Digital Marketing Trends in 2023 and Beyond

When it comes to digital marketing, successful companies don’t wait to see what everyone else is doing. 

Keeping on top of the latest, ever-evolving digital marketing trends — whether it’s first-party data collection or artificial intelligence (AI) assistance — will help you and your company connect and grow each year.

Here are six of the top digital marketing trends for 2023 and beyond.

[Related: Top Website Development Trends To Boost Business Growth]

1. Maintain Your Marketing Budget

Over the past few years, companies of all sizes have experienced unprecedented interruptions due to COVID-caused economic hardship. Cutting marketing budgets may have seemed like an easy fix to save a few bucks, but sustaining marketing in these uncertain times continues to be a much better idea. 

As Rand Fishkin explains in a training he gave at the 2022 Content Marketing Conference, “Digital Marketing Trends You Need to Know for 2023”:

“Do not cut off your marketing spend or cut way back on your marketing just because you perceive the recession is coming. Marketing gets to follow trends, not proceed/perceive them. We are not investors, we should not predict the market. We should wait until – ‘oh are our conversions going down, is our conversion rate going down, are losing money on advertising? If not, sure keep trying to find opportunities, optimize.. Yeah absolutely, but don’t pull back.”

Rand Fishkin

Maintain your marketing budget as best as you can during economic hardship. Doing so helps your business in these key areas:

• Long-term brand equity 
• Increased market share 
• Client retention 
• Sustainability

That’s to name only a few. Regardless of the economy’s current status, your business’s success and future growth depend on the marketing choices you make now. 

Prioritize your investment in marketing, and your business will have a greater chance of surviving the next wave of obstacles. 

[Related: Where Are They Now? Companies That Kept Their Marketing Budgets Competitive Throughout the Pandemic]

2. Focus on Specific Platforms

It’s a big mistake, but it’s one that many marketers fall prey to: trying to successfully master every single platform at once. In reality, throwing content or ads on all services and platforms without focus ultimately could hurt your marketing efforts. 

Quality and intent matter more than spreading yourself too thin or trying to be everywhere. In 2023, your company should funnel its marketing efforts toward where your product or service will be most relevant. 

Consider not only where your customers spend their time — whether they’re big TikTok users, love email newsletters or constantly browse Instagram — but also what channel makes the most sense for your content. For example, if you’re a burger restaurant you’ll want to focus on social channels like Instagram, Google Maps and Yelp — not necessarily LinkedIn. 

Streamline your marketing efforts on the sweet spot where these factors overlap.

[Related: Top Two Reasons to Send an Email Campaign]

3. Promote User-Generated Content

By now, businesses know that people trust other people’s reviews and word-of-mouth testimonials regarding products and services. In fact, close to 88% of consumers value online reviews just as much as appraisals from their personal contacts. What’s more, people are 90% more likely to buy from a brand that a friend recommends. 

That’s why marketers must take advantage of this information and incorporate user-generated content (UGC) into their digital marketing strategy in 2023. Here are three excellent ways to promote UGC:

• Using testimonials on your website
• Reposting favorable social content that tags your brand
• Requesting feedback and reviews from existing customers 

Another trend involves partnering with an influencer to get more eyes on your product or service and honing in on your target audience. That’s especially beneficial if customers could view your company as niche or unique. If an influencer with a large follower base promotes your company, your brand awareness and reach could skyrocket.

[Related: 5 Reasons Why Content Marketing Is Important for Your Business]

4. Measure “Untrackable” Marketing Attribution With Customized Reporting

This trend isn’t very positive, but it’s helpful to be aware. 

Because companies use multiple channels to carry out digital marketing strategies these days, it’s sometimes difficult to figure out which lead came from where. This is especially true when it comes to the limited data Google Analytics provides around search queries, the rise of zero-click content, and dark social leads (web traffic originating from popular apps like Facebook messenger, Instagram or even text messaging). 

Accurate marketing attribution is helpful in recognizing all the steps of your customers’ journey, customizing each step and focusing on which effort had the greatest impact. So it’s important to have your own way of measuring brand lift and attribution, and be careful to only focus on that measurable data in marketing reports for accuracy.

Your business can measure market attribution through several models. These strategies weigh different aspects of marketing campaigns to determine what was most effective, often combining offline and online data. 

Here’s a helpful chart from Fishkin via SparkToro that explains different methods of measuring hard-to-track marketing attributions.

Deciding and sticking with a specific attribution measurement method can give your business valuable insights. This process can also really help your specific campaigns — and your company as a whole — succeed.

[Related: Why Content-First Web Design Is So Important]

5. Invest in First-Party Customer Data

A big trend for digital marketing in 2023 likely involves companies being more proactive in gathering customer data. One way to do this is to create forms for consumers to fill out with their personal information (known as form-building). 

First-party data is information that a company collects directly from customers and then owns. And it can be extremely beneficial to future marketing efforts. For example, first-party data includes mobile app behavior, purchase history, preferences and even direct information gathered through forms, surveys and feedback. 

Here are some of the many benefits of investing in first-party data gathering:

• Enhancing the accuracy and relevancy of targeting
• Achieving a full view of omnichannel processes
• Mapping the customer journey on the path to conversion
• Analyzing attribution and adjusting budgets
• Tailoring messaging and creating unique brand experiences
• Driving ROI

As a result, first-party data can give your company a valuable leg up on insights that lead to more effective advertising.

[Related: Complete Guide to Content Marketing] 

6. Incorporate AI in a Beneficial Way

This year, one of the most talked-about digital marketing trends is certainly AI. 

Using AI in your marketing efforts could definitely help you save time and money. However, it’s important to know how to incorporate AI responsibly and in a way that most benefits your goals. 

For example, as easy as it sounds to let AI generate all your content,  that content could miss the mark entirely when it comes to meaningful customer engagement and brand representation. 

Of course, AI can assist marketing efforts in terms of sales forecasting, customer insights, personalized customer experience, ideation and outlining, and automation.

Some crucial steps if you’re using AI for content generation are to go over “finished” content and:

• Add links (internal and external)
• Cite sources
• Include factual data and correct existing information
• Give it a final review to make sure it meets your quality standards and best practices

It’s important to remember that AI can help you generate content and ideas, but only with quality human prompts and detailed information. 

[Related: Why Everyone on Your Team Should Be Involved in Content Marketing]

Marketeering Group Can Help You Stay Up to Date With All the Current Marketing Trends

If you’re looking to increase your online presence and really boost your digital marketing strategy for 2023, you’re in the right place. 

Marketeering Group can help you implement these up-and-coming trends and reach your digital marketing goals.

We offer our expertise in all aspects of your marketing needs, from website development and content creation that effectively showcase your brand to SEO services and strategy that improve your rankings. Contact us today to get started!

Featured image via Unsplash