Where is marketing headed in 2023? Dorothy's perspective

In addition to a business development strategy or communications strategy, it's worth going a level lower and thinking about operational activities that will allow you to carry out your strategic objectives day after day.

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A lot has changed in the world in recent months, and so has the online space. However, that doesn't mean you have to throw all your plans and all your strategy in the trash.

Think about how you can adjust your communications in view of the changing needs of your audience. I'll give you a hint - take advantage of trends and implement them into your operations as soon as possible.

Make friends with the data, learn to interpret it and put your attention on activities that contribute to real growth.

If you were expecting a content introduction, you might be a little surprised - because the first, in my opinion, most important trend in digital marketing is... numbers!

Most of the companies I work with on a daily basis face all sorts of challenges - crisis, huge competition, lack of sufficient market.

As a result, marketers or owners often act blindly, trying more and more new methods, campaigns and tools. Unfortunately, most of them (still!) don't measure the effects or do so in a lax manner.

Take advantage of this moment - stop, look at the data at your disposal and plan your actions wisely. This will help you make informed decisions, allowing you to be one step ahead of the competition.

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A few things I will personally be paying attention to in the coming months, in terms of data:

1 Take care of the basics for data analysis - such as dedicated links that are properly tagged.

Anything to monitor where your site's traffic is coming from and, moreover, what quality it is. Without a clear understanding of which source is responsible for which stage of the purchase path, you won't know where to invest the most.

2. website and GA4 - first of all, in order for you to have data that leads to effective actions, you need to collect it.

This is the last call to implement GA4 - this version is different with respect to its predecessors, so give yourself time to understand and customize the dashboard to suit your needs. The earlier you do this, the more data you will have for the future.

3. customer purchase path - this is an activity I perform regularly, because it allows me to catch not only errors on the site, but most importantly gives me a sense that all the data is loading properly.

Additionally, answer the question - is it easy to buy from my store? If you operate offline - does the website I direct users to allow them to intuitively find me stationary?

4. ongoing verification of activities (image vs. business development) - to say that any campaign or other marketing activity is having an effect, you need a smart plan.

If you are operating with influencers, you need to find the best way to translate your business growth. Sometimes it's link tagging, sometimes it's "windows" in which you don't run other marketing campaigns to discover the effectiveness of online creators.

Monitor on an ongoing basis what types of activities (including offline) result in more orders or quality traffic to your profile. Repeat and develop activities that actually have a positive impact on your business, not just look pretty.

5. learn about the limitations and changes in advertising systems - here, be sure to read the text by Boris, who broke down the performance challenges. The article is available here.

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2023 is all about... movement!

For several years now, we have been hearing that "this year is the year of video" - and indeed, 2023 is marked by moving content. I don't think I need to convince you that the popularity of TikTok has revolutionized social media communication.

As users, not only do we reach for our phones more often, but we stay longer on social media than in previous years.

It's all thanks to videos of a few tens of seconds that draw us in for minutes and sometimes even hours.

If you haven't yet planned 2023 videos for your brand - do it! Remember, though, that you don't have to set up an account on TikTok right away if your target audience doesn't use it - after all, you can find short vertical video formats on other channels, on Instagram or YouTube.

1. Vertical Video - this is a real must have for your social media communication!

• Forget the horizontal format or plan to record videos in two formats.

If you're shooting a commercial for TV, for example, your crew needs to know ahead of time that you plan to use it in vertical format as well - it changes a lot).

Learn more about how to plan your content in the form of vertical video in our report. Download it for free here.

• Remember to be natural - TikTok's success has sparked a change in video production for social media.

The most popular videos are those that are recorded with a phone and appear very natural.

Of course, you can create some of the videos more image-oriented, but you need to keep in mind the natural content created by users and influencers, and then adjust to it.

• Proportion in communication - vertical video is a great tool for reaching new target groups.

In 2023, first and foremost, plan video content that primarily addresses the needs of the early stages of the funnel, focus on increasing reach and activating users (leave the buying to remarketing campaigns - but plan for them too!).

Don't talk product all the time - the key to success will be to bring the brand closer to the user, show backstage, answer questions, educate and use trends.

• Quick wins - base your daily work on a long-term strategy. It will be the basis of your development.

However, for vertical video content, you need to constantly be on the cutting edge and create videos to respond to natural trends - if only by using popular sounds.

