Every year feels different in the digital marketing realm. There are trends and anti-trends that business owners should know about. So, what’s in store for 2023? Let’s find out. 

Digital marketing trends 2023 – an overview of what lies ahead 

Earlier running a business meant getting a logo designed, business cards printed, store signage placed and flyers handed out. But now there are a lot many channels to keep up with. Digital marketing has changed the way brands promote. It has changed the way brands introduce themselves and communicate with their customers. Some things have gotten simpler and others a bit overwhelming. 

Naturally, as a small business owner, year-ends might stress you out. Because you are concerned about what kind of surprises the world of digital marketing is likely to bring. We get it. After all, these emerging trends are based on what customers are looking for and how the market and economy have changed in recent times. So, keeping an eye out for the digital marketing trends of the upcoming year is always a good way to start working on your marketing efforts for the new year. 

Now without further ado, let’s talk about the digital marketing trends to look out for in 2023. 

1. Videos won’t let you down 

By the end of 2021, videos reached 91.4% of global internet users. Over the past couple of you must have observed that videos are no more a luxury in marketing. Not incorporating videos in your content plan means you are missing out on a lot. And in 2023, videos are going to get even more popular. 

Videos are helping customers discover new brands and products. 84% of consumers say that watching a video has convinced them to buy a product. In other words, videos are persuasive. While 39% of consumers love seeing explainer videos, 20% expect entertaining videos that follow the trend. In short, your video content plan for the next year should include content that explains, educates, engages, and entertains your customers. 

Brand vlogging is one of the most interesting digital marketing trends to look out for in the coming years. Video blogs are easy ways to put a face to your brand, to humanize it. And this builds trust, reputation. As a small business owner, you need content that builds a strong name for your brand and videos help you there. 

Not convinced? Twitter recently introduced two new video features. One is to let you instantly tap on a video to watch in fullscreen. Along with this immersive viewing experience, you can also scroll down to navigate to the next video. The second feature is that you will now find more relevant videos being recommended on the Explore screen. 

More and more social media platforms embracing short videos, and endless-scrolling trends show that 2023 is a good year to strengthen your video marketing plan. Kimp Video subscription is just a click away!

2. You can never go wrong with influencers 

To say influencer marketing has been popular in recent years would be an understatement. Brands big and small steadily shell out the big bucks in this segment. The influencer marketing segment which was valued at  $9.7 billion in 2020 is projected to hit  $16.4 billion in 2022. And this trend is likely to continue into 2023 as well. The change being these influencer programs are likely to be closely monitored and ROI-driven. 

To say influencer marketing has been popular in recent years would be an understatement. Brands big and small steadily shell out the big bucks in this segment. The influencer marketing segment which was valued at  $9.7 billion in 2020 is projected to hit  $16.4 billion in 2022. And this trend is likely to continue into 2023 as well. The change being these influencer programs are likely to be closely monitored and ROI-driven. 

Mind the economy 

While you know that you should prepare to work with influencers more you should also know that you cannot continue with existing strategies when it comes to the content you plan. The current economic conditions and inflation have all drastically changed customer shopping behavior. 

In fact, two-thirds of global consumers report that their purchase decisions across a wide range of categories like clothing, consumer electronics, and others have changed due to inflation. The key is to grasp these economy-related factors and create influencer campaigns that are mindful of the changing spending patterns. 

Authenticity tops everything 

Customers do not look at content on social media with rose-colored glasses. They are very particular about the influencers they follow. The authenticity of the influencer and the presence of a clearly defined niche can make a huge difference. Because customers are becoming as aware of influencer marketing as brands are. They know that brands pay influencers to post content. So, they do not blindly trust influencers if they aren’t authentic. 

So, one of the possible digital marketing trends that you need to know about in 2023 will be working with influencers with a niche audience, influencers with a clear purpose. 

Moreover, the stronger focus on micro-influencers is a trend you probably have noticed. That’s because for brands to work with micro-influencers, the budgets are lower but the engagement rate is higher. That’s a win-win for small businesses, in particular. 

Summing it all up, to prepare for what 2023 would be like in influencer marketing – you need to work with influencers who are:

• Authentic
• Have a clear niche 
• Have better engagement
• And can produce quality content that keeps the economic situation in the picture 

3. Make the most of email marketing 

With over 4 billion email users around the world, email marketing is definitely not going anywhere. It might be one of the oldest digital communication channels for brands but it is as good as new. 

But one thing to remember going forward will be that customers crave customization. Not many are willing to open emails with a generic subject line, let alone click the CTA. 2023 will see more evolved email campaigns. And automation is sure to be a widely-present trend. 

