2023 Marketing Trends to Watch

A New Year is coming. And with it, the potential to improve our products and services, our customer relationships and of course, our marketing. But the marketing world continues to change and you need to be up on the latest trends in order to keep all of those planes in the air, right?

So with that, I present my own list of Marketing Trends to Watch in 2023!

  1. Privacy — More than 14 states now have their own privacy laws in effect and the US Congress is cooking up a big national one, too. So smart marketers need to be working with company leadership, IT and legal to make sure we’re doing everything one or two steps ahead of the laws and NOT exposing the company to liabilities while enthusiastically trying to build relationships. This is really bad news to “lead generation” and “funnel companies” because they are about to learn a costly and painful lesson about what it means to be highly regulated by the government. Note: this would NOT have happened if marketers did not invade people’s privacy so regularly. 
     
  2. Storytelling — Lists of bullets and even statistics have a way of falling right out of our customers’ heads very quickly. So if you want to get the market to MEMORIZE your company and offer, then it’s best to tell them a story. Not just any story, but one that stars THEM as the hero, YOU as the guide and shows very clearly how you will solve their problem. There’s a big reason thousands of companies use the StoryBrand messaging framework today. It works— and will continue to work next year and for many years to come. 
     
  3. Value — Even in a coming recession, people will STILL want and need to have their problems solved and with this comes the genuine opportunity to build relationships with them. Always begin your marketing program with EMPATHY and say “How can we create incredible value for THEM” with whatever you’re sending out. And if you’re not creating incredible value, it’s best not to send it. Saying nothing is ALWAYS an option and can often be the best one. Can you use AI like OpenAI’s ChatGPT to create your content? Yeah, maybe – But should you?  Probably not since AI isn’t really concerned with helping you build human relationships nor does it truly understand them.

BONUS — Also, it’s likely the government will ban the use of TikTok in the US in 2023 as they finally realize who is really behind the app (Chinese Communist Party) and how much danger comes with it. If you are using TikTok for any business purpose, I’d recommend looking for other platforms and getting yourself ready for the coming ban.  

One of the best things about PR/branding/marketing is how we use words, images and videos to create value and build up relationships that can last a lifetime. If we stay focused on that as our primary objective, the specific tactics will fall into place.

Best wishes for an exciting and Happy New Year!