Digital marketing is ever-evolving. Every year, what was once “in” may become a bygone in the following year. This calls for small business owners to have a full grasp of these changes or updates in the digital space.
Your Digital Biz Solutions is here to support you in keeping up with things! Let’s go through some of the digital marketing trends you need to know for 2023 and how your company might benefit from them.
1. Interactive Content Marketing
Gone are the days when audiences passively scroll through various content. Digital marketing is now laser-focus on engagement. It has now evolved into a multi-channel approach to interacting with users.
To keep our business abreast with this trend in digital marketing, we should add value to our target audiences and create genuine engagement with them by adding interactive sections on the platforms we are using.
Below are some interactive content marketing examples that you can use for your business:
- Quizzes
- Infographics
- Surveys and Polls
- Interactive calculators (if you are a realtor)
- Webinars
- Mobile apps
Remember, it’s always about the audience and user experience.
2. Short Form Educational Videos
Marketing nowadays is leaning more toward inbound marketing. It has now zero-in on educating your target audience, building authority in your chosen industry, and progressively moving your leads and prospects into your funnel.
Your responsibility as a small business owner is to be an authority in your industry. One way of doing this is publishing a short instructional video on the Internet and social media platforms.
TikTok and other short-form video platforms have recently gained popularity because they are quick and easily digestible. The caveat is users’ attention span has also declined, which means that you, as the content creator, should be able to capture their attention in the first few seconds of your video. However, you can still maximize this setback and prove your expertise in your industry.
3. Artificial Intelligence Software
With the rapid progress in AI technology, questions have been circulating about whether AI will eventually replace human marketers.
With the rapid progress in AI technology, questions have been circulating about whether AI will eventually replace human marketers.
But here’s the catch: not going to happen…just yet!
While it may be tempting to accept this painful possibility of substituting man’s natural creativity with AI technology, human marketing skills are still irreplaceable by machine learning.
The primary issue with AI tools is that it has limitations. It is incapable of producing high-quality content that would add value to users and is often spammy and inaccurate. Google still prioritizes quality and authentic content. In fact, they have made it clear that websites publishing AI-generated content will be punished.
Hence, using AI-generated content as stand-alone content in your marketing materials is a mistake. You might get away with it for some time, but with Google’s constant update in its algorithm, you will eventually be caught red-handed and get penalized. What’s worse is that it will drag down your SEO efforts, your visitors won’t appreciate the poor-quality content, and they will less likely trust and support your business.
However, this does not imply that your 2023 digital marketing plan should exclude the use of AI solutions. Using AI tools for brainstorming, outlining, and research can be helpful.
For instance, you may employ AI writing tools to create content for you on a specific subject and then use that as the basis for your writing. By doing this, you can speed up the content creation process.
4. User-Generated Content
You can fill your website and social media platforms with aesthetic images and compelling content and throw out everything your company offers. But all these efforts of promotion can only take you so far.
One way of persuading consumers to buy your products or services is through word-of-mouth or client testimonials. Your present consumers will need to endorse your products or services through user-generated content.
User-Generated Content At A Glance
Any written or graphic content that individuals provide to advertise a business online is considered user-generated content, which includes:
- Unboxing videos (recorded or live)
- Video testimonials of clients who recently interacted with your business
- Online Reviews
- Social media posts that show actual individuals using your products
Many businesses have developed strong brand reputations by enlisting the support of their clients. In 2023, this digital marketing trend will undoubtedly grow in popularity.
How Does User-Generated Content Get Created?
What should you do to encourage your users to produce user-generated content?
- Ask them to write you a review. To accomplish this, you can personally ask your clients to write a review about how pleased they are with the product or services you offer. You can also give them point rewards which they can use for their subsequent purchases or availing of your service.
- Request a video testimonial from your satisfied clients. Make it as simple as possible by offering to videotape it and providing them with talking points.
- Offer rewards for creating user-generated content. For instance, you may give consumers who post reviews extra discounts or win your products. For example, to qualify for a contest on social media, participants must share a picture of themselves using your product along with a unique hashtag.
5. Verified Listings on Google for Local SEO
Local SEO marketing has also gained more traction. Leveraging Google My Business listing offers numerous advantages:
- It offers helpful information and aids in determining the location of local companies, such as plumbing services, air conditioning services, or veterinary clinics.
- It makes business visible for “near me” searches, primarily if the service area has been geographically defined.
- It enables customers to discover more information about the company as it is readily available in Google search results. This includes operating hours, address, maps, and user-generated star ratings.
Verify your Google business listing and ensure that it is accurate and updated. In addition, below are several advantages of incorporating strategic SEO and having your business verified:
- Your company’s information can be managed in Search, Maps, and other Google services.
- Having your business verified creates an impression that your company is trustworthy and respectable, unlike the unverified competition.
- It protects your business from fraudulent claims by someone who poses as the owner and claims your listing as their own.
6. Automated and Smart Bidding in Google Ads
One of the tedious parts of paid advertising is examining every bit of data and regularly modifying keywords, bids, and ad wording to maximize results and returns, especially when running a Google Ads campaign. This is the day-to-day stressor of an ads specialist.
How much more if you are the business owner, single-handedly running everything for your business? The result: burnout.
Cue in automated bidding strategies.
Automated bidding strategies enable Google to examine the vast quantity of user data it possesses and alter your bids in real-time using machine learning. Ads specialists can use automated techniques while maintaining total control.
Although Smart Bidding made its debut in 2016, automated bidding is nothing new; sadly, most business owners are unaware of what it is or does.
On a side note, it is crucial to remember that optimizing PPC performance still involves many human tactics, no matter the involvement of technology. You must still test everything, including putting different automatic bid techniques up against one another. You can’t let go of the reins, forget, and expect results.
7. Google Analytics 4
In 2022, Google slowly introduced GA4 in its marketing platform.
Here comes 2023, and they have announced that the Universal Analytics platform will now be considered a bygone. But, you need not worry as Google Analytics 4, or GA4 is an updated version of the well-loved UA but with few added features.
You now have the free option in GA4 to link directly to Google Merchant Center, Google Optimize, and BigQuery! To make accessing the same view simpler, you can add your customized reports to the navigation menu. Anomaly detection, predictive analytics, deeper attribution models, and more will also be available.
Expert Tip:
We highly recommend creating your new GA4 account as quickly as possible. You can use your UA platform to compare your goals, data, and traffic trends and have more time to navigate and familiarize yourself with this new marketing tool. This will ensure that you read the data correctly and preserve it after the transition.
Final Thoughts
You will see all these digital marketing trends coming to life this 2023. Moreover, along with these trends is the evolution of how consumers interact with products or services. Nowadays, people are smarter than ever. They know their preferences, and they want to interact with a company that uses contemporary platforms and spends the time to understand such preferences.
Want to elevate your marketing strategy using these latest trends? Your Digital Biz Solutions is here to help. Our team will take the time to learn more about your company and industry to understand your needs better and help you scale your business. Talk to us today!
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