Planning Media for Next Year? Everything You Need to Know for 2023

With the Covid-19 pandemic emerging almost two-and-a-half years ago, we have adapted to new forms of living within our society, whether it’s working remotely or shifting to a more digitalized realm. The switch to a more digital world has affected advertising significantly and brands must adapt to the new techniques to stay relevant within the market and continue to grow. Here is what you need to know to build effective media plans in 2023.

Digital is Dominating

It’s no surprise that digital advertising is exponentially growing post-pandemic. Internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 increased their online usage by 43% on social media, 36% on mobile apps, and 54% on watching shows and movies via streaming services due to Covid-19. In 2022, mobile phones are generating 60.66% of website traffic, increasing 4.61% since 2021. It is important to tailor your advertising strategy towards these new trends to receive the best results possible.

Here are tips to consider when incorporating digital advertising into your marketing strategy:

Ensure you are advertising on the correct platform for your brand: What audience are you trying to target? What product/service are you trying to sell? Different platforms are suitable for different demographics and products.

Mobile optimization is key: Ensure your website is optimized for mobile usability. Customer experiences are very important for brands, especially when looking to gain brand credibility and customer relationships. When users have seamless experiences online, and a clear path to purchase, they are going to have a positive association with your brand and are more likely to re-engage.

Be creative: With more brands entering the digital advertising realm, it is important to stay competitive and stand out. Digital advertising allows brands to go above and beyond by utilizing strong creative ads that generate responses within the first 5 seconds. 

Brand Relationships are More Important than Ever

During the pandemic, supporting local businesses and purchasing goods and services from socially responsible companies gained popularity. The increased use of social media has allowed for user-generated content (UGC) to circulate easily across platforms. UGC is raw, brand-specific content that is created and shared by internet users. The ability to openly share content across platforms allows brands to gain traction and attention, however, this attention must be positive rather than negative. For this to happen, there are a few tips to consider.

The first tip is to focus on brand values and philosophies. Now more than ever, consumers are looking to purchase from sustainable and socially responsible companies. Make sure to incorporate your brand’s mission statement within your website, and potentially your advertisements, to make consumers aware of this. Consumers also value a sense of community more post-pandemic, therefore, promoting a shared sense of values gives them a sense of belonging.

Building user-generated content and taking on social responsibilities are both factors that increase consumer-brand relationships and can be done easily, digitally. Some ways to encourage UGC are by doing online giveaways, posting online surveys or polls, offering online-only rewards, and asking questions to consumers. 

What’s in Store for the Future?

As we know, digital and mobile usage is expected to grow year over year, which means digital advertising is continuing to grow and become a dominant form of advertising. However, with the integration of more digital platforms, the online landscape is becoming more competitive than ever. That’s why it is important to re-evaluate how you advertise your brand, and where you advertise as well.

Staying relevant and competitive means standing out in the market. Combining paid search and paid social is an effective way this can be done. Paid search is the best place for advertisers to reach intent-based customers, while paid social is most suitable for expanding brand awareness, building communities, and reaching customers online. This allows brands to reach consumers on the platform that is best suitable for them.

By advertising your brand values as well as the product/service, building brand relationships, optimizing your online store seamlessly for mobile, and running ads on more than one platform, you will stay competitive in the market, and go above and beyond if done properly.

Starting is often the most intimidating aspect when looking to re-evaluate your existing marketing strategy. For assistance with adapting your current advertising strategy for the ever-evolving digital landscape, contact us today at [email protected].