The word evolution has always existed in the business world throughout history, and those at the forefront have become market leaders. However, evolving and being avant-garde is not an option but a necessity to achieve or maintain success.
In marketing, increasingly focused on the digital area, the versatility to adapt to the changes that are presented or those that are necessary for the development of the business is essential. That is why the plans’ dynamism is the main marketing trend that should be paid attention to during 2023.
Fixed strategies, drawn up at the beginning or the end of the previous year, need to be updated in today’s world. Digital marketing is constantly changing, so if an annual plan is made, it must be reviewed at least every three months to adapt it to reality, especially so that short-term opportunities are noticed.
Marketing plans focused on agile and dynamic methodologies that can be worked on in real-time, based on data and experimentation, are becoming more common daily. And the most important thing is that the user is always at the centre of any trend that does not only apply to the marketing area but must currently be present in each of the company’s areas.
Agility is necessary for two fundamental reasons: the evolution of the tools and systems used within digital marketing and the dynamism of current user interest.
The metaverse, SEO algorithms, GTP Chat, the growth of Tik Tok, and new formats on other platforms like YouTube are all evolving as fast from one month to the next. That is why an elaborate strategy to appear in a YouTube video in March could be out of trend in September and therefore be less effective for the user.
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Many changes are expected this year regarding digital marketing, and below are the top 13 trends for 2023.
1. Google Analytics 4
As of July 1 of this year, the current version of Google Universal Analytics will stop working, and with it will give way to its new measurement tool: Google Analytics 4. This is the new tool of the technological giant to respond to the new needs of today’s web measurement landscape.
These needs focus on better understanding the user’s navigation flows through different devices without losing traceability. In other words, Google Analytics 4 seeks to be a comprehensive solution that offers more relevant metrics and solves one of the most important problems in analytics within digital marketing: the correct attribution of conversions.
This model responds to a new world without cookies (another of the marketing trends for this year), in which user privacy takes on special relevance at the same time that companies and business intelligence demand a full understanding of the cross-device user journey, blurring the line between a web page and an app.
2. Metaverse
Although the most important announcement that launched the metaverse was given by Facebook, now Meta, it is still a very developing trend, but it should not be ignored for that reason.
At this point, it is unknown if the investments made in the metaverse make sense and even if they will have any economic return. The truth is that some companies (Nike is an example) already have their space in the metaverse, and without a doubt, it is one of the marketing trends for 2023.
3. Customer Data Platforms and first-party cookies
As previously mentioned, one of the trends in marketing is the cookieless philosophy, whereby first-hand data from companies play a key role in the exploitation of any business.
Currently, marketing departments often work with biased and siloed information and need a transversal vision of the business. Customer Data Platforms (CDP), or customer data platforms, exist.
These platforms have three fundamental objectives:
- Collect and unify all data from all possible customer sources.
- Manage customer data and respect their privacy.
- Activate this customer data.
The elimination of cookies has its birth in new regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union. This legislation prevents the old techniques for monitoring the behaviour of Internet users from continuing to be used. For this reason, brands will have to obtain the consent of users to know their data.
This context makes it clear that one of the marketing trends is the use of new solutions to collect data that respect users’ privacy, in addition to beginning to develop solutions that collect first-hand information from channels belonging to companies, such as surveys or email marketing campaigns, which end up being combined into a CDP.
4. Search Engine Optimization
Organic channels continue to represent a very high percentage of traffic and income for companies, which is why, despite the constant changes that are taking place, it continues to be a marketing trend for this year and the following years to come. The objective of SEO remains the same: to offer the consumer an answer to their question at the right time and with specific content.
In general terms, you must continue working, as always, with a good SEO content strategy, also taking into account the Google guidelines that were updated on October 13, 2022, which have yet to be done for 20 years.
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5. Performance digital marketing
With increasingly digital profiles in organizations, it is more common for companies to bet on data and digital sales; they are focused on generating income.
