Digital marketing is constantly changing.
Something that worked great a year or two ago may now be outdated, replaced by the hot new thing.
The best thing you can do is to keep up with digital marketing trends, especially as we head into a fresh year.
So, to help you get ahead in 2023, we’ve put together our 4 top tips for success, covering all of the hottest digital marketing trends you need to know in 2023 (this isn’t an extensive list, just the most important things to keep in mind!).
Trend 1 – Tighten up your website
When was the last time you gave your website some love?
Your website is your online shop window – it’s how potential customers shop for your products or services; it’s got to be absolutely perfect.
This means that if there’s any friction, or your website’s not easy to use, then you’re going to run into problems.
Think about a time when you’ve clicked through to a bad website, what kind of impression did it leave with you?
As a result, we highly recommend these three key metrics (in order of priority):
Website speed
Fast matters – Google recommends that your webpages load in two seconds or faster. Any slower than this and visitors will lose interest and you’ll see a significantly higher bounce rate.
Next time you’re on a slow website, make a note of how frustrating it is to use. Modern users have grown accustomed to instant information. Anything less than that simply won’t do!
The three simplest ways to speed your site up are:
- Compressing and optimising your images
- Reducing your redirects
- Caching your webpages
There’s a lot more you can do, but it starts to get much more complicated, so start here and reap the rewards!
Mobile responsiveness
In 2022, mobile users generated 59% of global website traffic. If your website looks poor on mobile, then it reflects badly on your business. Make sure your website is optimised and responsive on all mobile devices.
Google uses the mobile version of your website to influence search rankings. If you’ve neglected mobile, or if your website has less content available on your mobile site, then you’ll be penalised in search engines.
You can learn a little more about what Google recommends to boost your SERP performance here.
Proposition clarity
How clearly do you communicate your business’ proposition?
Make sure you state why you do what you do, how you do it and what it is you offer in a concise, articulate manner.
If prospective customers can’t easily understand your business, they’ll simply disengage. Again, you’ve got an incredibly short amount of time to capture attention and make the right impression. Get your proposition right and you’ll do exactly that!
Trend 2 – Deploy omnichannel marketing
On average, it takes anywhere from 8-12 touchpoints before you’ll convert a prospect.
These touchpoints may be across your social media channels, your website, email, video, events and more.
We have a word for this – omnichannel marketing, and it’s extremely hot for 2023.
What is omnichannel marketing?
‘Omni’ derives from the Latin ‘omnis’, meaning ‘all’; omnichannel marketing is the process of targeting potential customers through all channels, platforms and devices.
In order to do this right, we recommend:
- Creating a variety of audience personas
- Building 3-5 landing pages, all with different communication methods
- Connecting with potential customers across all relevant channels for your business
- Pushing insightful, well-written content
- Always referring to data and backing your claims up with facts
Do bear in mind that not all platforms are relevant to all businesses. Find out where your audience are and target those.
All of your marketing efforts should be hyper optimised. Try things out, see what works, tweak and go from there. If you haven’t really been marketing, 2023 is the time to do it. No more excuses!
Trend 3 – Video, video, video!
91% of people answered a recent Adworld survey saying that they think short-form video is the future of marketing.
Why is that?
Well, would you rather spend one minute watching a short video on a topic, or 3-4 minutes reading about it? While some of us prefer reading, many people would rather watch the quick video, let’s be honest!
So, to form a successful video marketing strategy, you should:
- Plan out interesting content – This can be a variety of industry news, internal developments, product showcases, etc. – get creative!
- Decide what platform is best for you – Not every platform is right for every business. You may do really well on TikTok, or you might prefer to use LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Film, schedule, interact – Regular content is key. Get a schedule together and get the content produced. Once released, interact with comments and start a conversation around the video.
Remember, your video content isn’t necessarily a conversion tool, it should be used to nurture leads and provide them with memorable, useful knowledge.
It’s an incredibly powerful touchpoint (remember omnichannel marketing!) and is one of the most important digital marketing trends of 2023.
Even if you aren’t sure where to start, you’ll never learn if you don’t try.
Need a hand getting started with your video content? Give our team at Catalyst a shout today.
Trend 4 – Tell your story
This one’s not much of a trend, to be honest; it’s just bloody good advice.
Consumers want to relate to the brands that they shop with/use. You need to create a narrative that presents what you do (and why) in the best possible light.
Your business has its own story to tell. You have unique strengths and experiences that no others share.
Need help telling it? The Catalyst team are here to allow you to share it in the right way, just like we did for our friends at Purbeck Insurance, who have seen a 972% increase in monthly organic traffic, a figure that’s only going up.
