proven way for brands of all sizes to reach larger audiences. broad and create meaningful connections.

2. Return to face-to-face events

With the pandemic behind us, businesses will once again host in-person events to connect with customers and build brand awareness. Whether it's creating a pop-up store in your local community, sponsoring a major trade show, or attending an industry conference, there are plenty of creative ways to incorporate this tried-and-true marketing strategy into your business.

Last year, 50 percent of companies anticipated attending more in-person events in 2022 than in 2021. This online marketing trend is expected to continue in 2023 as companies recognize the value of face-to-face interactions. to convert leads and establish long-term contacts. customer relations.

If you're attending an event in person, use event intelligence to find out who's there, what they're talking about, and how influential they are. Preparation helps you better engage with attendees and connect with key prospects in your industry.

3. Podcast

El 26% of content creators use podcasts to reach their audiences, while 26% of organizations use podcasts to distribute their content. Podcasts help you reach highly engaged audiences and create compelling, original content that listeners can easily download or stream. You can also partner with influencers in your industry to build brand awareness.

Marketing trends 2023

Graphic taken from Content Matters Report 2022.

In 2023, podcasting will continue to grow as a marketing tool for brands of all sizes. It's a great way to build thought leadership, develop niche expertise, and create more intimate connections with customers. Whether you're partnering with other brands, influencers, or industry experts, podcasting can help you establish a competitive advantage in your marketplace and improve your business results.

4. Interactive Marketing

Interactive marketing is a strategy that involves incorporating interactive elements like games, quizzes, surveys, and calculators into your online content. It helps to grab attention and engage users on a deeper level.

Whether you're creating an online game that ties in with your brand, partnering with an influencer on a social media quiz, or embedding surveys into your website content, there are plenty of ways to take advantage of this marketing strategy. Focus on creating high-quality content that is relevant and engaging to your audience to enhance your success with interactive marketing.

Also, test different elements of your campaigns to find what works best for your particular goals and objectives. For example, try running A/B tests on your interactive marketing campaigns to increase website traffic and determine which one brings more people to your site.

Gamification

Gamification is an example of interactive marketing that uses game-like elements to engage and entertain audiences. Whether in education, recruiting or e-commerce, brands use gamification to increase their presence and reach new audiences. Sephora, for example, uses gamification to promote its rewards program, engaging customers with fun challenges and rewarding them with discounts, makeup samples, and other perks.

Chatbots

By 2025, 95% of customer interactions with brands will be through artificial intelligence (AI), such as chatbots. Conversational marketing allows brands to engage with customers on a more personal level.

With natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning constantly improving, brands can now use chatbots to address customer concerns and answer questions in real time. Whether you're offering support or generating leads through your website or social media platforms, chatbots can help you increase customer engagement, improve customer satisfaction, and drive sales.

5. Omnichannel Marketing: Integrated Online and Offline Customer Experience

Omnichannel marketing is a holistic strategy that creates an integrated customer experience across all channels and touch points.

It helps brands build stronger relationships with their audiences and drive more sales by engaging customers across multiple channels, from social media to in-store interactions.

An integrated online and offline customer experience is essential for businesses looking to stay competitive. Twenty-seven percent of senior marketers believe their omnichannel journeys align, showing room for improvement and innovation.

Some critical tactics for delivering an effective omnichannel customer experience include personalizing your communication, using data and analytics to target customers with the right message at the right time, and providing consistent messaging across all channels. Another important factor is integrating your sales and marketing teams to ensure the customer journey is seamless, regardless of how they interact with your brand.

Increased focus on customer experience (CX)

Seventeen percent of consumers say they would stop doing business with one company if another company provided a better customer experience. 45 percent of consumers globally also say they are likely to stop using a brand if they don't personalize their customer experience. Businesses compete on multiple fronts: price, quality, speed of delivery, but it's all about the customer experience.

Omnichannel marketing is essential for brands that want to remain competitive in today's digital landscape. By integrating online and offline channels and consistently delivering high-quality experiences across all touch points, brands can build stronger relationships with their customers and drive more sales.

Whether it's offering superior customer service, incorporating personalized recommendations into your marketing campaigns, or delivering timely promotions via email and SMS, omnichannel marketing can help you create personalized experiences that keep customers coming back for more.

6. Generation Z will continue to influence marketing more than millennials

Gen Z is a demographic cohort that has grown up in a world dominated by digital media and technology. As a result, their decision-making process differs significantly from their millennial counterparts.

For example:

  • 50 percent of Gen Zers say companies should take a stand on social issues (for example, climate change, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights).
  • 51 percent of Gen Zers said they are more likely to buy from a company that treats its employees well.
  • 55 percent of Gen Z people say influencer recommendations are one of the most critical factors in their purchase decision.
  • 51 percent of Gen Z consumers rated sustainability as important when shopping.

Marketing to Gen Z is not just about understanding how they buy and consume media. It is also about understanding their values, behaviors and attitudes. Brands that want to connect with Gen Z can tap into influencers, incorporate social causes into their marketing strategies, and focus on sustainability initiatives. By adapting to the needs and preferences of this tech-savvy generation, brands can stay ahead of the competition and improve their bottom line.

7. Increased content marketing budgets

Most content marketers these days work in small teams, often managing each piece of content for the entire company. However, as the marketing landscape evolves and becomes more competitive, companies will hire additional marketers to handle specific content campaigns.

Graphic taken from Content Marketing Institute.

This increase in content marketing budgets is also driving growth in the use of paid distribution channels, including social media and display ads. With a bigger budget, marketers can experiment with new tactics and target more specific audiences to reach their goals faster.

8. Inclusive Marketing

El 46 percent of marketers believes that championing diversity, equity and inclusion means being culturally relevant on social media for brands. Inclusive marketing strategies can help brands better connect with audiences of different cultures, languages, and backgrounds.

To develop an inclusive marketing strategy, brands need to start by conducting a cultural audit of their target audience. This audit involves collecting data on key demographics such as age, gender, education levels, and employment status.

Brands can then consider how they can use their existing strengths to target underrepresented audiences. For example, a company may reach female consumers through content that promotes gender equality or support for minority groups. Partnering with influencers who share similar beliefs or values ​​as their target audience can also help brands build trust and credibility with consumers.

9. Priority to data

As part of its Privacy Sandbox strategy, Google Chrome's support for third-party cookies will stop at the end of 2024. As a result, companies that rely heavily on third-party cookies to carry out their marketing campaigns will need to develop new ones. strategies and shift your focus to first-hand data.

First-party data involves information collected directly from consumers through surveys, customer insights, and analytics tools, while companies collect data from third parties by tracking user behaviors online through cookies.

El 47 percent of marketers they are focusing on improving their own internal data collection processes in 2022, which is expected to increase in the coming years. While source data can be more challenging than third-party data, it can provide a deeper understanding of customer needs and preferences. You also own the data, which can help protect you against privacy issues and other risks.

Ready for the marketing trends of 2023?

As you can see, the marketing trends of 2023 they are not just about knowing what your audience wants.

All businesses today compete in a rapidly changing landscape, and marketers must constantly evolve their strategies and tactics to stay one step ahead. As Google implements new algorithms, new technologies emerge, and as the world heads into a potential recession, it must stay agile, innovative, and data-driven to succeed in 2023.

At the core of your marketing strategy, you need to focus on developing a deep understanding of your audience. This means using all the tools to create highly personalized experiences for each customer. As long as you stay focused on putting your audience first and using data to guide your decisions, you'll have a smooth ride next year.

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