51% of businesses are using automation in their email campaigns. 80% do so because automation helps improve lead generation. So, to save time and for better targeting through your email campaigns, now is a good time to give email automation a shot. 

One other trend that is hard to miss is that emails are getting more and more interactive. They are not just about text and static images. We see brands using GIFs, videos, gamified content, and carousel images. We’ll see more of this in the coming years. Any content that inspires customers to stop and interact with the email will be a hit. 

Kimp Tip: Adding visuals helps your email deliver the message clearly and quickly. Emails help you maintain a more accurate database of your customers and track their interests, deliver personalized discounts and so much more. 

Designing visuals for emails daunting you? No problem. Sign up for a Kimp Graphics subscription today. 

4. Time to pay attention to social media ads 

The social media advertising segment is projected to reach $252 billion in 2026. And currently, nearly one-third of the total ad spending is on social media ads. This proportion is likely to increase as more and more brands see social media ads as an effective way to bypass ad blockers and reach relevant audiences. Moreover, social media ads help customers discover and connect with brands and find out more about products that interest them. 

On the whole, social media advertising is beneficial to both customers and brands. Therefore, one of the most likely digital marketing trends to dominate the realm will be an increase in focus on social media ads. 

Here are a few recent developments that are in favor of this trend:

• YouTube Shorts ads are coming. And the best part is that these are going to be Shoppable video ads like those you find on TikTok. 
• Instagram has also been actively adding more features to Instagram advertising. There would be more ads now available on the Explore page as well as Profile Feed. 
• Instagram is also bringing multi-advertiser ads. This will be an AI-powered recommendation of ads based on the kind of ads that the customer interacts with. 
• AR ads are coming too. And these will help customers visualize the product in their space before making a purchase. 

Kimp Tip: The key is to create ads with a native feel but a visual theme that pops out. And these ads should look visually consistent with your regular social media Feed. 

To make that happen, you need a dedicated design team that works on all your designs. And that’s exactly what you get with every Kimp subscription. 

5. Get ready for more live streaming and virtual shopping events 

The pandemic set this whole new wave of virtual events and it has been going steady since then. The live-streaming market is projected to reach a value of $247 billion by the year 2027. Thanks to the high CAGR and steady response from customers. 

Live sessions through Facebook and YouTube live streaming, and even platforms like Twitch humanize brands and help them connect with their audience. They also bring in new audiences by building trust at the first interaction. Now brands have taken live streaming to the next level with their live shopping events. 

IKEA conducts live shopping events regularly. This makes festival shopping so much more interactive. 

In 2023, more brands will be hopping on the bandwagon of live shopping events. The best part is that several social media platforms let you stream live for free. So, you do not even have to worry about expanding your small business marketing budget significantly. But the results these live events bring in can be huge. 

Therefore, if you do not already have a plan for conducting live events and connecting with your customers, start now and stay ahead of your competitors. But remember to promote these events through social media ads and in your email campaigns in order to get the intended reach and reap the fruits of this trend. 

6. The need for omnichannel marketing 

Digitalization is a global phenomenon and brands have quickly grasped the trend. You now see even small brands with strong websites, mobile apps, aesthetic social media pages and stunning emails, and more. But all these have not weighed down the need for offline advertising. And one of the major digital marketing trends to be aware of in 2023 is the need for omnichannel marketing. 

Your digital ads are important. But if these ads are not going to connect with your brand’s offline branding assets and marketing collateral, then there is a huge gap to fill. This siloed approach will not work anymore. Because gone are the days when you had two different segments of audiences – one that shops online and one that shops at your physical stores. Now every brand has audiences who love discovering products on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, finding reviews about them on YouTube, browsing for deals on websites, and then visiting a store to place the order. 

This hopping between platforms happens multiple times and in any order. Small businesses that are just starting out with their digital campaigns should stay ready to embrace this omnichannel approach. That’s one way to prepare for 2023. 

A few things you can do include:

• Adding your website address and social media handles either directly or embedded in a QR code on flyers, business cards, and other print marketing materials. 
• Placing easy store-finder tools in your email, website, and other digital marketing channels. 

Measures like these help bridge your online and offline channels and help customers pick up from where they left off. 

Stay ahead in your digital marketing game with Kimp designs 

Visuals play a crucial role in most of these trends. From communicating with your customers to representing your brand, your marketing graphics have a lot of roles to play. Therefore, having a robust approach to creating designs for your digital marketing campaigns will be a good way to prepare for the year ahead. So, what’s a cost-effective way to come up with the designs to keep up with the digital marketing trends of 2023? Choose a Kimp subscription. 

Register now for a free 7-day trial.