Just 20 years ago, social media platforms were in their infancy and no one could have anticipated just how digital our society would become. Today, predictions are that ⅔ of Gen Z shoppers will do so online via Augmented Reality by 2025. Billions of users engage with brands online every day. And online advertising is increasingly the most important marketing a business can do. To stand out from the crowd, it’s important to be aware of the up-and-coming advertising trends.

Here are a few trends to pay attention to as you prepare your 2023 marketing strategy.

Harness New Virtual Technology

Our world is moving further into the digital realm with new technology innovations like AI, Augmented Reality and the Metaverse. Now that customers are engaging with this new technology, businesses must start implementing them in marketing strategies to stay relevant. By harnessing the power of these new technologies, you can stay ahead of marketing trends.

Big brands are showing us how influential these technologies can be. Sephora and Ikea have taken to using AR in their apps to engage customers. And as AI becomes more advanced, it is becoming more equipped to spot up-coming trends and make marketing data accessible and affordable to smaller brands. As you fold virtual technology into your marketing strategy, you’ll see a better connection between your brand and the customer while also staying ahead of the crowd.

Team Up With Influencers

In the last few years, influencer marketing has exploded as an authentic way for brands of all sizes to relate to and communicate with their customers. Experts predict it will continue to grow as an instrumental tool in digital marketing, in particular content that appears more organic. People are more likely to buy a product if it’s recommended by someone they trust. Influencers utilize their connection with their following to guide them effortlessly to your brand.

Related to influencer marketing is user generated content. This content isn’t created under a contract or agreement. Instead, your existing customer base makes it for you, often through content like unboxing vidoes, branded hashtags, tagging your brand in posts, etc. User generated content can boost your brand’s authenticity and should be used as it comes in.

Focus On Video Content

Video content is not new, but with platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, it has become the primary way users are sharing their engaging online. For example, YouTube Shorts is already seeing more than 1.5 billion active monthly users and 30 billion views per day. Take advantage of this marketing trend by focusing on simplifying your message to make sure you grab attention from the get-go.

As you plan your video content, don’t forget about the impact of live streaming. According to one report, consumers spent about 548 billion hours streaming live video content on their mobile devices in 2021. It allows brands and influencers to engage more with the audience and better demonstrate the products.

Improve Your Customer’s Experience

The better experience your customer has, the more likely they are to make a purchase and become a returning customer. Prioritizing your customer’s experience throughout the purchasing journey, rather than focusing on point-in-time campaigns can lead to stronger long-term growth.

A feature many brands are turning to for a more immersive customer experience is interactive content. This includes things like games, quizzes, contests, etc. According to 81% of marketers, interactive content is a low-cost, high-reward way to grab your customer’s attention, improve engagement, and boost sales.

Representation, Responsibility, Reputation

Customers are no longer okay with brands being passive when it comes to things like social justice, equality, inclusivity, and sustainability. In fact, in a survey published by Facebook, 71% of consumers brands to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). It’s also important to note that 54% of consumers report feeling underrepresented in online advertising initiatives. You can set your brand apart by focusing your marketing efforts on representing all races, body types, ages, sexualities, etc.

Having a brand mission can also be a strong advertising tool. One study reported that more than half of U.S. customers will factor a brand’s values into their purchase choices. Popular cat food brand Sheba is a great example of using a brand mission in advertising. The brand’s mission is to save the world’s fish populations. They started a program to restore coral reefs and posted videos of their work on YouTube. Now, they are using the ad revenue from those YouTube videos to fund and grow their program while also pulling in customers who care about their mission.