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3 Marketing Trends to Embrace
in 2023

If you jumped into the new year without much chance to focus your marketing efforts in 2023, don’t worry. FCM reviewed this year’s predicted marketing trends and compiled some of the top trends in the list below to guide (or refine) your planning.

1. Short-form video and live streaming

In this piece, the Digital Marketing Institute identifies TikTok, originally a platform for short-form video (less than 60 seconds), as a hot social media platform for 2023. According to the article, TikTok generated $4.6 billion in 2021, a 142 percent increase year-on-year. The platform has 1 billion active users each month, according to a recent article by Demand Sage. Demand Sage also reports that 35% of TikTok’s users are aged 19-29 and 18% are aged 30-39, making it an attractive option for community colleges, adult schools and workforce development boards who serve individuals who are in early adulthood or early middle age

The Digital Marketing Institute writes that “the platform is focusing on usability for businesses and improving targeting options for advertising which will make it a bigger and better platform for brands in 2023.”

Some 86% of businesses use video in their marketing efforts, according to Blogging Wizard. However, workforce and education organizations can also benefit from video by using visual storytelling to build their brand and position their organization within the community by producing videos that speak to the audiences they want to engage, such as youth, job seekers, adult learners, and employers.

MediaTool echoes the Digital Marketing Institute on the popularity of short-form videos in 2023. 

“Whether creating unique branded content, using user-generated content (UGC), or partnering with influencers to promote your brand, short-form videos are a tested way for brands of all sizes to reach wider audiences and build meaningful connections,” MediaTool writes.

MediaTool also shares that live streaming is becoming increasingly popular. Organizations can use live streams to give audiences a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes or host Q&A events, as just a couple of examples. It offers up a more personalized experience for your audience and builds trust as they engage with you in real time. The next time your organization hosts an event, conducts an orientation or demonstrates what learners will be doing in the classroom, consider live streaming.

2. Content Creators

Do you see social media mostly as a vehicle to get more sign-ups for events or to boost program participation? You’re not alone. Other organizations use social media this way, too. However, the Digital Marketing Institute shares that brand awareness, as opposed to pure lead generation, is becoming a greater focus on social media.

“Marketers need to find creators that have a voice and fan base (small or otherwise),” O’Brien writes in the Digital Marketing Institute article. “It can be a challenge for brands to create content that engages customers in a time-starved world. That’s where content creators come in and that doesn’t mean high-level influencers.”

Don’t be scared off by the term “content creator.” A content creator is someone who creates content that you share. You likely already have content creators within your organization. You can enlist the help of your employees or staff members to produce content because they are subject matter experts in helping your students and learners succeed. (Keep in mind that you can also share curated content on your social channels, your organization does not have to create every piece of content it shares.)

Additionally, you can ask students or program participants to create user-generated content (UGC). UGC is an effective way, says MediaTool, to market to Gen Z.

“With UGC, brands can leverage the opinions and recommendations of their consumers to build trust and credibility among younger audiences. This may involve partnering with social influencers or encouraging customers to create and share their product reviews, testimonials, photos, or videos,” Media Tool shares in this article.

3. Influencers

Some people may think influencers and content creators are the same thing? They are not. As web influencer Neil Patel explains in this article, content creators create content for blogs and social media platforms while influencers leverage their substantially large followings to promote brands and lifestyles. You’ve probably seen influencer chefs, makeup artists and comedians while scrolling through your social media feed.

According to Hubspot, influencer marketing is expected to grow in 2023: 89% of marketers who currently use influencer marketing are expected to maintain or increase their investment, and 17% of marketers are planning to invest in it for the first time.

As with content creation, you don’t have to have a large budget to use influencers as a part of your marketing strategy. Entrepreneur suggests you consider nano influencers who might already be in your network. Do any of your organization’s partners, students or program participants have a large social media following? Would they be willing to team up with your organization and leverage their influence? As you consider your workforce and education marketing strategy in 2023, it’s important to leverage those relationships your organization has worked hard to build over the years. As David Mazza writes in the Entrepreneur article:

“Cultivating these relationships and organically tapping into influencers’ networks can help you get more exposure exponentially and build brand equity.”

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Full Capacity Marketing, Inc., is a full-service marketing agency that collaborates with workforce and education organizations across the country to expertly and effectively communicate their value to customers and stakeholders.

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