2020 shifted a lot of things in our world, with digital marketing being no exception. We saw TikTok take off and stoppable posts become the norm. In 2021, brands finally began to hop on the short-form video content band wagon and we heard the call towards authenticity. 2022 was no different — short-form video continued to reign supreme and “conversational marketing” became all the rage, with many brands opting to utilize chat bots or DM automation for a more personalized user experience.

So what can we expect in 2023? Here are our 5 predictions for digital marketing in 2023:

A Balance in Content Types

We’ve seen short-form video take the cake when it’s come to content types that have dominated social media platforms for the last few years. However, what goes up must eventually come down — or something like that 😉 And we think 2023 is the year that we’ll see content reach a more equal ratio in terms of video to photos to graphics. At the end of 2022, TikTok introduced photo mode, essentially a slideshow version of Instagram’s carousels. In 2023, we’re all about sustainable content strategies, whether that be in the form of a video, a photo, or a series of graphics.

Bye Bye Bye to Influencers

…at least in the traditional sense. Users are catching on to the fact that often times, an influencer’s supposed “opinion” on a product isn’t necessarily the truth, but rather a pay day. In 2023, we expect to see a lot more authenticity in “influencers” in the form of content creators and UGC (user-generated content) in order for brands to not only continue to build awareness but also trust among their audiences.

Local Searches

According to a report from SafariDigital, 97% of users searched online to find a local business — ie: “[type of business] near me.” We don’t foresee this changing much in 2023, and bet that even bigger brands will try to tap into the local markets.

The Importance of Multi-Channel Marketing

Brands that offer their customers a multi-channel experience are 89% more likely to retain them vs 33% to those that don’t. In 2022, we saw an overall theme with the customer journey — they would discover a brand on TikTok, binge all of their content, head over to Instagram to view their stories (maybe a few of their more recent posts and highlights), and then check out their website, with the majority of conversions happening via stories, DMs, or email.

Leaning into the Power of SEO

SEO is no longer reserved solely for Google, although we can expect to see better results now that iOS 14 changes are finally being resolved. Many users are now utilizing social media platforms as search engines, such as Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. And these platforms are rewarding brands who incorporate SEO tactics into their content strategies. Most of your profile is now considered “searchable” including your name and bio, as well as your captions and in-content captions/text. As a result, you’ve probably heard people argue that hashtags are now irrelevant. While we wouldn’t go so far as to write them off completely, we are typically using less (Instagram itself is now recommending only 3-5) and incorporating keywords strategically into our content.

We’d love to know what you think of these predictions, or which one(s) you’ll try to implement this year!

Need help developing a content strategy for 2023 or want to chat through some current pain points? Get on our wait list for our signature Content Strategy Embracive or book a Consultation Call.