Marketing is constantly evolving, and keeping up with the best marketing mix and digital marketing trends is crucial for businesses to stay competitive in the market. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, it has fundamentally altered the traditional concept of marketing, and businesses must adapt to stay relevant.

According to a report by Oberlo, global digital ad spending is projected to reach $800 billion by 2025, indicating the increasing importance of digital marketing in today’s world. As businesses strive to create the best marketing mix and digital marketing strategies to connect with their target audience, they must also focus on the customer experience at every touchpoint.

The best marketing mix and digital marketing trends also involve staying up-to-date with the latest digital landscapes, which are constantly changing. Marketing across multiple channels is essential to reach various consumers. This includes utilizing various mediums such as email, search engines, social media, and mobile apps to connect with customers.

As we move further into the digital age, it’s crucial to stay updated with the latest marketing trends. So, what are some of the recent trends that are shaping marketing today? How can businesses effectively incorporate these trends into their marketing strategies? What are some of the challenges businesses face when implementing these trends?

By answering these questions, businesses can gain a better understanding of the recent trends that are shaping marketing today and effectively adapt to stay ahead of the competition.

Here are the best marketing mix and trends in the new-age digital marketing landscape.

2023 Trends in Digital Marketing

  1. Keeping Content Short & Engaging: In 2023, the short-form video will continue to dominate marketing, with 1 in 5 marketers planning to use it for the first time. 90% of marketers who use short-form videos will increase or maintain their investment. Short-form videos work well with short attention spans and require less bandwidth. Platforms like TikTok, Reels, and Snapchat have seen rapid growth and marketing interest, as they effectively convey the message. Canva’s TikTok video exemplifies how to produce professional-looking graphics with ease.
  2. Social media – The New Age Customer Service Tool: Social media’s use as a customer service tool is gaining popularity, with 15% of marketers planning to use direct messages (DMs) for the first time in 2023. Over 25% of marketers already use DMs to provide customer support, and this trend coincides with social media platforms expanding their e-commerce capabilities. As a result, brands need to prioritize excellent customer service on these platforms. Millennials and Gen Zers prefer communicating with brands through DMs, with 20% of Gen Zers and nearly 25% of Millennials contacting brands for customer service via social media in the last three months.
  3. Ultra Mobile Optimization: With mobile devices, including tablets, accounting for more than half of annual website traffic, mobile-optimized digital experiences are becoming increasingly important for business owners targeting millennial and Gen Z audiences. These audiences possess significant purchasing power, making it necessary to invest in mobile web design, as evidenced by the 33% of global marketers doing so. Furthermore, 64% of SEO marketers consider mobile optimization an effective investment, while 56% of email marketers prioritize providing subscribers with mobile email experiences, highlighting the importance of mobile experiences in various marketing strategies.
  4. Prioritizing Digital Social Accountability: The interest in social responsibility content by advertisers is set to increase in 2023, with 89% planning to maintain or boost their investment. Transparency, ethics, and social responsibility are significant factors for modern consumers, with Millennials and Gen Zers expecting businesses to take a stand on social issues. Companies are therefore realigning their social media strategies to focus on inclusive initiatives and support causes or missions. The pandemic has disrupted traditional business practices and created an opportunity to strengthen diversity and inclusion, especially in the digital landscape.
  5. Experiential digital marketing: Experiential marketing campaigns provide immersive experiences, often in a physical location or through AR/VR. M&M’s Flavor Room pop-up is an example. Though COVID-19 closures presented obstacles, experiential marketing is set to return in 2023, thanks to accessible digital platforms. Small brands have struggled due to the high costs of creating branded AR/VR experiences.
  6. Inbound Marketing: In the age of digital transformation, outbound marketing methods have become less effective, and inbound marketing has emerged as a smarter option. As a result of the transition to hybrid work practices and the rise of virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, innovative marketing strategies are required to attract customers. Inbound marketing, which involves creating high-quality content that caters to target audiences, is an effective tool for building brand awareness and fostering digital trust. John Hazard, the founder of Lighthouse Creative Group, emphasizes the importance of producing high-quality content to stand out in the competition.
  7. Native Ads: In 2021, almost 23% of marketers used native ads for the first time, and this number is expected to rise in 2023 due to its success. Over 36% of marketers believe that native ads are effective, with nearly 50% stating that it’s their best way to get an ROI. Unlike traditional advertising, native advertising intends to blend in and introduce brands to new audiences. Consumers prefer native ads because they do not feel like traditional ads. Social media, search engine results, content recommendation platforms, and campaigns are all examples of native advertising.

The Best Marketing Mix – Toolfe’s Tips

  1. Embrace advanced technological solutions: Using various channels and technology for marketing purposes will leverage your conversion rates effectively. For instance, the usage of Social media as a customer service tool, AR/VR for conducting experiential campaigns, Chatbots as 24/7 support executives, QR codes for marketing communications and instore promotions, evolving web technologies for brand promotions, etc.,
  2. Optimize word-of-text: Word-of-text is an electronic form of word-of-mouth communication. It is one of the most powerful and effective ways to spread popular products, brands, or ideas. As people are more inclined to this kind of digital influence. Can you recollect how many times you have made a decision on purchasing a product or service after reading customer reviews, Q&A forums, etc.,? Adopt, reinforce, measure, and evaluate them for gaining an advantage.
  3. Adopt SoLoMo Marketing: It is not new but it is now a new strategy, SoLoMo means, Social Media, Location, and Mobile Marketing. Leveraging SoLoMo attracts many potential customers and adds brand credibility through a high engagement rate. This works more effectively and brings out greater brand-customer engagement.
  4. Usage of evolving web technologies: Some of these technologies include Artificial Intelligence (AI) for personalized content and targeted advertising, Voice search optimization for optimizing content for voice-based searches, Progressive Web Apps (PWA) for improved user experience and engagement, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) for immersive brand experiences, Chatbots for customer service and engagement, etc.,

In conclusion, the fluidity in the digital landscape is going in the direction of high engagement, brand purpose, improved social accountability, and leveraged experience. These are weighing too much on human psychology – if noticed clearly. But the psychological emphasis is mostly overlooked by most digital marketing agencies. We preserve this aspect and are the pioneers in this aspect of digital marketing. We here at Toolfe, bring you the most out of the frontiers of digital transformation. We would love to inspire you for the new age sustainable digital economy. Keep in touch with us!