Whilst we’ve seen most digital marketing trends emerge and make a difference in 2022, we expect them to continue evolve and transform the industry in 2023, whilst seeing new trends provide a unique experience. 

Whilst we can’t see exactly where digital marketing will be heading or what it will look like in five years’ time, but by keeping up with current trends, industry professionals will have an indication of the possibilities the industry will encounter in the future. 

Influencer Marketing continues to play an important factor in driving sales and engagement, whilst society makes sustainability an initiative all businesses should be considering in the near future. Which digital marketing trends should you be aware of in 2023?  

Influencer marketing will remain strong 

A recent survey found that a majority of B2C marketing experts planned to ramp up spending in 2022, while roughly 11 percent also considered influencer partnerships their primary marketing channel. (Statista) 

In 2023, we expect to see more businesses invest in influencer marketing, as it can be an extremely effective way to reach many potential customers. Not only is it effective, but it has become one of the most popular digital marketing forms on social media today. 

According to Cure Media, 60% of UK millennial consumers have bought something recommended by an influencer they follow; and research from Statista shows 38% of brands allocate 10%–20% of their marketing budgets for influencers. We expect to see this figure increase in 2023, as the power of influencer marketing continues to showcase itself. 

Chatbot experiences to increase 

The global chatbot marketing revenue reached $83.4 million in 2022. (Service Bell)

There has been speculation as to whether an automated future is closer than we think; could 2023 be the ‘year of robots’? Thanks to advancement of  AI automation over the last few years, we are seeing AI being integrated into marketing efforts more. 

Chatbots have been the main feature boosting marketing efforts when it comes to solidifying the customer experience. This has also aided businesses in dealing with repetitive marketing tasks, so they can focus on strategy. As chatbots can understand human language and pick up human traits, voice interactions have been making a huge difference to customers and have helped them feel more connected with businesses. 

The market is expected to grow by around 25% by 2024; and with the various benefits such as retaining customers due to the use of personalisation, chatbots will continue to remain a key part of business marketing strategy in 2023. 

Increased Use of AI and Machine Learning    

Chatbots fall under the same category as AI, and another trend that seems to be taking over the world of digital marketing is the use of machine learning. Technology is becoming more and more useful in the marketing industry, helping to provide personalised marketing messages and improve the overall effectiveness of digital marketing campaigns. 

Although there is a worry about automation potentially taking over human jobs, the emergence of Augmented Intelligence could be a somewhat saviour of a trend. It plays a key role by bringing together the best capabilities of both humans and technology, giving organizations the ability to improve the efficiency and performance of their workforce.

By 2023, Gartner predicts that 40% of infrastructure and operations teams in large enterprises will use AI-augmented automation, resulting in higher productivity.

Push notifications will continue to drive engagement  

70% of users see push notifications as useful. (E Goi)

One of the key reasons why push notifications have become a popular digital marketing trend is because an increasing amount of consumers are using their smartphone as their preferred device to browse, purchase from and interact with brands. Although social media channels have seen high levels of interaction, brands want to personalise their interactions with consumers and that means using push notifications to engage with them directly. 

Indeed, push notifications are a popular and effective marketing strategy, brands also must be careful as they do not want a high unsubscribe rate. Some people may not like getting a lot of notifications, but can be prevented from unsubscribing of the message is interesting. 

The push notifications opening rate is 50% higher than email marketing opening rates (Business of Apps) and with the success of them, it will be no surprise to see this trend carry on in 2023. 

More personalised Marketing 

Personalisation is probably the most effective method when it comes to targeting and retaining customers. For the last few years, the effective use of technology has enabled businesses to gather more data on their customers than ever. With this information, businesses can create personalised marketing campaigns tailored to specific needs and interests. 

Companies such as Amazon and Netflix are driven by smart AI algorithms and data. Based on your viewing and purchase history, they will provide specific recommendations on products and titles for you; not just in-app but also via email marketing. This builds trust between customer and brand means they’re likely to stay  a customer. 

45% of online shoppers are more likely to shop on a site that offers personalized recommendations. (Invesp)

71% of eCommerce websites offer product recommendations. (Internet Retailing)

Personalized product recommendations increase average order value by 10%. (Salesforce)

76% of consumers get frustrated when companies don’t use personalization. (McKinsey)

67% of smartphone users say they’re more likely to buy from companies whose mobile sites or apps customize information to their location. (Google)

Personalisation is effective in many forms. We have seen the ever-present policy of cookies. Almost every website you visit now requires you to either accept or customise the use of cookies. As previously highlighted, mobile notifications such as SMS, push notifications and in-app notifications are highlighting mobile customer experiences. Image recognition is a new personalisation allowing companies to recognise specific colours and visual patterns within product images.

Live video 

Live video has been a highly effective social media trend in the last few years. As users continue to spend much of their time on social media platforms, brands are realising video is a very effective way for their customers to learn about new products. 

The majority of UK adults (68%) now watch videos online every single day. (Take Note)

Live video is great for grabbing the attention of your social audience on Facebook or Instagram. These types of videos include live launches of products, or influencers advertising products. Thanks to live shopping and social commerce, consumers can now purchase products directly from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.