The new year has a funny effect on all of us – it’s the ideal time to reassess and refresh. Marketing moves fast and there’s no better example of this than the past few years. With Covid times driving everyone online, digital marketing has transformed at a rapid pace; and now the return to ‘real life’ brings fresh opportunities as consumers grapple with a newfound desire to connect with brands and people.
So, to help you shake things up, here’s our round-up of what to look out for in UK marketing trends, 2023.
Speak to your customers in real-time
The frustration of sitting on hold, trying to reach a business at the other end of the phone, can be soul-destroying. Some businesses out there are really connecting with their tech-savvy consumers through things like WhatsApp customer service – a human actually messaging you back swiftly, and helpfully, about your query!? Unheard of. But it works. People are so pleasantly surprised by good, human customer service these days, it’s a great opportunity to create a positive connection with your existing customers.
The same goes for people who have connected with your brand but perhaps haven’t yet purchased – finding ways to connect with your customers and answer queries in real-time can offer reassurance and leave a positive, lasting memory in the mind of the consumer.
So, how is good customer service a UK marketing trend for 2023? Personalisation. If you’re using one of the multiple messaging platforms available out there, you can collect data from that conversation and tailor your future marketing efforts to them. After all, there’s no better way to engage a customer than to make them feel understood!
Influencer marketing is changing, but still matters
The influencer landscape saw a great deal of transformation in 2022; instead of preened and polished feed full of products they were paid to promote, authenticity reigned. Influencers had to strike the balance between being ‘real’ and posting the products they were paid to promote. And with many influencers ‘graduating’ to more aspirational brands with higher price points, there was a significant rise in the micro-influencer – real people promoting products they like to smaller followings.
For companies, this newfound ‘authenticity’ across the influencer pool means that it’s the perfect way to reach new audiences, with consumers more likely to trust what someone else says about a brand, as opposed to a brand’s own marketing materials. Consider reaching out to self-represented micro-influencers (those with smaller followings) to test the water – if it works, you might then want to dedicate more budget.
Make the most of your Email Marketing
Email marketing is having a bit of a renaissance. It’s so efficient in its collection of data, including your customer’s behaviour, that you can create super-targeted campaigns that really convert into sales. Over 82% of B2B marketers still say it’s their go-to channel for brand promotion.
So, given that it’s one of the oldest tactics about, what makes email one of the top UK marketing trends for 2023? Well first of all the continual filtering of social media and restriction of organic content and second of all – advances in how your email can be designed and personalised.
For example, did you know you can now have products appear in an emails preview? Or that you can create a “dark mode email” that only appears with a dark background for users who have dark mode enabled on iPhones? Platforms are allowing you to do more, be more creative, and add more animation and movement so you can stand out from the crowd. That combined with even higher degrees of segmentation and personalisation – makes email a tactic that’s well worth a watch in 2023.
Don’t forget about User Generated Content
Remember what we said about peer recommendations and authenticity? Your customers would prefer to hear from others about how wonderful your products or services are, as opposed to from the horse’s mouth. That’s where user-generated content comes in.
Influencer marketing doesn’t fall under this umbrella – because after all, you’re more than likely paying an influencer to promote on your behalf. USG refers to any content that’s created and posted by an individual who’s not associated with your brand. It could be tags on social media, or reviews posted online – whatever it is, you need to keep your eye on it and encourage happy customers to post.
Think about incentivising customer reviews on a platform of your choice (maybe it’s Google, Facebook, Tripadvisor, or Trustpilot), or run a social media competition asking customers to post their pictures of your product. However you choose to maximise on USG, you’ll be using the power of the consumer to create positive impressions amongst new audiences!
Consider outsourcing your marketing efforts
There’s no doubt about it – marketing is getting more complicated. With advancing technologies, more discerning consumers, and huge changes coming across how we target paid media marketers across the globe are going to have to invest in some serious upskilling to keep on top of what’s going on in the industry.
Outsourcing your marketing efforts to an agency, brings a range of benefits. Agencies bring multiple specialisms, fresh perspectives, and in-depth knowledge that it’s hard to incorporate into the, usually smaller, internal marketing team. Even the most talented internal team can reap the benefits of having an agency on hand to support. And with the developments we’re likely to see over the next year – there’s no better time to make sure you have access to the right expertise, particularly as the wider influence of the cost of living crisis is felt.
If you want to discuss any of the above UK marketing trends for 2023, in person – our team would love to hear from you. Get in touch!
