To a large extent marketing has always been about priorities. I would argue that the majority of marketing practices will result in a positive Return on Investment [ROI] to some degree. And whilst some activities become obsolete, in general the nett number of options available to businesses increase every year. By that rationale 2023 is the most challenging year so far in which to determine the optimum strategy.
Of course, ongoing testing and analytics will provide intelligence as you go, but just speaking for myself and my team, gut instinct and a feel for what might lay ahead will usually pay dividends later (if you get it right).
Predicting future trends and behaviours can help you attain better value for you business or client, and can put you in a position to steal an advantage on your competitors.
1. Content, still
All roads lead to content, or is it content leads to all roads…oh well, never mind. Content is King, Queen and Lord Protector in 2023. It informs algorithms like nothing else, and we all know that algorithms run the world.
Of course, content needs be relevant, but you should take the time to ensure it is valuable, not just designed to appear valuable… and yes there’s a difference. Marketers must aim to provide genuine insight and/or entertainment.
2. Maintain a wary curiosity about AI
AI and marketing automations have been big news over the past few months and that’s only likely to increase through 2023. Most marketers are excited about the possibilities AI brings, but also concerned it may threaten their own value. Irrespective of where you stand, our advice would be to remain curious but cautious. We shouldn’t expect the technology to quickly replicate the nuances of human understanding the best marketers are capable of, so use sparingly.
3. Try at least one new thing
I’ve already mentioned above, and I intend to dedicate an entire post to the subject later, but gut instinct has become a dirty phrase in marketing. Don’t allow that. Use yours to allocate a small part of your budget to try and test something new that you believe in instinctively. Not so much that its failure would impact your wider strategy in any meaningful way, but enough to be able to understand if your hunch is right or not. This practice will lead to you being first (or at least early) on occasion, and it will also keep your enthusiasm for what you do burning bright.
4. Social Selling
This very much ties in with my final point below, but when done right providing your team the freedom to connect with potential prospects in their own way using their own voice will be incredibly powerful in 2023. The key is to encourage and offer guidance without implementing rules or disingenuous and duplicated sales messages. Trust your team and give them a product or service to feel proud of and they will work their magic for you.
5. Continue to be authentic, but dial up the dynamism and positivity
So, I’ve put this last because ‘authenticity’ is perhaps the most over used word in marketing, particularly in content and social media. But this recalls the saying ‘a cliché becoming a cliché because it’s true’. Except now we’re also suggesting you add a boost of dynamism and inspiration to the mix, providing that in doing so you don’t compromise on the authenticity!
The pervasive grimness of modern times means your audience not only want you to be real, they want you to make them feel better about things, or at the very least allow them to imagine that things will be better in future. At its best marketing is most certainly capable of this and that should be your goal in 2023.
If you’d like us to further elaborate on any of the points above, or if you’d like to have a chat about how we might be able to help you and your business through 2023, then please drop us a line or give us a call. We’d be delighted to hear from you. Alternatively, please browse our services page.
