Insight

Article written by Digital Content Writer: E Wen, Yeo

Waving goodbye to yet another fruitful year, let us set our sights on 2023 as we predict the upcoming trends this year.

There are lots of exciting developments in the digital landscape that will undoubtedly influence consumers’ behaviour that will in turn impact marketing strategies for brands across the world.

What can we expect in the brand new year? Read on to know more about the hottest 2023 consumer trends in the digital sphere.

Web3 continues to make a splash

Based on blockchain technology, the idea of Web31 is to decentralise the web2, returning ownership to the users and builders. Instead of having large data controlled by tech giants and governments, Web3 hopes to gradually shift the internet to a consumer-driven space. Some examples of Web3 applications include Bitcoin3, OpenSea4, Google Cloud5, and even Apple Siri.

Source: Coca-Cola

Cryptographic assets based on blockchain technology such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs)6 have been all the rage the past few years. Huge brands such as Coca-Cola7, Adidas8, and Clinique9 have been quick to create their own, leading the way of the future.

Various sectors from media and entertainment, retail and e-commerce, healthcare, and energy are expected to adopt Web3’s blockchain technology10 in their operations. It’ll definitely keep being part of the conversation in the coming years, way beyond 2023.

Influencer marketing still reigns supreme

Proven to be an effectively rewarding strategy for brands, influencer marketing needs no introduction. Statistics show that 30% of consumers prefer influencers’ recommendations11 over their friends and families’, putting their trust in the products and services recommended by their favourite content creators.

Moreover, according to studies, 33% of Malaysian buyers12 tend to gravitate towards popular influencer content such as reviews, vlogs, and unboxing videos. Consumers would seek inspiration and pick up DIY hacks plus tips and tricks by watching them.

Repurposing influencers’ content13 can effectively attract eyeballs and help stretch your marketing budget, making the most of these paid partnerships by building a lasting brand impression. They can be promoted and amplified across platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, leading to higher conversion rates and customer stickiness.14

Furthermore, long-term partnerships with influencers15 will help create a consistent flow of content for your brand, retaining your audience’s attention and keeping them intrigued.

Social media as the starting point of buyer’s journey

As business owners, having a strong social media presence is one of the fundamental ways to increase brand awareness among potential customers. Social platforms provide consumers an opportunity to interact with brands while researching products or services before purchasing.

At the very beginning of the buyer’s journey, your potential customer is seeking a fix to their problem.16 This stage is where educational social content comes into play. In order to create effective awareness content, brands should research extensively about their target audience and consider the pain points of their customers17, then present their product or service as the solution.

User-generated content is the key to building brand trust

Compared to brand-generated content, consumers find user-generated content (UGC) more reliable and trustworthy, as the message isn’t coming directly from the brand itself. Thanks to social media, getting your loyal customer base to create content for your brand isn’t a far-fetched idea.

Wondering how you can get started? Use a call-to-action to encourage your followers to create content featuring your brand. Then check your socials regularly and actively be on the lookout to repost any UGCs available, it’s a great way to ensure a continuous stream of content for your brand as well.

For instance, Nutox’s ‘1 Serum, 100% Loyal Users Programme’18 repurposed consumers’ testimonials for their social content, where they managed to garner a whooping 18,551 unique sign-ups and increase social media video views by 199%.

Utilising branded hashtags19 is also an easy way to encourage contribution and collect user-generated content on social platforms. It can be shared along with a “call to create” action, where your brand can tap into, earn consumers’ trust, and grow.

Customer experience matters

In the coming year, building meaningful and lasting relationships with their customer base will be crucial for businesses. The modern consumers increasingly crave for their interactions with brands to be more noteworthy and memorable. To stay relevant in the field, brands must turn customer journeys into thoughtful and memorable experiences.

For instance, by going the extra mile of offering personalised products and services20, it’ll make your customers feel special, and even attract new customers. A research by Deloitte found that customers are often willing to pay a 20% premium for customised or personalised products.

Brands can leverage cost-efficient creative automation tools such as our proprietary system, Digital Creative Automation (DCA)21, to effortlessly achieve hyper-personalisation while maintaining brand consistency.

Are you ready for what’s coming next in 2023? Together, let’s embrace change and growth to manifest new heights and break records.

Get in touch to see how we can help elevate your brand’s digital presence this year.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest insight.

Kingdom Digital

About Kingdom Digital