20 marketing trends & strategies for small businesses in 2023.

Marketing is constantly evolving as consumer behaviors, online security protocols and shopping preferences shift. If you own a small business, it is crucial that you stay at the leading edge of these trends in order to remain ahead of your many competitors. Here is what to expect as 2022 comes to a close.

A new wave of marketing techniques will arise

Getting the word out to your existing and future customers is one of your most pressing tasks as a business owner. Keep your ear to the ground as you tap into some up-and-coming strategies:

1. Live streaming is everywhere these days. Whether you and your customers are fans of TikTok, YouTube or Instagram, you shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to demonstrate products, introduce staff members and advertise upcoming promotions and launches via live videos on one or all of these channels. In 2021 alone, this strategy grew in popularity by 13 percent, and it looks to be on a rising trajectory for next year and beyond.

2. Augmented reality gives consumers the opportunity to insert themselves directly into your store and products. When you consider that over 1.7 billion people are expected to be using AR by 2024, you can’t afford to miss out. Furthermore, this innovation gives you a chance to give shoppers the actual look and feel of your products without ever needing to come into your store, a plus during an era when lockdowns could occur at any time.

3. 3D billboards add modern pop to the traditional advertising signs you are probably accustomed to seeing. If you have the reach and the resources, consider putting one up to spread the word about your store.

4. Influencer marketing allows you to capitalize on the glow and power of one or more luminaries in your industry. Everyone wins with this type of relationship: The celebrity gets even more exposure when you link your page to theirs. Simultaneously, you can potentially grab the interest of some of that person’s fans and turn them into long-lasting customers of your store.

Search marketing trends to look forward to

With so many local and global shopping options available to customers, you need a way to separate your store from the rest. Here are just some of the search trends to expect in the year to come:

5. Voice search is skyrocketing in popularity, with at least 27 percent of the population using it on a regular basis. Whether it is in the form of smart speakers or via SEO searches on the shopper’s phone or PC, this vehicle is fast becoming a viable replacement to typing long strings of characters or words.

6. What does that mean for marketers? Most importantly, they will need to develop more specific and often longer keyword phrases to attach to their products. Although as a merchant you may find that long-tail phrases garner less search traffic because of their specificity, you will also discover that those guests who do click on your site are more likely to complete a sale.

7. If you have done a Google search lately, you probably find yourself attracted to the “featured snippets” sections for each result. These provide snappy introductions to the most popular businesses and, as such, are more likely to stimulate your customers to make that all-important click that takes them to your website.

8. Mobile SEO’s popularity will continue to rise. Already, more than 50 percent of users are employing their smartphones and tablets instead of the traditional laptop or PC. For that reason, it will become even more important than ever to optimize your website for small screens and easy navigation.

Content marketing is expected to change

9. You have doubtless heard the saying that content is king. As mobile and live marketing and SEO become even more essential to business owners’ success, the importance of dynamic, fresh content that engages customers and keeps them coming back for more cannot be overstated.

10. The key to attracting and maintaining customer interest lies in creating a personalized experience. More than just communicating information or advertising deals, your content should act as a tailored mechanism targeted to the needs and wants of each customer. In order to craft your text and visual information to make this happen, you should be well-acquainted with analytics that help you to understand who your customers are and what they want so that you can curate your information accordingly.

11. When content is interactive, even your more reticent shoppers are likely to be captivated. This is particularly true if you motivate them to participate. Even the small chance of winning an appealing prize can be enough to spur interest and keep guests coming back to your website.

12. Social media sites like TikTok and Instagram provide more than just a platform for advertising. In fact, you can configure your page to enable customers to link directly to your site. With no fuss and an easy transfer, this arrangement facilitates secure, seamless sales. Already, over 130 million Instagram users are making purchases in this way, so it behooves you as a seller to harness the power of this vehicle.

13. Social media stories appeal to everyone’s love of the narrative. Whether it is in text or video form, customers of all ages enjoy connecting with your store on a personal level.

Small businesses need to connect with their customers

14. Even if your products dwell in a tiny niche and in spite of the fact that your business might not have a global reach, it is essential that you establish a brand-centered rapport with your customers. Coming up with the answer to the question of what distinguishes your brand from the rest and quickly cements it into the minds of customers is the key to forging your success in a highly competitive marketplace.

15. When your brand meshes with your customers’ expressed values, they are more likely to become loyal to your store not just for one purchase but on a long-term basis.

16. As you plan out your upcoming marketing strategies, it will be important to focus on campaigns that recognize your customers’ priorities and show how your store and the products you sell align perfectly with them.

17. Increasingly, buyers want to know that the companies with whom they do business have demonstrated their commitment to diversity, social equity, human rights, environmental concerns and a variety of other issues. To that end, you should not be shy about highlighting your efforts to support and promote the causes that mesh with your brand and values.

18. Your company’s social media presence should not be limited to showcasing your products. In the upcoming years, consumers will be even more interested in putting a face and a story to the people who run the companies they patronize. To that end, introduce the people in positions of responsibility in your business to enhance a reciprocal relationship with your all-important consumers.

Artificial intelligence will take over marketing in 2023

19. Analytics enable you to learn valuable intelligence about your customers in order to cultivate a personalized, dynamic relationship. In 2023 and beyond, AI and the algorithms it uses will lead to more accurate and specialized data capture that will allow you to refine your marketing campaigns even further.

20. In addition to analyzing and making prognostications about shoppers’ behaviors, AI and its algorithms will also lead to a better understanding about future trends. As a result, businesses like yours can create advertising and stock inventory that is even more in line with buyers’ wants and needs.

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