An industry report has collected insights from global marketers and broken down the marketing trends and winning tactics brands should focus on.
Marketing pros are always banging on to clients about the importance of looking at the data.
But there’s one data report that marketing professionals religiously turn to every year to discover the latest marketing trends and uncover what’s working the best and how the big guns of marketing are using it – and it’s just dropped.
HubSpot’s 2023 Marketing Strategy and Trends Report has collected insights from more than 1200 global marketers and broken down the marketing trends and winning tactics brands should focus on in 2023.
Here’s what we’ve learned.
What has changed in marketing this year?
A lot has changed.
In fact, nearly 80 per cent of marketers said their industry changed more in the past three years than in the last 50.
Broadly, two key takeaways have emerged:
1. Go deeper on data
Global marketers are discovering the benefits of optimising their data.
They’re building on basic demographic information such as age, gender and location, and incorporating information such as the interests and hobbies of their customers, how they like to shop, the media they consume, their online communities, the challenges they face, and the social causes they care about.
2. Pivoting is key
It’s been a turbulent few years and marketers have embraced the pivot.
In fact, half of marketers surveyed said they pivoted on their marketing plans in 2021, and a staggering 83 per cent changed course two to four times in the one year.
Companies have discovered that it’s essential for marketers to be flexible and to have a Plan B, which could include increasing their marketing budget, or changing messaging.
These are the top-line marketing trends, but now let’s dig a little deeper.
Top marketing trends for 2023
1. Short-form video to boom
Short-form video has emerged as the most popular marketing trend, with surveyed marketers claiming it’s the most effective marketing asset and has the highest ROI.
They also said they plan to invest more in short-form video in 2023 than any other trend.
2. Influencer marketing to improve ROI
If you thought influencer marketing was losing its gloss, you’d be wrong.
More than one in four marketers surveyed said they currently leverage influencer marketing and that it offers the second highest ROI of any marketing trend.
More than 17 per cent of marketers said that in 2023 they will invest in influencer marketing for the first time.
3. Branded social media DM tactics seeing growth
Using social media DMs for customer service is on the rise. It’s currently used by 29 per cent of marketers, and 15 per cent of marketers said they plan to try it for the first time this year.
This is confirmed by HubSpot’s Consumer Trends survey, which also found that more than 1 in 5 Gen Zers and nearly 25 per cent of Millennials have contacted a brand on social media for customer service in the past three months.
The use of social media shopping tools is also growing, with almost 30 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials having bought a product on social media in the past three months.
4. Website SEO continues to flourish
SEO is digital marketing’s old chestnut, but it’s a marketing trend that continues to go from strength to strength.
According to the survey, 29 per cent of marketers used a website to attract and convert leads over the past year.
In fact, 88 per cent of those who employ a SEO strategy say they will increase or maintain their investment in 2023.
5. Brands will become more human
The desire for customers to see the ‘human side’ of a business also continues to be a growing marketing trend, with 30 per cent of marketers currently creating content that specifically reflects their brand’s values.
According to the report, it has the fifth biggest ROI of any marketing trend and will continue to grow in popularity. Sixteen per cent of marketers are planning to leverage content that reflects their brand’s values for the first time in 2023, and 89 per cent of those already doing it planning to increase or maintain their investment.
6. Data will be increasingly beneficial
The key take away message from the report is that data-driven marketers will come out as winners in 2023.
Marketers are planning to lean heavily on data analytics to reach their target audience more effectively, create more impactful marketing content, and develop marketing strategies that increase the ROI.
Speak to the marketing experts
The real value in engaging marketing experts is that they take a holistic approach to marketing your business to develop a strategy that takes in up-to-the-minute marketing trends, as well as the knowledge and expertise particular to your industry.
Assemblo is a full-service marketing agency based in Melbourne and are experts in creating and rolling out marketing strategies that deliver real bottom-line results.
To find out how we can help your business, give us a call on (03) 9079 2555 or send us a note via the contact form below.