Best Online Marketing Tactics in 2023: 10 Tips for Creating a Next-Level Digital Marketing Strategy

As the digital world continues to evolve at a rapid pace, online marketing has become an essential part of any business strategy. In 2023, as much as 64.4% of the world's population are internet users. From a brand's standpoint, this represents the potential to reach more than half of all the people in the world through its digital marketing efforts. For marketers, on the other hand, it means more pressure to keep up than ever.

Just like the internet, the landscape of digital marketing is constantly changing. As new technologies emerge, consumer behaviors change. As a result, digital marketing strategies and methods that worked just a year ago become outdated. So, to make sure you're not losing customers, the only solution is adapting to reach your target audience more effectively. Here are our 10 tips for success.

1. Create more video content

Video is an effective digital marketing strategy that has been around for a while, but its popularity keeps growing year after year. The average person watches 17 hours of online videos per week, and short and sweet is currently all the rage.

That said, leaving your longer video content or event videos behind isn't the right answer. The trick is to find balance between the content your audience wants to see and the video length that lets you get it in front of them.

Short-form video content

According to research, 73% of people prefer to learn about products or services through short-form video content. Think TikToks, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. As a business, you can use these to your advantage by creating:

1. Microlearning videos that educate your audience on the aspects of your product
2. Teaser videos that build a sense of mystery and anticipation
3. Behind-the-scenes videos that make your audience feel more connected to your business

Longer video content

There will always be information you can't convey in under 10 minutes, let alone a few seconds. Chances are, a part of your audience prefers long-form content anyways.

Take Better Proposals software users as an example. A freelancer might prefer getting tips and tricks on using our Editor through short videos. However, a large sales team might benefit more from a comprehensive webinar that lets the entire team stay on the same page. 

At the end of the day, the type of video content your audience benefits the most from is the one you should focus on creating using video editor tool. And if it turns out to be both short- and long-form, so be it.

2. Use podcasts to your advantage

If you're looking for a new way to reach your target audience and build your brand, consider using podcasts and video podcast software. And we're not talking only producing your own. Guest appearances on podcasts within your industry are an excellent way to share your company's story and build credibility.

Think about it - since people listen to podcasts in their free time, they won't choose to listen to something they're not interested in. So, participating in a podcast interview not only puts you in front of an already engaged audience, but also lets you speak to them directly.

3. Start using interactive content

Interactive content marketing is one of the most effective ways to engage your audience and stand out from your competition. It allows users to actively participate in the content, rather than simply consuming it passively. This can take many forms, but some of the most popular include:

• Online quizzes
• Polls
• Surveys
• Interactive infographics

Quizzes are a great way to get users engaged with your content. They're also an excellent way to generate leads, as users are typically required to provide their contact information in order to receive their quiz results. Polls and surveys are similar, but they tend to be more focused on gathering data and feedback from users. Finally, interactive infographics make your content more shareable.

Whatever the type of interactive content you want to create, make sure it's relevant for your audience and that it ties into your brand. For example, we've recently created an interactive quiz on writing business proposals.

Besides giving our audience a fun way to test their writing skills, it also features our existing document editor. That way, it's an educational tool everyone can access that also showcases our software features to anyone who isn't using it (yet!).

4. Understand Gen Z

There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to marketing to Gen Z, the most diverse, connected, and tech-savvy generation ever. That said, there are shared decision-making factors that can help you understand their values:

• 50 % think companies should take a stance on social issues
• 51 % are more likely to buy from companies that treat employees well
• 51 % believe sustainability is an important factor when making a buying decision

To reach Gen Z, you need to be where they are: online. This means having a strong presence on social media and using platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram to tell your brand story. 

That said, simply posting about your product or service on social media platforms won't cut it. Instead, you'll need to connect with your audience on a personal level. Show them who you are as a brand and what you stand for. Be genuine, be real, and be authentic.

Last, but not least, don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Gen Z is highly influenced by their peers, so make sure your customers are happy and they’ll do the marketing for you.

5. Consider influencer marketing

Speaking of someone doing the marketing for you, how about user-generated content (UGC)? Whether you choose to partner up with well-known influencer or encourage your customers to create and share reviews, the benefits are clear.

"It's so easy, a panda could use this to create world class proposals."

— Alex K., Better Proposals user

For one, it's a marketing strategy that allows you to tap into a large and engaged audience you may not be able to reach through other marketing channels. Influencer marketing platforms help businesses find the ones to fulfil their needs; these tactics also help build trust and credibility with potential customers. This tactic is suitable for all types of all sizes of businesses. If you are a SaaS business, consider working with SaaS marketing agencies that have a proven track record of crafting successful influencer marketing campaigns.

At the end of the day, we're all more likely to trust recommendations from someone we know and respect. And if you think social media content creators and existing customers don't fall into that category, just Google "TikTok made me buy it".

