PracticalDermatology

This article discusses emerging and enduring trends to be aware of when charting your 2023 marketing strategy.

THE EVOLUTION OF VIDEO

Video is one item you are sure to see on top marketing trend lists year after year. People’s love of motion pictures began long before the internet existed, and that love moved online as soon as technology allowed it.

The popularity of video may be timeless, but trends change. Nearly two-thirds of marketers report that trendy video content receives the best engagement,¹ so what is your audience looking for in 2023?

Livestreaming

Livestreaming is versatile and engaging. It allows your audience to participate. Livestreams are among the most popular videos, particularly on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. These videos reach nearly 30% of global internet users.²

Shortform

TikTok is becoming a serious contender in social media marketing, and other platforms are emulating this video style with features such as reels.

Silent Video

Statistics show that more than half of viewers prefer to watch videos with the sound turned off.³ They are also 80% more likely to watch a video in its entirety if captions are available. The recent trend of silent videos with overlaid text is gaining traction.

VISUAL STORYTELLING

The saying a picture is worth a thousand words is truer than you might think. More than two-thirds of people are visual learners,⁴ meaning that they retain visual information more effectively than textual information. Combine this with the fact that people are far more likely to retain information when it is part of a story,⁵ and you can begin to understand the power of visual storytelling.

As internet users continue seeking a more immersive, engaging experience, your story is more relevant than ever. Some of the best ways to make your story compelling with images include the following:

• Staff and clinician photographs. Have you wondered if a website should include pictures of a doctor’s golden retriever or from a surgeon’s camping trip? Including these images is not only appropriate but also a great idea. Patients want to know about more than the business; they want a glimpse of the human stories behind it.
• Reviews. Happy patients are the most powerful storytellers and brand advocates. Five stars are good, but a heartfelt statement accompanied by a photograph or video testimonial is gold. When collecting these materials, be mindful of patient privacy standards and laws. Obtain proper permission (preferably in writing) before sharing any patient’s name or image.
• Brand consistency. Your logo, color palette, font choices, and other design elements combine to create your practice’s visual brand identity. Using these elements consistently can give your content a recognizable aesthetic and create an instant feeling of familiarity among viewers.

INTERACTIVITY

Like television viewers, internet users were once passive consumers of content, but technology has evolved. Today’s online world is fueled by two-way communication and is not restricted to humans. People are increasingly accustomed to interacting with mobile apps, website features, AI chatbots, and more. They have come to expect the convenience and appreciate the engaging experience.

Even simple opportunities for interaction such as polls posted on social media can effectively build audience loyalty and relationships. Eighty-eight percent of marketers report that interactive content helps a brand stand apart from the competition.⁶

SOCIAL MEDIA

Like video, social media is unlikely to go away anytime soon, but its trends change in a heartbeat. Here are the top social strategies to watch out for in 2023.

TikTok Marketing

TikTok and its unprecedented rapid growth have been a hot topic for a couple of years now. With 1 billion active monthly users, TikTok may not be ready to surpass Facebook, but the former is firmly established as one of the top five social networks.⁷ This market is well worth considering, particularly if you target a younger demographic.

Relationships With Creators

Influencer marketing has become a staple of social media, but it is not as simple as hiring an agency to find someone to promote your practice. Only 28% of businesses do this.⁸ Influencer marketing is currently about developing good working relationships directly with those well aligned with your brand.

Authenticity

Transparency in business is more important than ever, according to 86% of consumers.⁹ Transparency is commonly defined as openness, honesty, clarity, communication, and integrity. The casual and conversational atmosphere of social media makes it an ideal platform on which to showcase authenticity with some personality injected into posts, candid photographs, direct interaction, and similar tactics.

DATA-DRIVEN MARKETING

Some of the most significant developments in digital marketing are not about changes in patterns of consumer behavior. Sometimes, trends are driven by advances in the technology that helps explain those behaviors. A growing array of analytic software and tools is available,^10,11 and most social platforms have increasingly comprehensive built-in report features. Additionally, the introduction of Google Analytics 4 brought a whole new array of features for tracking your website’s performance.¹²

Why are analytics options so important? These data are not based on general statistics; they are about your dermatology practice’s audience. Analyze the data, understand them, and use them to fine-tune your marketing strategy.

CONCLUSION

No one knows what the year 2023 will bring. If you want it to bring new patients and increased revenue, start by evaluating, revising, and revamping your marketing strategy. Staying at the forefront of emerging trends can help you get a leg up on the competition.

1. Alfred L. 50 video marketing statistics to inform your 2022 strategy [new data]. May 23, 2022. Accessed February 2, 2023. HubSpot blog. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing-statistics

2. Most popular video content type worldwide in 2nd quarter 2022, by weekly usage reach. Statista. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1254810/top-video-content-type-by-global-reach

3. Spinosa N. Sound on or off? Recent trends in video advertising. ChatterBlast blog. February 23, 2022. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://chatterblast.com/blog/sound-on-or-off-recent-trends-in-video-advertising

4. Rudnicka M. Visual learning statistics. EdApp Microlearning blog. February 16, 2022. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://www.edapp.com/blog/visual-learning-statistics

5. Thackston K. Storytelling statistics: why marketing storytelling works so well. Marketing Words blog. August 24, 2022. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://www.marketingwords.com/blog/storytelling-stats

6. Hilson S. Succeed in 2022 with these 12 groundbreaking interactive content statistics. Rockcontent blog. January 10, 2022. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://rockcontent.com/blog/interactive-content-statistics

7. Walsh S. The top 10 social media sites & platforms 2022. Search Engine Journal. May 30, 2022. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-media/biggest-social-media-sites/#close

8. The future of social marketing. Hootsuite. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://www.hootsuite.com/research/social-trends/marketing

9. #BrandsGetReal: social media & the evolution of transparency. Sprout blog. Accessed February 2, 2023.https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/social-media-transparency

10. Friedman H. Top 17 marketing analytics tools and software for 2023. Improvado blog. February 2, 2023. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://improvado.io/blog/marketing-analytics-tools

11. Find the best marketing analytics software. Software Advice. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://www.softwareadvice.com/marketing/analytics-tools-comparison

12. Benefits of Google Analytics 4. Arke Agency. October 28, 2021. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://arkeagency.com/news/benefits-of-google-analytics-4