9 marketing trends to watch in 2023
Heading into 2023 with big plans to make this your best year yet? Take a peek at the top trends in marketing for the year and consider what you could leverage to bring your plans to life.
Youth-centred marketing
In 2023 the age range of Gen Z is 11 to 26 years old. This generation makes up 18 per cent of the Australian population — and even more in markets such as the United States. To channel the fast-growing purchasing power of Gen Z, 2023 will see businesses shift their marketing focus to appeal to youths. This means a few things — we’re looking at a generation who want to buy from brands whose values align with their own, so sharing what your brand stands for and believes in will be at the forefront of branding. As far as platforms, most of Gen Z won’t remember a time before smart phones and social media, so expect to focus energy there, including TikTok which will continue to dominate.
Authentic human brand voice
Forget about the polished and somewhat robotic brand voices of yesteryear — 2023 is all about authenticity. It’s one thing to be a transparent brand, but ensuring your brand’s authentic self is communicated across every touchpoint will be invaluable. Think conversational, honest and genuine. This is about relating to the human beings who you want to engage with your brand.
User-generated content
Again with the authenticity. User-generated content (UGC) is content that is created by your customers and shared on social media or other channels. And it can be a game-changer for your business. Videos, testimonials, images — you name it, if it’s been voluntarily created by your customers it is going to be perceived as more trustworthy and can have a notable impact on your target market’s perception of your brand.
Audio-first marketing
Podcast popularity has grown rapidly — you’d be hard-pressed to find someone without a favourite podcast at this point. To match this growth, audio marketing will be coming in hot. With its ability to make a strong emotional impact and the power of music and sound to aid recall, audio-first marketing is well worth exploring for your business in 2023.
Artificial intelligence
If you haven’t heard about the rise of AI in the creative fields like art, design and writing, where have you been? This year is already hyper-focused on artificial intelligence, with tools like Lexica and ChatGPT at the centre of conversations. How can your business leverage these tools? The greatest potential likely lies in content creation, but opinion is divided. At the very least, knowing what’s out there and how to spot it is a must. And if AI can be a fun way to inspire your creative, maybe that’s worth exploring.
A move away from static content
Video content has been in for a while now but in 2023 it will likely significantly outweigh static content. Standing out in a hugely saturated content marketplace can be challenging, and video just provides more opportunities to cut through the noise.
Interactive website features
Not only do interactive website features have the opportunity to offer value to your potential customers, but they get website owners more traffic and increased site visit duration. Whether it’s quizzes to match consumers with the right product or a calculator of some sort to help customers ascertain the quantity and cost of what they’re after, give people a reason to actively engage with your website (and a reason to go there in the first place).
Social impact and responsibility
As well as the impact your brand and offering has on your target market, what impact is it having on the world (for better or worse)? This is front of mind for consumers in 2023 and your job is to ensure you are self-aware and either doing or striving to make a positive difference. Are you donating a percentage of profits to charity? Are you getting rid of environmentally unsound packaging? Say it loud and say it proud.
Customer experience
When it comes to the customer journey and experience, the standard is high in 2023. From web user experience to customer support to shipping times to packaging, if you haven’t yet, it’s time to lift your game!
So, there you have it — our predictions on marketing trends to watch in 2023! Now it’s a matter of deciding which trends you think you will be incorporating into your marketing mix this year. As always, if you need a hand with getting your marketing, branding and strategy sorted, Kick is right here!