6. Provide a great customer experience

Seeing that 52% of people now expect marketing messaging to be personalized, matching your offer to your audience's preferences is no longer just an option. Personalized marketing is all about customers feeling like your brand understands their needs. This, in turn, results in an improved customer experience and leads to increased customer loyalty.

In order to provide exceptional customer experience, you need to understand your customers' expectations and aim to exceed them. To do this, you need to focus on two things: providing value and building relationships.

Providing value means giving your customers what they want and need, whether it’s information, products, or services. It also means going above and beyond to give them an experience that’s memorable and positive. For example, the majority of customers want fast shipping (same-day to 3-day delivery). To offer this benefit, you’ll need to study and apply the best practices for eCommerce fulfillment. These include providing transparent order tracking and implementing a return’s policy. 

Building relationships, on the other hand, is all about connecting with your customers on a deeper level and making them feel valued. The goal is to create a bond that will keep them coming back.

7. Build brand awareness through storytelling

Storytelling is an excellent way to connect with your audience and communicate what makes your brand unique. By sharing stories that highlight your brand’s personality and values, you can build a strong connection with your customers.

When crafting your brand story, consider what sets your company apart from the competition. What are your unique selling points? Why do customers choose you over other brands? Answering these questions will help you develop a powerful story that resonates with your target audience.

Once you have created your brand story, be sure to share it across your digital marketing channels. Incorporate it into your website design, social media content, and any other customer touchpoints. By doing so, you're creating a consistent experience that strengthens your customers' relationship with your brand.

8. Don't ignore voice and visual search

Most people still search the internet using text-based queries. However, an increasing number of users are relying on voice search to find the answers they need. Likewise, visual search is gaining popularity as a way to discover new products and services. That's why it’s important to optimize your website for both voice and visual search if you want to stay ahead of the competition. You can do this by:

• Using natural language in your content. When people speak into their devices, they typically use conversational phrases rather than keywords. Make sure your content includes natural language phrases that people are likely to use when searching by voice.

• Optimizing your images for visual search. Include descriptive captions and tags on all of your website’s images so they can be easily found in visual search.

• Using video content to improve your chances of being found in voice or visual search. Videos are often the top results in both types of searches, so make sure you have plenty of high-quality videos on your website. You can use text to voice tools to generate ultra-realistic voiceovers for your videos.

• Claiming your business listings on major directories. This will help ensure that your business comes up in results for both voice and visual searches.

• Monitoring your analytics to see how people are finding your website. This will give you insights into which keywords and phrases are working well so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

9. Optimize for mobile devices

Optimizing for mobile has become crucial for successful digital marketing campaigns. As a matter of fact, mobile devices are now the primary source of online browsing and content consumption for 58.4% of people.

This means that mobile devices have surpassed desktop computers in terms of internet usage. And since more than half of all internet traffic comes from mobile, not optimizing means losing more than half of your audience upfront.

Ultimately, what mobile optimization boils down to is user experience. Since mobile screens are smaller, the way users interact with your content is different from how they would interact on desktop. In digital marketing, optimizing for mobile results in improved:

• Website rankings. Google has been prioritizing mobile-friendly websites in search results since 2015. So, if you still haven't made yours responsive, there's no better time than now.

• Social media engagement and reach. Since 80% of all social media browsing happens on mobile, it's easy to see why your content needs to adapt.

• Email engagement and conversion rates. Today, 81% of emails are opened and read on mobile devices, so responsive design in email campaigns is no longer a matter of choice.

• Increased sales and revenue. In 2023, it is estimated that as much as 87.2% of online sales will happen through mobile devices. So, if you're running an e-commerce store, optimize it for mobile ASAP.

10. Leverage marketing automation

Automating your marketing efforts will help you scale and free up time to focus on other areas of your business. There are a number of different marketing automation platforms available, so it is important to do your research and choose the one that is right for you and your business. 

Once you have selected a platform, be sure to take advantage of all the features it has to offer. For example, most marketers automate:

• Email marketing campaigns by creating email templates, setting up automated email workflows, and scheduling email sends, including professional email signatures to maintain a consistent and branded communication approach.

• Social media marketing by scheduling posts in advance. Automated tools can also help with social media monitoring and engagement.

• Lead management by automating lead scoring and lead nurturing through pre-set workflows and triggers based on lead behavior and actions.

• Content creation and distribution by using tools such as content calendars, social media scheduling tools, and blog post scheduling tools.

• CRM processes such as lead tracking, sales pipeline management, and customer segmentation by using CRM software. Enable self-service booking: Enable customers to book appointments or make reservations online without needing to contact your business directly. Self-service booking reduces the need for manual intervention and saves time for both businesses and customers.

Final thoughts

With new technologies emerging and consumer behavior changing, adapting has become a marketer's most valuable tool. Staying on top of trends and new technologies is key to developing a successful digital marketing strategy. That said, make sure to implement only the methods that align with your business goals.

Don't be afraid to try new things and experiment with different tactics either. You never know what might work well for your business. And, as always, make sure to keep an eye on your analytics so you can track your progress and see what's working (and what isn't).