As humans, we’re always looking to improve — whether it be our physique, our resume, or how we travel from A to B… The same goes for businesses. Marketing trends come and go as these brands learn to leverage new tech.

Whether it be “You’re nobody without an Instagram account” to “Millennials: eat your heart out”, being successful requires being adaptable and constantly improving. With that being said, here are 7 marketing trends and strategies you’ll need in order to survive in 2023.

1. Long-term influencer-brand relationships

Long-term relationships between influencers and brands are more common today than they have ever been before. This might be ascribed to the fact that influencers develop strong bonds with their brand partners and have in-depth knowledge of them.

Influencer-brand relationships entail a partnership between a brand and a person with a particular niche, who has thousands or millions of online followers. This type of social media marketing isn’t new to 2023—By appointing long-term “brand ambassadors,” brands are taking advantage of the chance to establish more genuine connections with their target audience. These cooperative relationships enable the brand to develop close bonds with its influencer partners while the influencers can uphold credibility with their audience by consistently promoting the same brand.

2. Live streaming and video-based content

Video-based content, like memes and TikToks, is becoming a marketing trend because millennials and Gen Z are spending more time online than ever. Live streaming is also proving to be effective because consumers are more likely to buy products that they see being used by their favorite influencers on social media.

As a result, brands are creating more video-based content and live streams in order to reach their target audiences. Video marketing is also becoming a useful tool for brands because it allows them to tell stories about their products and services. Videos can be used as an effective way of demonstrating how a product works or showing consumers how something is made.

3. User-generated content

The new word-of-mouth trend is user-generated content. 

Original and brand-specific, this kind of content is made by consumers as opposed to brands. Examples of how brands can use user-generated content include unboxing videos, makeup reviews, branded hashtags, and photo tags.

It has the power to build brand affinity, increase awareness and drive sales. According to IBM’s study, 72% of consumers trust recommendations from friends, family and peers over all other forms of marketing.

This type of content is also valuable because it can be used to create new videos, blogs and social posts. It’s easy to see why brands are shifting their focus toward user-generated content.

4. Improved user experience across devices

UX, often known as user experience, is more than simply a trendy buzzword. 

It speaks of a person’s experience using a system. 

A satisfying user experience that meets your users’ needs and inspires brand loyalty is what good UX design offers.

It’s no secret that the first impression is critical to a person’s experience. It can be an important factor in determining whether or not someone makes a purchase, signs up for your mailing list or even trusts you with their email address. So, how can you improve the UX for your website?

1. Make it easy to find what they’re looking for
2. Provide a quick and easy way to accomplish their task on your site 
3. Provide a clear call to action 
4. Make it easy to get back on track if they get lost 
5. Keep the design simple and clean

5. Interactive content

Interactive content plays a vital role in the modern world of marketing. It’s not enough to simply create content; you must create content that engages the user and provides them with an experience that they will want to share with their friends.

It includes interactive infographics, quizzes and games that can be customized for your audience. Interactive content also includes calculators, contests and assessments that allow users to interact with your brand in a new way.

This low-cost, high-impact content strategy, according to 81% of marketers, is much more successful at attracting the attention of potential customers than static content.

6. Incorporating the Internet of Things (IoT) 

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of devices that communicate with one another, often through sensors and software. For example, think about how you can speak to your Amazon Echo or control the temperature in your home through an app on your phone. By 2030, 500 billion gadgets are anticipated to be online, according to Cisco. Marketers should start thinking about how they can incorporate IoT into their programs to maintain a presence on channels their potential buyers will be using.

7. Emphasis on social responsibility and reputation

Consumers today want to make sure that their products come from socially responsible companies. According to a study, more than half of American consumers increasingly consider their values when making purchases, and 66% of them are willing to pay more for products from companies that exhibit social responsibility. To draw customers who want to make a difference with their purchases, marketing experts have made it a point to highlight social responsibility initiatives in their marketing campaigns.

Hopefully, the marketing trends we’ve identified above won’t be unfamiliar to you. Even if you have already seen them around, it’s always useful to come back to these trends as a refresher once in awhile. And even better, it’s important that you consider what actions you can take based on these trends — so at the very least, keep an eye out for them in your industry.