There's Danger Afoot: Which 2022 Digital Marketing Trends will be Dead in 2023?

The digital market landscape is changing rapidly as ever, and some digital trends aren’t going to make it out alive come 2023. Some of these trends might be haunting ghouls that need to be laid to rest—and the new year will decide if they have a chance to rise from the dead.

Let’s pay respects to the dying trends of 2022 that were helpful in their time. Learn which trends might be better left behind as you adapt your marketing strategy in the fast-paced world of the internet. 

Expanded Text Ads

Google officially nixed this marketing trend, making it irrelevant since June of this year. While ETAs were a welcomed update to Adwords (Google’s previous ad ideation, otherwise known as Google Search Ads), they have now been replaced with Responsive Search Ads (RSAs).

RSAs will help digital marketers create more personalized targeting for users as well as test descriptions and headlines to drive conversions like never before. This change will be incredibly helpful due to one major difference between RSAs and ETAs: Responsive Search Ads don’t have to be manually written. 

Google will almost certainly continue to update the way ads are utilized in years to come, but one thing is certain: ETAs aren’t coming back from the dead any time soon.

Click Bait Tactics

According to Sparktoro, the days of a shiny CTA and catchy wording to get a click are a thing of the past. It makes sense: in today’s world of constant busyness, people don’t have time (or want to give it) to barriers preventing them to get the information they’re looking for as soon as possible. 

So, how do you get people to read content without a CTA? Create Zero-Click Content. Giving the most relevant information upfront is something the algorithm likes, so you’ll be helping your ranking as well as building trust with your audience that you’re a valued source. It’s why popular social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter do so well, there’s never a need to follow breadcrumbs. 

Social Irresponsibility

Don’t be as out of touch as a vampire stuck in a coffin: relying on amazing service or killer marketing alone won’t always cut it. A Forrester study on strategy shows that a whopping “52% of US consumers factor values into their purchase choices.”

Being socially responsible can certainly come with complicated considerations. However, there is a payoff for taking time to highlight your company’s good works or mission thoughtfully and honestly. You’ll be building a loyal customer base who knows they are working with a brand that shares their values. 

Authentic value-based marketing does more than just bolster image. It can increase profitability by showing that you’re keeping up with world issues and look more trustworthy in the eyes of your consumers, meaning they’ll choose to work with you long-term.

Type-Only SEO Strategies

Witches aren’t the only ones calling out into the night. 

Nowadays, voice search is more popular than typing into a search bar. In fact, 71% of consumers prefer using voice search when conducting a query. From directions to the weather, alarms, or basic questions, daily tasks can be accomplished conveniently and hands-free. This is especially true for local search results. Focusing only on keywords designed for traditional searches is an oversight that could hurt traffic. 

So, how can you optimize SEO for local voice results? Using conversational language that mimics how a person would vocally ask a question, creating featured snippets and tracking your local rankings are all ways to better increase the chance of showing up in a voice search. 

Third-Party Cookies

Now, this one is a bit preemptive. More “dying” than “dead”. Technically speaking, Google has given third-party cookies one more year before they’re formally kicked to the curb. 

Ultimately, the decision to prolong the phasing out of this extension came from Google needing more time to evaluate new Privacy Sandbox technologies. While this does give more time to adjust advertising strategies, it’s wise to begin thinking about how to adopt new tactics for ads that will last past the new year. 

While it’s time to say goodbye to these trends, there are even more exciting trends on the rise that will shape the way we market and call for more creativity from digital marketers going forward. 

Which trends will you miss the most? Which new trends are getting you excited about your 2023 strategy? Whether you’ll miss the old or are excited for the new, we hope you find more treats than tricks as you take on new strategies next year. 

The original version of this page was published at:  https://www.hilemangroup.com/Thought-Leadership/Hilelights-Blog/There-s-Danger-Afoot-Which-2022-Digital-Marketing