That is why some organizations’ budgets are allocated to high-performance digital marketing networks to explore new ways to achieve conversions.
6. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a multi-million dollar business that increasingly has more weight in the budgets of brands, which invest less in brand awareness and go to the final sale.
It is a model that works and consists of the following:
- The advertiser only pays for what he sells.
- The brand can achieve a distribution that would otherwise be very expensive.
- It fulfils two functions: branding is done, and it also manages to sell.
7. The role of Tik Tok
TikTok is the sixth social network with the most active users on the planet, a level it has reached in just five years of operation, with more than a billion people using the network.
This makes it an obligatory option to explore new formats and ways of communicating to be consistent with the new interests of users.
Another important point within Tik Tok, which must be exploited within the marketing trends for 2023, is the SEO positioning on the platform. TikTok has its own rules to get the visibility you want.
You have to know where to locate the keywords, and the hashtags, analyze the engagement well and optimize the title of the publications since Google indexes Tik Tok.
8. GPT Chat and SEO
The GPT Chat is undoubtedly one of the stars of the beginning of 2023, and in digital marketing, it will be throughout the year, so it is undoubtedly one of the possibilities that should be explored.
Given the growth in the use of this type of tool driven by Artificial Intelligence, one of the important points to consider within the digital strategy is the adaptation that must be given in generating SEO content. This trend should be taken advantage of to improve the work regarding organic positioning content.
Regarding its use, however, you must be careful because Google has already indicated that the indiscriminate use of Chat GPT will be penalized.
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9. Bing and artificial intelligence
Continuing with the topic of artificial intelligence, there are many questions regarding the movement of Microsoft Bing and the addition of Chat GPT to its browser, which may constitute a change in the search model we have known.
So much so that Google has been forced to bring forward the release of its artificial intelligence Bard, there is an interesting fact within the announcement that Google made regarding its artificial intelligence, and it is that they are looking for results that “offer a high level of quality, security and based on real-world information.”
Currently, Chat GPT does not connect to the Internet, which is a clear disadvantage compared to a browser, and it is one of the reasons why Microsoft will integrate it into its proposal.
In any case, you must be very attentive to the novelties that happen throughout the year to integrate them into the digital marketing strategy as a value proposition to compete.
10. Conversion Rate Optimization- CRO
The cost of acquiring users has grown 30% in the last 3 years, so advertising investment is increasingly complicated for brands that do not have financial slack. Within this context, one of the best options to compete is by optimizing a website’s conversion rate, that is, by applying the CRO.
It is about applying techniques through scientific methodologies to increase website conversions. CRO is expected to experience an upward trend this year and will be one of the most profitable strategies for companies that no longer have noticeable website traffic.
11. Phygital Experience
It is about the union of the digital world with the physical one. The objective is to create a memorable, different and enriching customer experience.
This digital marketing trend is related to virtual reality, the metaverse, electronic commerce and everything that has to do with adding value from the digital to the physical and vice versa.
12. A more personal LinkedIn
Lately, it has become more common for LinkedIn to mix individual posts with those related to the professional activity of its users, which was rare a few years ago. A spread between professional and personal activity may have occurred in the wake of the pandemic, and LinkedIn has noted it. Now you can build Instagram-like stories and videos or take a survey.
The algorithm of the social network now also rewards this type of content. If you want to increase engagement on LinkedIn, the digital marketing strategy must consider these new parameters in the interests of the users and, therefore, of the social network.
13. Influencer Marketing
During 2023 it is expected that 16 billion dollars will be spent on digital marketing strategies. This shows that it is a strong marketing trend for this year.
Many brands rely on influencers to promote their products, generate brand impact and gain credibility.
Despite this, many still need to be convinced about investing in this type of stock, given that, compared to other channels, it is less measurable and efficient.
As has been seen, each of the main trends in digital marketing expected for 2023 may evolve throughout the year, which responds to the platforms’ management to respond quickly to the versatility of the users’ interests.
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