Advertising trends in 2023

Following the pandemic online search advertising increased as we all started buying more online. Digital advertising spending in the UK was at its highest level ever in 2021 at £23.5billion. That’s more than twice the 2017 level and an increase of 40% compared with 2020, representing almost three quarters of all advertising spending. 

 

However, with increasing prices and competition many advertisers are looking for alternatives to digital advertising that will attract and interest their customers and help to build their brand. What should we look out for? 

 

Video advertising – nine out of 10 businesses are considering video advertising as part of their strategy via the internet, computers, and mobile devices. This is in part because video is better suited to mobile screens compared with traditional web pages and email newsletters. Video allows content to be shared consistently across multiple channels, making it an attractive option for marketers. Options include short advertisements, live streaming, shoppable content, and personalised video messages. 

 

Personalisation – while third party cookies will now survive until later in 2023 they will soon become a thing of the past for online content. However, advertisers can still make the most of first party data where their followers and customers agree to receive relevant information. In exchange, they expect valuable and useful content. 

 

With artificial intelligence now much more accessible for smaller businesses, personalisation is a practical option for many via email, social media and printed content. More importantly, customers now expect to receive personalised content and recommendations to help them make their buying decisions. 

 

Mobile-first – in 2022 more than half of online traffic was via mobile devices. Customers use their phones and tablets to research, browse and review products, so making sure all your advertising content is designed for mobile users is now a necessity. 

 

For example, more videos are now upright (portrait) because that’s better for mobile viewing. Stories, first seen on Snapchat, are now popular on platforms like Facebook and Instagram and are ideal for mobile phones. Many mobile games also allow users to play for free if they watch advertisements. 

 

Display advertising – digital advertising banners can make an impact in blogs, on video platforms, in apps, and on social media. They can now be displayed in response to the keywords people search for and for remarketing to people who have already visited a website. With the addition of video content, they become much more engaging. 

 

Print – print advertising certainly isn’t a thing of the past and has been innovating and developing to keep up with digital alternatives. In addition, printed content is still considered trustworthy. 

 

Businesses are recognising the benefits of printed advertising that’s delivered directly to physical mailboxes, along with information that customers actually want to receive because they have opted in to a mailing list or subscribe to a magazine. It’s also a very tactile experience, which many people value, and there’s evidence that it’s more memorable than other formats.