2022 saw huge changes to the digital marketing landscape, even more, significant than the past few years. Brands need to be susceptible to changes in the consumer and marketing landscape.
Here we looked at some of the biggest trends in 2022 and discussed our predictions as to how those trends will continue to evolve over the next year.
What we saw in 2022 Influencer partnerships
Influencer marketing has become huge, with 70% of marketers using some of their ad spend towards it. Influencer marketing sees an average 5.78 ROI for every dollar spent ¹.
Using influencer marketing has become too big to ignore this past year, with an increase of over 700% since 2016.
What we expect in 2023 – influencer and brand relationships
We expect the upward trend of both B2B and B2C brands to increase spend on influencer marketing 2023, but in a way that will favour longer-term brand relationships.
As many brands tested influencer marketing in 2022, we expect them to form brand relationships now that they have a better grasp of it. Long-term brand relationships and partnerships will be favored as opposed to once-off influencer contracts.
This could take place in the form of brand ambassadors, similar to how brands have had spokespersons in the past.
What we saw in 2022 – Video Marketing Content
We know that video content has been on the rise and has continued to rise this past year. It is a great way to humanise your brand and engage with your audience. In 2022 video content made up 88% of all consumer internet traffic ²
What we expect in 2023 – Live and Interactive Video Content
Going past video content, we expect to see live streaming and other forms of interactive videos take up more space in 2023. Live videos let businesses interact with their consumers in real time and help their audience connect with them even further.
This could be done by showing product specs, sharing access to live sessions instead of sending out recordings after, showing up to answer questions, and hosting lives with other industry leaders.
Live video content is a relatively simple way to connect with an audience and humanise a brand easily.
What we saw in 2022 – 3rd Party Cookies
Advertisers relied on cookies to target and retarget users. In 2023 Google will join Safari and Firefox counterparts in getting rid of third-party cookies. With 83% of marketers still using third-party cookies, their marketing strategy will undoubtedly be impacted.
What we expect in 2023 – New targeting solutions
There will be a push to use 1st party data collected from businesses’ websites. By having users ‘opt in’ to website analytics and collecting their contact information, businesses can effectively re-target potential customers themselves.
Marketers can turn to contextual advertising as a replacement. With contextual marketing, the focus is the quality of their website content, and chosen keywords. When placing an ad using contextual advertising, ads appear to web users based on the relevance of a website’s content and keywords to the users’ search. This method targets users based on their current searches instead of what they previously searched for.
Read more about third-party cookies and potential replacements here.
What we saw in 2022– Google SEO
Google SEO is not a new concept by any means. Google SEO and the importance of keywords and content for search ranking are well known, and a great way to get your business in front of new customers based on keywords that they type.
What we expect in 2023 – Rise of voice search SEO
Now that the rise of voice questions are being asked on phones and other devices, businesses need to be aware of this new version of SEO.
Businesses need to re-evaluate what questions people will be searching for when they ask their devices and how the phrasing will differ when they ask a question instead of typing one.
People will start asking more questions based on intent. For example, “What coffee shops are near here?” followed by, “Do they serve flat white?”
In order to show up on these devices, businesses should opt for more conversational and question-and-answer formats to get their consumers the questions they need about their business as easily as possible.
What we saw in 2022– The Launch of ChatpGPT
ChatGPT shook the tech world when it was launched in November of 2022. Many are calling it the “Google Killer”. Chat GPT answers queries, even complex ones, in a matter of moments with dialogued-based interactions without any fluff.
What we expect in 2023 – Rise of ChatGPT
We expect a significant user increase as the platform changes and expands. This is a platform that will change how information is searched for.
Instead of wading through Google search results and then skimming pages to find the answer, you can get a tailored answer for your query directly.
We expect a shift in how users want to receive information. With users ever diminishing attention spans, we expect a shift to ChatGPT to get the answers they want with minimal work on their end.
What we saw in 2022– The rise of TikTok
TikTok managed to reach 1 billion active users in just four years. Many other big social networking names took eight years to achieve this feat, and some have yet to reach this mark. TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2022. The popularity of TikTok is undisputed among marketers.
Many businesses, both B2B and B2B, have started using TikTok for business in 2022.
What we saw in 2023– TikTok continued growth for businesses.
We expect to see even more businesses add TikTok to their social media marketing mix. TikTok is playing around with more advanced search methods so businesses can be found by their ideal customer easier.
They’re testing a feature that will promote local content. For businesses that sell in their local areas, this will be huge for expanding their market potential and reach.
What we saw in 2022– Content Marketing
Content marketing has been increasing every year since social media became popular. People want to be entertained and informed when they are online, and that has shaped the way that brands show up on social media.
In 2022 we saw brands changing their advertisements to look like regular social media posts, adapting to trends, and a rise in reactive marketing to current events.
What we expect in 2023 – Interactive content marketing
Businesses need to grab people’s attention while mindlessly scrolling, which has become increasingly harder with the short attention span.
Interactive content marketing is one solution to grab users’ immediate attention and get them to stay on your page or piece of content instead of scrolling past to the next.
Interactive content includes; quizzes, calculators, interactive videos and infographics, maps, assessments, polls, etc. These are great ways to enhance consumer engagement loyalty, increase leads, and convert them.
81% of marketers agree this low-cost, high-impact content strategy is much more effective at grabbing potential buyers’ attention than static content ³.
As trends change and evolve, so must your digital marketing strategy. What worked this year might not next year. It’s important for brands to recognize the continually changing consumer landscape and be willing to adapt and meet their customers where they are online with content that they want to see.
Cogency assists all our clients with their social media activity, helping them to stay connected to their target audience utilising all the latest digital trends and strategies.
1 https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/20-influencer-marketing-statistics-that-will-surprise-you
2 https://invideo.io/blog/video-marketing-statistics/
3 https://thesocialshepherd.com/blog/tiktok-statistics