Marketing constantly evolves, and brands must know current and future marketing trends. These bold predictions will help brands learn different techniques, discover tools, and ultimately find new ways to reach consumers.
ADOPTION OF MACHINE LEARNING:
With the continued adoption of technology across all human endeavours, the use of machine learning technologies in marketing cannot be overemphasised. The recent adoption of machine learning technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and automation across marketing strategies, is helping businesses and brands save time and resources. Increasingly, brands are adopting chatbots to enhance targeting and personalisation. Automated email marketing will also increase as they improve personalisation.
The emergence of ChatGPT disrupted the marketing landscape, and Google is working to launch its version of ChatGPT. We will see more of such machine learning technologies in the future. The adoption of VR and AR will increase as consumers’ cravings for convenience increase. Brands should leverage VR, AR and other machine-learning tools to help consumers experience their brands and products differently.
Virtual try-on techniques are rising in the fashion, furniture and travel industries. Machine learning algorithms can analyse customer data to help brands understand their audience’s interests, behaviours and preferences. The information can be used to deliver more relevant and personalised experiences for the customers. As brands and consumers adopt technology, we will see even more innovative and sophisticated uses of these machine learning technologies.
SHORT VISUAL STORYTELLING:
Content is king. This saying is old but still valid. However, over the years, the uses and forms of content have evolved from long texts to blogs, images, audio and videos. The success of TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts has shown that consumers want fast-paced, easy-to-digest brand content. More and more consumers prefer visual content over plain text, as visual content is believed to be more memorable. So, we will see brands’ continued growth and adoption of short visual storytelling. While videos will remain, these videos will get shorter. We will see an increase in User Generated Content (UGC) videos as these videos, usually created by content creators other than the brand, deliver authenticity and humanity. We will see more brands creating rich and punchy visual content across their digital channels. This trend is even reflected in search engines, as Google features more pictures and videos that text in its search results.
DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER (D2C):
More brands will focus on building first-party relationships with their consumers. This will allow brands to communicate with their consumers directly while building trust and providing real value to them. With the incessant debate over data infringement, the D2C strategy enables brands collect consumers’ data with explicit consent. D2C can be done through email marketing, direct messaging (such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct Messaging), push notifications, in-person events, etc.
D2C strategy help brands create a more personal and meaningful connection with their consumers.
BUILDING COMMUNITIES:
A brand community is a mixed group of customers and target audiences coming together because of their attachment to a product or brand. While community building is usually a long-term strategy, we are beginning to witness more brand building and managing communities and tribes to engage their consumers.
Common examples of brand communities are fan bases, football fan clubs, Harley-Davidson community, etc. This will increase in the coming months, especially across social media platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Discus, etc.).
MOBILE OPTIMISATION:
Research shows that more than half of annual online website traffic comes from mobile devices, as consumers spend more time on their phones and tablets. Interestingly, they are not just glued to their phones scrolling through pictures and videos, but also spending more money on these devices.
Brands are catching on to this and are investing resources to optimise their mobile sites. We will see more brands (especially those targeting Millenials and Gen-Z audiences) enhancing the mobile experiences of their consumers.
This will involve creating responsive and mobile-friendly designs, improving site speed, and utilising mobile-specific features like push notifications, in-app messaging and mobile wallets to enhance shopping experience.
With the rise of mobile commerce, brands that neglect mobile optimisation risk losing out on a significant portion of their potential sales. Additionally, mobile optimisation is crucial for search engine optimisation (SEO), as Google prioritises mobile-friendly sites in its search results.
Therefore, brands need to prioritise mobile optimisation in their marketing strategies to ensure they meet the needs and expectations of their mobile-savvy consumers.
PODCASTING:
Podcasting is a growing phenomenon that will continue to expand in marketing. Brands and content creators leverage podcasts to distribute content and reach audiences. Podcasts enable brands to easily create original downloadable content for their highly engaged audiences.
Various brands will adopt podcasting as a viable channel to build thought leadership, develop niche expertise, and connect better with consumers. Brands that adopt podcasting will establish a competitive edge in their markets.
INFLUENCER MARKETING:
Influencer marketing will remain a popular strategy, but the trend will shift towards micro-influencer engagement. Celebrity influencers, with their large following, can be expensive and may not be as effective in building trust and engagement with their audience. Conversely, micro-influencers have a smaller following, but they tend to have more engaged audiences and are more budget-friendly.
As social media algorithms prioritise authentic content and engagement, micro-influencer partnerships will become increasingly valuable for brands seeking to build genuine connections with their target audiences.
As part of their influencer marketing strategy, we will see more brands forging long-term relationships with relevant micro-influencers. This will enable them build more prominent communities and increase customer trust and loyalty.
In conclusion, brands must remain aware of the latest marketing trends and techniques to ensure they deliver their customers the best possible experiences. The second half of 2023 is set to bring significant changes to the marketing landscape. While it is essential to keep up with the latest trends, it’s equally important for brands to experiment with different tactics to find what works best for their unique target audience. With the right marketing strategy, brands can create meaningful and personal connections with their customers, driving long-term loyalty and success.
