Digital Trends 2023

In the age of digital, it is crazy to think that just a mere 30 years ago as it seems like yesterday, when the first website on the World Wide Web was launched there were hardly any online users. And now as 2022 is coming to a close and we enter 2023,Internet users have surpassed 5 billion users.

In this time, the WWW and the internet and digital technology have gravitated us to a whole new world.

On average, the typical internet user now spends more than 40% of their life using connected devices and services.

And that means that the world’s internet population will spend a combined total of more than 1.4 billion years of collective human existence using the internet in 2022 alone.

That’s crazy right?

Surprisingly however, the amount of time internet users spend online has remained the same the past few years and recently has seen a slight decline in global users.

How come?

A few things to note about the usage and slight decline is we are more active now than we were during the pandemic. During the pandemic our Internet usage skyrocketed and then it hovers at the same usage. And we also are exposed to many different forms of digital and technology and it is shifting time away from online and other digital activities.

Where does this take us as we enter 2023? A few highlights that almost any business needs to focus on moving forward.

Being relevant and present where users are.

Cutting thru the clutter.

And compelling messaging.

Let’s talk Social Media. Social Media used to be just thought of as Facebook and sometimes Instagram. But now there are so many social platforms. TikTok, What’s App, YouTube, Pinterest, Line and more.

So even though usage across social media has remained the same over the past few years, it is much more diverse.

This means we need to shift our mindset from social media being a channel. It is a behavior and a lifestyle. But each platform functions differently and occupies different emotional spaces in people’s lives.

For instance, Facebook and Instagram. may be used more for a visual escape and a way to connect with others. So advertising here is still relevant, but the messaging needs to be visually compelling as well as something that makes me feel good and feel connected with brands.

TikTok is more of an entertainment channel and may be more aligned similarly to a streaming channel like OTT or video pre-roll.

With the largest active user base, Facebook & Instgram is still a powerful place to be for advertisers.

It is important when utilizing this space, to be more engaging with users. Research has shown that people prefer visual content to plain text.

Bright colors, engaging visuals and video content carry the audience, especially in the social arena. We like “pretty” things.

Here are a few facts about visual content and how our brain processes them.

Google, Pinterest, and several other companies are also investing in visual search technology. Images are already returned for 19% of searches on Google, and 62% of millennials say they are more interested in visual search than any other new technology.

To piggy back on the power of social media and visual content, Social Mirror, Social Mirror OTT and OTT/Video pre-roll is a natural to expose these visuals and messages in other places online.

Social Mirror ads look like your social media display or video posts but appear on other websites and apps, linking back to the social media platform and your website, and run across all devices using our targeting strategies. We are “mirroring” the EXACT look of your social post as an ad that runs on thousands of OTHER websites and apps, targeted just to the people you want to reach across all devices.  Social Mirror ads can be done with any organic or paid posts from your business account on these 8 social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, or YouTube.  Ads can be display, video, OTT across connected TVs or carousel.

Because our brains are trained on what social media posts are and we live in and out of social media all day long, Social Mirror captures that audience outside of those platforms and has the cadence that these businesses and brands are everywhere and what’s even better they yield in high CTR and conversions. 7 times the national average in fact!

Nothing tells a story like a video. And whether you are using video on Social Media, Social Mirror, Social Mirror OTT, OTT or Video Pre-roll (links to Vici website) it has the best opportunity to attract users to the emotional draw of a company, product or service.

Today, 84% of consumers have been convinced to purchase a product after watching a video.

https://marketinginsidergroup.com/marketing-strategy/marketing-trends/

Many studies reveal that the more personal messaging is and more conversational gets the most attention. When a customer has two relatively equal products in front of them, and then needs to decide which one they will buy, my money’s on the brand that won their heart. There are a few ways digitally to accomplish this. Making sure the campaign is targeting the right individual. Not just demographic targeting like age, income, etc, but also what are the behaviors and interests that align with the brand. Example: Nascar Fans, Soccer Moms, Fitness Enthusiasts, Foodies and more. The other way is with video and sharing that story and capturing that audience.

While you capture their attention and drive them to a clients website, let’s strike the iron while it is HOT!

Live Chat and Virtual Assistant do just that.

Need a way to show ROI to your clients on their digital advertising?  Live Chat on their website is the answer.  Having Live Chat on a client’s website enables them to get more leads and engage website visitors with live, trained, chat agents, 24/7.

Virtual Assistant is for simple conversions like signing up for a newsletter, collecting emails, or ask for more info and paying per lead would get too expensive. Pay a flat fee per month for unlimited leads.

Consumers expect businesses to be available at all times and Live Chat and Virtual Assistant allows businesses to be available to them.  In return, it produce leads for that business that they may have otherwise missed.

Let 2023 be the year where you put the best digital tools in place to be relevant attract attention in the clutter and have a compelling message to share and capture leads!