Words: Belinda Connolly
As you’ve probably noticed, digital marketing trends are constantly changing. And if you’re reading this it means you want to stay ahead of the competition when it comes to getting your marketing absolutely spot on. Our team recently spent time doing a deep dive on the latest digital marketing trends on Brandwatch – here are some of the latest trends to test.
1. Scrappy content is a thing
According to Brandwatch, scrappy content – AKA unpolished content – isn’t going away and is yet to really hit its stride. Instead of endless shooting and retouching, content creators are churning out content that looks ‘rough’ – that is, authentic. Creators use the maxim ‘better done than perfect’ with hallmarks including short-form videos, handheld shooting in natural light vs studio light and tripods, sharing content from fans and supporters, and behind-the-scenes content.
The great thing about scrappy content is it is extremely cost effective: anyone with a smartphone can shoot or share a vid, upload some text, add a song and send off into the digital world.
Best for: Playful B2C brands
2. The face of influencer marketing is changing – literally
Those in the know understand that with changes to the way influencers need to disclose – and the fall in budgets for big-name influencers – it’s time for a new breed. Also known as key opinion leaders (KOLs), influencers are people whose opinions are highly regarded and trusted by their followers.
Enter: virtual influencers – artificially generated, social media characters who happily share content without any outrageous demands. This style of influencer isn’t new, but it is growing at a surprising rate: in 2022, 35% of American consumers purchased a product or service promoted by virtual influencers. That number is expected to grow by 26% by 2025. In fact, some virtual influencers receive much higher engagement rates than actual human influencers.
If that all seems a bit too, well, fake, there’s another route you can try: micro-influencers. These (human) content creators are seen as more relatable, produce high-quality content without large fees, and tend to not come with preconceptions from audiences. They often have highly engaged audiences who contribute to conversations on socials, too, instead of just liking a post – or worse, scrolling on.
Best for: Everyone. Use influencers and content creators to maximise reach on social channels. It’s hard to imagine an industry where sharing content from a key opinion leader – either real or AI – isn’t an easy way to gain exposure for an impressive ROI.
3. Multi-format content
The best way of understanding this trend is to think of the adage of working smarter, not harder. Consumers don’t just want social media tiles, they want blog posts, webinars, infographics, newsletters and case studies. They want to listen to content, watch content, share content.
Sound exhausting? Not really: simply use existing content and repurpose to suit a wide variety of formats. Have a great testimonial? Turn it into a tile for Instagram, use it as the lead story for your next EDM, and create a blog post about the importance of building strong relationships with your customers. You could even invite the fan who raved about your product onto your podcast to share their experience or create a short review video for TikTok.
Diversifying your content is vital – sharing the same content in the same format across every platform looks stale and unoriginal. Worse: followers can grow fatigued when they see the same thing across platforms and either not engage or unsubscribe.
Best for: Everyone. Brands who stick to only one style of content risk being left behind.
So, are these trends surprising? Whether you’re about to change up your marketing strategy or are already testing any of the above on your own platforms, you can be sure that these trends will help make lighter work of your marketing efforts.
