Source of the article: Forbes

Effective and successful digital marketing is constantly evolving to adapt to new consumer tastes and preferences, but more importantly to changing market needs. Therefore, keeping up with current trends becomes increasingly complicated due to the constant flow of new marketing fads and the constant updates of Google’s algorithms, which change several times a year, making SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tactics obsolete.

So, in order to retain customers, grow business and remain competitive in the target market scenario, it is necessary to be perpetually updated on the latest digital marketing developments and the most relevant impactful trends. Below there are six of the most reliable digital marketing trends forecasted for the next five years.

1. Livestream Content And Short-Form Video

Video is a very powerful advertising tool that boasts very high lead generation and conversion-to-purchase rates compared to other forms of advertising. However, video is also subject to evolution and revision like all major digital marketing trends.

According to Conviva’s State of Streaming survey, 23 % of global viewing time is spent watching content on social networks, mainly Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok, while the remaining 77 % is spent watching on-demand content such as TV series, movies, sporting events, etc. These figures are the result of the so-called FOMO (Fear of missing out), which is the fear of missing out or not participating in new events or experiences, especially common among the younger generations who always want to be the first to know about new events.

The few-second duration of videos makes keeping the viewer’s interest in the goods or services being advertised increasingly difficult, especially in a market where the consumer is continually bombarded by all forms of advertising, which consequently leads to a dissipation of attention. Also, it should be kept in mind that people are more likely not to click on professionally produced and edited videos as they find them unrelatable and not very interactive.

2. Greater Focus On Customer Experience

Consumers of 2023 have a growing desire for an exceptional and memorable customer experience focused on quality but also affordability. These two aspects are the main factors that influence the potential customer and strongly impact not only the purchase decision, but also the consumer satisfaction rate which is most crucial to turn a casual customer into a loyal customer.

The traditional function of technology in this area has been to facilitate simplification and alleviate user frustration. Think of online customer-care portals that handle problems and after-sales support or recommendation algorithms that help us decide what to buy. Although these elements will still be key in 2023, the game has changed and the buzzwords of the year will be engagement and interactivity.

3. Brands Will Need To Show Accountability

Today’s consumers are much more sensitive to social issues and demand more responsibility, integrity and above all transparency from companies. 41% of Millennials and 50% of Gen Z say they are more likely to support brands that advocate and defend social, political or environmental causes.

In light of this data, companies are trying to demonstrate their Corporate Social Responsibility by emphasizing on social media the activities, promotions, products, and issues or goals to which they are committed. Clearly, this does not lead to an immediate increase in sales, but it brings the brand more significant and longer-lasting benefits, helping to enhance its reputation.

4. In-Person Events Are Back

Covid-19 has made it impossible to hold live events for a long time, but future prospects are definitely optimistic. A recent MarTech survey of a sample of 200 people reveals that nearly 50 percent of respondents are extremely likely to attend in-person meetings in the first half of 2023, while for the second half it rises from 50 percent to 80 percent with a growing increase in optimism.

5. Gamification

Adding interactive features to a website is a great way to give visitors more of what they want, encourage them to explore the site and gain insight into your audience.The use of game elements in websites is known as gamification and represents a new direction in digital marketing.

Although it is an oversimplification, many companies are increasingly employing game design elements to increase customer loyalty, word of mouth, and revenue.

Considering that 80 percent of smartphone owners play games on their mobile devices, it is very intuitive to understand how gaming can also play a key role in e-commerce. Consider, for example, the McDonald’s Monopoly game of the pre-digital era. Players had to purchase specific items from the menu to advance in the game: easy to implement yet very efficient.

The interactivity and incorporation of games into the advertising strategy, will significantly increase brand visibility.

6. Podcasting

A good implementation to the marketing strategy could be to tell your story through a podcast, accessible from any device with an Internet connection. To succeed, it is important to select the audience you want to reach and depending on this target audience choose the content and topics most inherent to their tastes to also encourage participation and interactions.