Well implemented trends will allow you to stand out in the algorithm and reach new audiences.

• Don't give up on strategy - focus on matching trends to your communication needs (strategy) rather than creating content just to gather as much reach as possible.

Sometimes a popular trend doesn't fit your brand, and dropping it will be fine - remember who you want to reach and catch in later remarketing.

2. animations and time-lapse videos - as a supporting element of your communication.

• If you have static materials in your inventory, try to add some movement to them.

This activity is used by cosmetic brands, among others, adding captions or drawing elements. Also popular is the use of trending music and single moving elements of the photo - this allows you to stand out in the algorithm of at least Instagram and make the viewer curious.

• The creation of animated cartoons is also a growing trend,

which, thanks to their cartoonish form, stand out very much against static photos or typical video formats. If you take care of the right entertaining scenario, you can bring your brand closer to your audience.

• Dedicated animations using 3D design.

This is a very different trend to natural vertical video, but equally strong. Particularly popular are animations relating to the latest technologies and ideas about the development of technology.

Be inspired by the colors and products shown in a 3D shot, with very smooth transitions (if you're familiar with Apple's website you definitely know what this is about).

Don't forget that we are increasingly eager to embrace new technologies and the virtual world. Your communications must keep up with it.

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Personalization, personalization and more personalization.

In recent years, Internet advertising has developed to such an extent that many of your potential customers are suffering from so-called "banner blindness."

Increasingly, we are ignoring advertising posts, promotional information or catalogs displayed to us in remarketing efforts.

Nowadays, in order to win a customer you have to offer them something unique - so as to build their trust and appear in a place and context that will be natural for them.

My ways to personalize "right away" are primarily:

• Demographic fit - make sure the creatives actually match the characteristics of your audience.

But what does it mean? For example - when advertising a product aimed at people 45+, give up photos where the model is in her 20s.

If your products or services are aimed at a broader audience, create several creatives and use them according to targeting in ads, and mix in communications. Make the recipient imagine themselves, instead of the model/ambassador.

• Address by name, of course, where you have the option.

Starting with emailing, which you can automate, all the way to social media moderation. Checking the name of the person who sends the message is a matter of seconds, and the long-term effect may surprise you.

• Communication channel vs. creative - if you use different social channels, check your audience's statistics and start speaking their language.

You may find that on each profile you will communicate a little differently (keeping the main tone of voice), and certainly create different creations, with regard not only to the characteristics of the tool, but most importantly the needs of the audience.

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Changing B2B / B2C communications to a Human to Human (H2H) approach.

It has been heard in the marketing world for years that B2B and B2C communications are becoming a thing of the past, and as communicators we should replace them with Human to Human communications as soon as possible.

I feel that in the face of recent months that have not been easy for us - this change is particularly noticeable. As audiences or potential customers, we pay less and less attention to the logos and brands behind a product or service, while we increasingly trust ambassadors.

We crave contact with another human being who understands our challenges and concerns and can bring us closer to fulfilling our dreams.

The faster we tailor our communications, especially on social media, which are turning to more and more natural trends, the faster we will reach the hearts of our audience.

• Behind every purchasing decision is a human being.

Whether your product or service is aimed at businesses or individuals, every purchase is made by a human being.

You need to incorporate more content into your communications that responds to the decision maker's challenges. Of course, figures or an attractive price still matter, but when combined with a personalized message, they will perform better.

• Influencers and brand ambassadors.

Reaching out to creators of all kinds is an increasingly common (and rightful) activity for companies. Few tools will work better to build trust towards a product or service.

It is important to plan such activities for the long term. Don't invest in large-scale one-time actions.

Focus on activities spread out, for example, over an entire year. Choose people whose audiences overlap with your potential customers, and create a schedule of activities that brings your brand closer to your goal month by month.

Model the relationships you know offline - after all, we don't build trust in each other after one quick meeting.

• Use your employees to "humanize" your image and reach for this tool as often as possible.

Do away with image photos that look like they were lifelike pulled from a photo bank - go for more natural, but still attractive materials.

And remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. By showing the people behind your brand you will gain trust in your product or service much faster.

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In summary, in marketing 2023 is waiting for you:

• detailed data analysis and planning based on numbers
• move to video content
• Analyzing trends and staying up to date with technology news
• Personalized communication and Human to Human approach