Three Marketing Trends to Expect in 2023
Let’s face it: the last couple of years have been strange. Marketers, like every other industry, found themselves pivoting to accommodate a sudden pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, supply issues, and a new version of normalcy. As we look to 2023, we may not be able to predict every event, but we can look at some expected marketing trends that experts think will play a big role in the year to come.
Hybrid events are here to stay
Once it became clear that the pandemic wasn’t going away anytime soon, many businesses stopped canceling their large events and substituted digital options instead. Event organizers used video conferencing technology, social media platforms, and other creative solutions to give attendees a high-level experience that made up for the loss of being able to attend in person. At the time, these fixes seemed temporary. Now, however, it seems that more and more people are asking for digital options to remain available, even if the event is held with in-person attendees.
It seems that the hybrid event is quickly becoming a staple of the marketing community. Your team will need to shift away from planning for in-person events only and begin to consider options for adding digital resources for those who want to attend in person but are unable to do so. While this may mean extra work for your team, it’s also an opportunity to reach even more people. Thanks to tools like live video conferencing, you are not limited in the number of people you can educate about your business – in fact, you now have the entire world available to you.
Optimization for voice activation
You’re already familiar with the process of optimizing your content for search engines through keywords and high-quality content. Over the last few years, Google in particular has placed a higher ranking on those search results that demonstrate quality, engaging content. That trend is here to stay, but it has fed into another trend altogether: optimizing your content for voice activated searches.
Experts predict that, moving forward, Google is more likely to give a higher priority to those search results that are most easily understood and activated by the same commands people give Siri, Alexa, and any number of integrated voice search capabilities. Your business will want to take advantage of this trend as they look to optimize their visibility on search engines in the coming year. The information is out there – ask your team to do some research to see how just a few small changes could yield big results for your brand awareness.
Non-profits as part of your marketing plan
In a perfect world, every business would be able to give to a charity or organization in need. Sometimes, it isn’t in the budget; other time, you may not have realized just how many of those opportunities surround you at any given time. But non-profit organizations have gained a lot of public traction, and consumers are watching to see which businesses are taking action as a result. This means that you need to not only be engaged with the community around you – you need to do so in a planned, prepared way.
There are an endless number of non-profits to choose from, and asking your employees for any recommendations is a great way to start. Once you’ve chosen who to support, your marketing team needs a plan. Working with a non-profit is more than just a Facebook mention every week or so – you need to make real, attainable goals that will allow you to not only raise awareness but also offer relief and solutions to the struggles that the non-profit is trying to help people overcome. This may sound rather clinical, but sincerity is key – and people will know if you’re trying to fake your way through it. Pick an organization that means a lot to you and your team and work to help them achieve their goals.
2022 is right around the corner, so don’t let it take you by surprise. Stay on top of growing trends to ensure that your business remains at the forefront of the marketing industry, and take some time to learn just a little more about what you can expect in the year ahead.