The Key Digital Marketing Trends For Small Businesses

Get More Leads With These Digital Marketing Trends In 2023

1. Rise Of Virtual Events

The pandemic has greatly changed the way events are held. Since Covid, online meetings are the new norm. As a result, brands are also communicating differently with their customers. 71% of event professionals in the U.S. incorporate a Q&A, chat and other interactive features into their virtual events. 69% conduct events in a webinar format. 

2. Omnichannel Marketing

People are increasingly on different platforms online at the same time. Small businesses that limit customer interaction to a single channel will lose valuable information. You'll simply miss out on what your customers really think about you. Go omnichannel to keep track of your customers.

3. Mobile First and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

77% of mobile searches occur at home or in the office, while 17% of mobile searches occur on the go. 55% of conversions occur within the first hour of mobile search.

According to Google Analytics, users prefer apps over static and dynamic websites. This correlates with mobile-first indexing, which Google introduced in 2019 and ranks websites based on mobile performance. Make sure your website meets these requirements.

4. Rise In Voice Search

The latest market research data shows that the voice search market will continue to grow in the future. Users are finding voice search easy and getting used to AI assistants such as Alexa, Siri and Cortana. This is still offset by low numbers in the U.S. as the result of consumer concerns about voice search.

42% of U.S. consumers are concerned about their safety, while 31% fear ordering the wrong item. 26% expressed concern about placing multiple orders twice.

When optimizing for voice search, you should check whether these customers are your target customers or not.

5. Augmented Reality Experience

Augmented reality enhances the user experience by inserting digital objects into a real-time video. Small businesses can leverage this immersive experience in the form of games. Pokemon Go was one example among many. The game combines a game, movie, anime, and business model into one. This platform can be designed as a revenue-generating freemium model. Bring customers to the platform first and then introduce merchandising and in-app purchases.

6. Native Marketing

Native Ads are product placements between videos and movies. Native Ads are seamlessly embedded in the content, but they don't seem distracting. Rather, they act like a part of content marketing. Native marketing is not new to the market, but it is still too little present in the marketing mix of small businesses. This should change in 2023.

7. B2C Marketing

52% of companies write and maintain blogs on their website. 40% of them generate leads by sending email newsletters, and email marketing offers the best ROI. 36% of companies organize live events and 40% publish e-books and posts on social media. All of this pays directly to B2C marketing, which will continue to grow over B2B marketing in 2023. 

8. In-Person Events

There continues to be a world outside of digital media. People love interacting with activities that take place at in-person events. Founders with little money can quickly build a positive brand image by organizing specific events for their target audience. Add in-person events to your marketing and recruitment activities in conjunction with augmented reality and let your potential customers experience them.

9. More Video Content

Video content comes in many forms, such as tutorials, expert talks, or how-to guides and reviews. Sometimes users just want an idea. They prefer a well-done video to reading a long article, e-book or manual. Videos are more engaging than articles. Use video content sites like DailyMotion and YouTube to attract new customers and increase customer engagement with your own video channel. 

10. Increase of Podcast Content

Podcasts are the perfect format for presenting technical topics such as car insurance, diseases, and product reviews in engaging and informative discussions. Users consume them at work, at the gym, while commuting, and while doing chores. Leverage this potential in your online marketing mix.

70% of Americans are very familiar with the term podcast. 51% of the population has listened to a podcast at some point, 22% of them listen to it weekly, and 6% are avid podcast fans. 63% of podcast listeners have researched or purchased the product or service they heard on the podcast.