Trend in Content Marketing 2023

Let’s dive in! The global health crisis completely changed the way brands market their products and spurred an increase in the use of user-generated content [or UGC] as a practical way to engage viewers. UGC has been used by many brands for testimonials or endorsements from social media influencers or just ‘that guy who bought your thing and loved it; but, while positive customer feedback is invaluable to a brand, it’s not the only way to include your users in your marketing output.

User-generated content always wins

Brands have seen benefits from showcasing raw, untouched footage and imagery from their customers in their advertising and it’s working, boosting the brand’s credibility through authenticity. A great example of the use of user-generated content is the “To Those Who Mother” Mother’s Day campaign by The Iconic, an Australian online clothing retailer. This short video highlights touching moments from the day-to-day lives of hard-working mothers caring for their children throughout the lockdown period. You can add your own user-generated content to this Freestyle Slideshow template by Proskurovskiy to create a dynamic, professional campaign for your brand. Multi-Purpose Slideshow II by Framestore is also a great option to showcase customer videos, images, and testimonials.

Build a brand image that people trust

Quality is paramount if you’re looking to build a reliable brand image that people recognize and trust. Apple has perfectly executed a highly relevant example of high-quality branded content in their 7-minute ad, titled “The Whole Working From Home Thing”. You’ve got a team of people working remotely towards a strict deadline under challenging and entirely relatable circumstances. Regardless, they make it all happen with the help of their trusty Apple products.

Estee Lauder has also used high-quality branded content in their innovative, retro ANRcade campaign. They’ve replicated online arcade-style games, but Pac-Man and Space Invaders have been swapped out for games featuring their own products! It’s interactive, it’s fun and it’s an ingenious use of a bold marketing trend! To heighten the quality and professional finish of your brand’s video content, Logo Intro.

More templated video’s

In line with this trend, brands have also shifted towards templated video overlays to ensure consistency and brand cohesion across their video content. Social commerce refers to the incredible range of social media shopfronts, shoppable posts and other eCommerce strategies we see on our social media feeds each and every day. Hey, Tiger is an Australian chocolate endeavour with a difference – they do the majority of their highly effective marketing via Instagram using social ads, shoppable posts, and an eye-catching Insta feed. In order to use social commerce to its fullest you need to get your products looking amazing, and what better way than with a flawless mockup template?

The brand activists

With so many social movements on the rise, brand activism took the spotlight and is set to continue well into 2021. As a result, brands are shining a light on their values and political viewpoints, and taking a stand with social activism through branding, and sometimes even the product they sell.

Ben & Jerry’s took activism to the next level recently with their latest Unfudge Our Future flavour, exclusive to Australia. Using the delectable product to spread the word, the brand has started a petition, alongside climate change leaders 350.org, that calls on politicians to create a clean and resilient Australia for generations to come. If you’re looking to get your brand values out into the world, this easy-to-customize Brochure template by space studios gives you just the platform. Support for current social movements has also been popular in photography, so if you’re interested in learning more, check out our Photography Trends piece via the link in the description below.

Relating directly to search engine optimization, this is one for the more technical-minded. Google has always placed user experience as the top priority on its platform and shaped its ranking factors around the goal to surface the most relevant and useful information for the searcher.

Core web vitals for page experience

Core Web Vitals will be added to the new Page Experience signal, one of the hundreds of ranking factors used to determine what shows up in search results. Google says, “Core Web Vitals are a set of real-world, user-centred metrics that quantify key aspects of the user experience. They measure dimensions of web usability such as load time, interactivity, and the stability of content as it loads.

” Nowadays, providing a great user experience can mean the difference between making a sale and driving your customers off to one of your competitors. 

Nostalgia is growing

Nostalgia is one of the most impactful marketing trends of the past few years, and for good reason! Studies have shown that a hit of nostalgia can improve our mental state.

So, what better way to align your brand with positive thoughts and emotions than with a throwback?

The Superbowl ads of 2020 did exactly that. Check out this one from Cheetos that takes us back to the 90s. And this one from Jeep that gives us the good ol’ Bill Murray feels. It’s clear that retro is in.

Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and many other platforms have provided businesses with the opportunity to “go live”.

This helps build a deeper connection with key target markets, allowing brands to get a little bit closer to their audience by proving credibility with personality and authenticity. We can see the trend in full flight here. National Geographic allows its viewers to experience the world through the eyes of their photographers on Instagram Live.

That does it for the content Marketing Trends you’ll be seeing in 2023.