6 Trends in Digital Marketing That Dominated In 2023

The digital marketing world moves a million miles an hour. Brands base their marketing efforts around the new technology that becomes available, and the rate technology is improving now is exponential.

That means the digital marketing trends of last year – even in January – look dissimilar to the ones currently as businesses reorient their strategy on new digital marketing channels.

In previous years, we’ve seen influencer marketing, short-form video, and search engine optimization stake their claim as the most important trends for businesses to be aware of.

Now, these are staples of most organizations’ marketing strategies, no longer future trends for the innovative digital marketer.

Many of the rising digital marketing trends of this year will likely become key parts of marketing teams’ jobs shortly, so familiarizing yourself with the latest trends and new technologies now is the best practice.

With that said, 2023 has brought many exciting digital marketing trends into the mainstream so far, and many enterprises are scrambling to take advantage of them.

Let’s look at some digital marketing 2023 trends and innovations that were important parts of enterprises’ marketing efforts in 2023 so far.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is one of the top digital marketing trends that has exploded into the mainstream over the past several years and is now a key part of a successful marketing strategy.

Artificial Intelligence in digital marketing is harnessing the power of AI technology to help with branding, customer acquisition, and retention.

AI tech has become an asset in content creation with the popularization of ChatGPT, it can aid in creating predictive analytics for customer behavior and can function as a brand ambassador with AI-powered chatbots. There are near-limitless applications of this technology for digital marketers.

The usage of AI in digital marketing has become widespread, but it is projected to explode shortly. According to HootSuite, in 2021, the global market value for AI in digital marketing was estimated at $15.84 billion.

That projection had the value reaching $107.54 billion by 2028, meaning the growth of this marketing tool will be stratospheric.

One of the reasons that AI has been one of the biggest digital marketing trends we’ve seen is that the applications are so drastic. Enterprises can feed AI prompts that lead to the generation of hugely effective marketing campaigns without needing the same hands-on effort.

AI can provide a sales team with data that helps them successfully retarget an email marketing campaign, as AI can deliver predictive and targeted content by parsing through data, spotting trends most marketers can’t. 

It is a tool poised to become a vital component of countless businesses’ future plans, making it one of the most important current digital marketing trends.

Metaverse

When Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s pivot from Facebook to Meta in late 2021, it was a shock to internet users and business experts alike. It was a major pivot from purely a social media-driven business to focusing on the Virtual Reality space and the applications of the Metaverse.

While VR tech and the Metaverse haven’t taken over yet, Apple’s announcement of the Apple Vision Pro this year cemented the Metaverse as one of the latest digital marketing trends poised to disrupt the industry.

The Metaverse is a concept for the next phase of the internet, offering immersive experiences through VR and Augmented Reality technology. There are a wide variety of use cases already emerging as phases of the buyer journey.

For example, using VR or Augmented Reality for a virtual fitting room has become increasingly popular, with the global virtual fitting room market size projected to expand from $3 billion in 2022 to $13 billion in 2028, according to Fortune Business Insights.

There are many ways enterprises can consider implementing this digital marketing trend.

 Designing Metaverse content for the different social media platforms that run on this tech could help businesses reach new audiences with social media campaigns.

Creating interactive VR or augmented reality content can develop personal connections with consumers, and enterprises can find that VR and AR technology helps them incorporate storytelling into their outreach in a more immersive way.

Visual Search in Digital Marketing

For most of the internet’s history, inputting words was the primary means of searching for information. This has proven effective, but there are situations where words aren’t the best option. This is why visual search is a digital marketing trend many major companies are embracing.

Visual search engines are search engines that rely on photographs of visual information to generate results rather than words.

Visual search has become a huge trend in the past few years, with businesses like Google and Bing implementing it into their processes, like Google Visual Search for Android. It is now considered a useful tool for digital marketers.

Visual search uses AI tech to parse the web for information generated from inputted pictures. Now, customers don’t need to know the name of the brand that makes that furniture piece they’re watching or that dress they love.

One of the key benefits of this digital transformation is a more convenient customer experience and instant gratification. 

According to a HubSpot study, visual search helps customers find the right products in 27 seconds, as opposed to word-based search, where customers can find products in two minutes and 37 seconds.

Visual search can be an impactful tool to help a potential customer find products faster. It can also help a digital marketer as a key part of an influencer marketing strategy, as brands can use influencers to display products that customers are compelled to use visual search to find.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Google Analytics 4 marks the next phase of utilizing customer data for businesses. It is one of the latest digital marketing trends sweeping the internet. So what is GA4, and how can it help digital marketers?

GA4 is an analytics service that enables enterprises to better measure engagement across their marketing channels, like websites and apps.

It has new reporting functions, and enhanced features, and allows marketers to better understand their target audience.

Data collection aims to gain valuable insights from customers and optimize marketing outreach through these insights. Data helps enterprises get the most out of their ad budgets, as they won’t waste time and money on campaigns that have proven inefficient.

GA4 will fully replace Google’s Universal Analytics as of the start of July, so this digital marketing trend isn’t going anywhere.

GA4 has a new dashboard, and several new metrics like engagement rate and engagement sessions, and can provide predictive insights. 

It is a prime example of the positive impacts data can bring businesses when used correctly and should help marketers connect with their relevant audience more effectively.

User Generated Content (UGC) 

One of the top social media marketing trends to surged in popularity in recent years is getting customers to create user-generated content, or UGC, that is shared across social media platforms. The goal of a content marketing strategy isn’t necessarily conversions.

It is also to create brand ambassadors that spread your message organically. User-generated content is a best-case result, as it is customer-created digital marketing for your brand that can reach wide audiences. 

Popular forms of UGC include unboxing videos, product reviews, and other content that puts your brand front and center.

While the ultimate goal of social media marketing is to get customers to funnel their purchasing power toward your business, the impact of UGC is more wide-ranging. It establishes a connection to consumers, builds a brand, and helps expose your business to new customers.

While some enterprises focus on influencer marketing as the core aspect of their UGC strategy, sometimes it happens organically. Many social media users create short videos showing off new products from their favorite brands without financial incentives.

UGC is one of the popular marketing trends for 2023 because brands are coming to fully understand its value. 

According to Search Logistics, UGC is 35% more memorable than traditional content, and 79% of people agree that UGC impacts purchasing decisions.

Accessibility Features in Digital Marketing

Accessibility is an important part of the customer experience, not just in physical storefronts but virtual ones. 

Accessibility is about creating a more inclusive digital space that can accommodate people navigating disabilities and make a more open, positive digital marketplace.

According to the CDC, 27% of adults in the US have some type of disability, so not only is it a moral imperative for virtual enterprises to focus on accessibility, but also a financial one. 

Developing an accessibility-friendly website is one of the digital marketing trends that has a clear positive impact. So, how can enterprises embrace this and drive up customer loyalty? 

There are several features they can start implementing to make their website and online content easier to navigate.

These features can include using color combinations with bright contrasts, enabling users to toggle font size, and having a text-to-speech converter option. 

A big part of marketing is creating personalized messaging, and by implementing accessibility features, the message is loud and clear. It reflects a sincere desire by digital marketers to make their brand and outreach more available to the audiences they are trying to connect with.

The technology that allows organizations to improve their digital content’s accessibility is becoming more widespread. It is an excellent sign for the future of the internet that more companies are embracing this change.

Keeping Up With the Latest Trends

With the second half of the year here, it is necessary to choose a marketing strategy that works for your business. 

At Jungle Communications, we do more than stay on top of trends, we implement them. Book your free consultation now to learn more.