Affiliate marketers must always be prepared to change and adapt their strategies to best suit the latest online trends and preferences of users. As technology continues to improve, we will see new digital forms and formats become the norm, with others fading into the background.
Staying on top of these industry changes is absolutely vital and it is something all digital marketers must do to achieve sustained long-term success. We’ve put together a list of some of the top digital trends that you need to watch out for in 2023. Check it out below.
More focus on video content
TikTok’s meteoric rise over the past few years turned the digital world on its head. The video-sharing platform now stands as one of the main rivals to long-standing, established social media channels, and currently boasts a user base of over one billion.
The app’s popularity can be attributed in part to its algorithm. It used a sophisticated, dynamic system to deliver highly personalized content to users, making for an engaging and ultimately addictive experience.
As users flocked to TikTok, we saw businesses scrambling to establish a presence on the app and take advantage of a booming market. TikTok now represents one of the most potentially lucrative digital marketing platforms, with successful videos able to drive enormous engagement and traffic figures.
In an attempt to emulate TikTok’s success, other platforms such as Instagram have shifted focus to their own video content features. We can expect to see this trend continue into 2023, short-form video content will certainly become more popular and could become one of the primary digital marketing formats.
The metaverse
The idea of the metaverse has only come to the fore in the past few years, heavily promoted by Facebook and Instagram parent Meta and heralded as the future of the internet itself.
Essentially, the metaverse will act as a fully immersive virtual representation of the internet that users can enter and interact with on a level never before seen. Powered by virtual reality (VR) technology, the metaverse is set to offer affiliate markets a wide range of new opportunities.
Content will be king in the metaverse. Marketers will need to adapt to a shift from 2D to 3D and produce content to reflect this change. Many experts predict that we could see a return to traditional style shopping, with consumers visiting virtual stores and interacting with products in real-time, rather than scrolling through 2D product listing pages.
The metaverse is a truly revolutionary idea that will change the digital landscape forever. It is unlikely we will see it fully rolled out next year, instead we can expect to see it introduced incrementally, with the system estimated to add $5 trillion to the global economy by 2030. The metaverse is definitely worth keeping an eye on in 2023.
Micro-influencers
Influencers have ruled the roost when it comes to digital marketing over the past few years. However, recently we’ve seen a rise in the use of content creators with far smaller followings, often referred to as micro-influencers.
Micro-influencers have more followers than your average user, but far fewer than major influencers and celebrities. By opting to use a micro-influencer, brands can access smaller and more knowledgeable communities that hold a greater deal of trust for the influencer in question.
Influencer marketing is here to stay, but we need to be aware of how it is set to change and adapt as we head into the future.
Augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is like the younger sibling of VR. Rather than providing an immersive, 3D virtual world for users to enter, AR works to embellish the world as it exists already, overlaying images, text, and graphics into real-world situations through the use of our mobile devices or special head-worn equipment.
AR technology was propelled into the mainstream by the massive success of the mobile game Pokémon Go, and we can now see it in use by a number of online brands and digital retail platforms. Clothing and beauty brands, in particular, have been at the forefront of AR technology, using it to offer customers virtual try-on options where they can test out products virtually before moving forward with a purchase.
AR is definitely something we can expect to see adopted more widely as we head into the new year. It can offer opportunities for a number of industries, both in terms of marketing and digital advertising and for training and education purposes.
Conclusion
Accurately predicting digital trends can be difficult, and risky if you were to significantly change your strategy to suit a prediction that turns out to be incorrect. However, staying on top of trends is essential for all digital marketers, it is the only way to ensure long-term success and stay one step ahead of competitors.
If you’re looking for more insider knowledge on affiliate marketing, take a look at our blog, or for more personalized advice, book a free call with a member of our team.
Looking for even more insights? Registrations are now open for our 2023 Amplify Summit, held from the 17th to 18th of January, where you’ll have the chance to access talks from industry experts, panels and workshops, networking opportunities, and a free affiliate manager toolkit. Register and secure your place today!
