Marketers are constantly looking for ways to develop new connections with their communities, raise brand awareness, and increase sales. To do this, they must continually rethink their approaches and pay attention to major digital transformations. To help them, Brandwatch, the suite specializing in consumer intelligence and social media management, has identified and analyzed the major trends in the sector . We take a look at four of them.
Influencer marketing is coming of age
Consumers, increasingly annoyed by the numerous advertisements they encounter every day, prefer to listen to recommendations from people they follow. As traditional sales techniques fade, influencer marketing is gaining ground. While the market is finally reaching maturity, it will continue to evolve in 2023.
This year, the gap between influencers and content creators is expected to continue to widen. The former tends to refer to people with a large linkedin database and a pre-established platform, while the latter have a smaller but loyal audience and produce content with excellent added value. The latter are generally less expensive than influencers. Which profile should you turn to? Brandwatch provides the answer in its report.
Note: Virtual influencers shouldn’t be overlooked either. These artificially generated fictional characters on social media are increasingly attracting the curiosity of internet users. Prada, PacSun, Calvin Klein… Many brands have already taken the plunge.
Say goodbye to cookies
To provide greater privacy to internet users, Google has announced the end of third-party cookies by 2024. The impact on marketers’ strategies is likely to be considerable: online advertisers are used to relying on third-party cookies to analyze user behavior and offer them a personalized experience.
“ The transition to a cookie-free future marketing automation for b2b: how to qualify your leads us all a little nervous, and that’s understandable. You have to ride the wave. Says Kiril Kirov, Senior Digital Growth Manager at Brandwatch.
In 2023, advertisers will therefore need to rebalance their digital advertising spending by focusing more on brand building than on over-targeting. In its report, Brandwatch explains exactly how to do this and shares other solutions for collecting robust data.
Brands respond to “social media fatigue”
According to a report by Global Web Index, the number of people reporting reduced use of social media has increased by 12% since 2020. During the asb directory crisis, social media use surged, serving as a source of distraction and a way to stay connected with loved ones. With lockdowns now a thing of the past, the trend has taken a completely different turn.
To understand the phenomenon, Brandwatch analyzed online conversations related to social media abandonment. Interestingly, between January and October 2022, 53% of mentions addressing this topic were categorized as sad. Anger was the second most expressed emotion. Users appear to be maintaining their accounts out of habit and boredom.
Multi-format content is gaining popularity
Consumers are looking for a personalized and memorable experience. To achieve this, they want blog posts, quizzes, videos… In short, rich and varied content. For a brand, the challenge is to choose a range of formats that will appeal to its audience.
Some of these have gained significant popularity in recent years, starting with podcasts. Tech giants are taking a keen interest in this distribution method, such as YouTube, which has designed a page specifically for this type of content. Many brands are also getting into audio.