What’s Hot And What’s Not
Your brand needs to be where the action is.
A month and a half into 2023 and the marketing landscape as we know it is already changing. The powers that be have embraced AI [Microsoft vs. Google], ChatGPT is churning out marketing plans, and the metaverse is taking the fashion world by storm.
But what are the one-day wonders in marketing? And what will change the foundation of marketing to its core? Crucial questions for a marketing agency that’s always on top of things — so we did some serious digging.
Here’s what's hot and what’s not when you’re marketing your product/service this year.
Not Hot: Making AI do all the work
We’ve seen many instances where users have tried to get AI to do ALL the work. Remember, folks, it’s AI, and it's not perfect. It can help you with marketing but it can't do all of the work for you. A smart use of AI would be for research and inspiration. For example, you can ask ChatGPT for ideas on blog topics and even get a great first draft…but you always need a human touch. Moreover, Google has announced that it will penalize low-quality AI-generated content used for SEO purposes. The moral of the story: don’t make the mistake of depending entirely on AI.
Hot: Artificial Intelligence
All major players in the tech industry — like Chat GPT, Midjourney, and more — are funneling their investments toward AI, and it shows. The endless list of Artificial Intelligent Chatbots, apps, and websites have made impressive leaps and bounds over the past few years. The possibilities are now endless; they can save you time and money, generate leads and revenue, provide “after-hours” support, uniquely engage users, and much more. So, if you haven’t started using AI to assist with your marketing efforts, what’s stopping you now? Here are some useful AI tools that you can use for everyday marketing.
Hot: Finding Inspiration
According to a study by GWI, online behavior has shifted. More and more people are searching for “ideas” and “inspiration” when they explore a topic. This means the way you present your content — landing page, blog, or video — should be inspirational and idealistic. Adapting to this new trend is pivotal to the success of your marketing this year. Key takeaway: wave goodbye to the “hows” and “whys” and present useful and unique content.
Not Hot: Product Research
GWI notes that since 2020, there has been an 8% decrease in “product research” before purchasing. A two-parter has caused the decline:
- A low level of trust in the internet. There is no, or very little, quality assurance on the internet. Anyone can, and usually does, post anything. For example, even Google, the be-all and end-all of the internet, cannot completely prevent false reviews; 11% of Google reviews are false. Shock and awe!
- The rise of social media! Channels such as Tik Tok and Instagram are staking a giant claim in the “inspirational” realm. Which, as we mentioned before, is becoming ever more prevalent in search trends.
So yes, people are becoming intuitively aware the internet is not completely accurate. However, we’re not saying you should completely pump the brakes on research focussed content. The perfect combination emphasizes both inspiration and research focussed content equally.
Hot: Shopping on Social
Breaking news: social is the new search!
More and more consumers are skipping right over the once-popular search engines — like Google and Yahoo — and heading straight for social media to conduct their search. It is…the dawn of social search.
Since 2015, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of people (shoutout to Gen-Z for taking the lead!) who do their shopping-related research on social media. The impact of reduced trust in mainstream reviews is making itself known and forcing marketers to shift tactics as users turn to social media for personal recommendations. For example, check out how often people ask for a “rave me” on the Kelowna Rant and Rave Facebook Group!
So what should you do? Establish a more authoritative social strategy! Get ahead of the movement and keep an eye out for brand mentions.
Not Hot: Searching
The traditional search method (sorry, Google!) is being challenged by social. But before we all scrap traditional search, let's keep in mind it’s not dead (yet) — and may never be. Keep going with your SEO and search-focussed strategies and start looping in social, even prioritizing.
(Kinda) Hot: Web 3.0
With Meta introducing the Metaverse and the gaming industry embracing avatars, web 3.0 and interactive experiences are growing…slowly. Many high-end brands have already embraced web 3.0. For example, Forever 21 has already started selling on the Metaverse, and seeing great results with their niche audience! Another interesting case study is Zwift, the gamified indoor cycling app, which is very popular with millennials and Gen Z.
There you have it. Our top picks for what’s hot and what’s not. Have you considered any of these for your 2023 marketing plan?
Need a hand staying on top of things? Connect with us, your Kelowna-based marketing agency, and let’s make magic happen together!