Digital Marketing / Inbound Marketing

Navigating Digital Marketing Transformations: 2023 Year In Review

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As we approach 2024, the digital landscape demands our attention, having undergone profound transformations in the past year. An astonishing 5.16 billion internet users, equating to 64.4% of the global population, showcase the pervasive influence of the online realm. This represents a 1.9% increase in the last 12 months. Join…

As we approach 2024, the digital landscape demands our attention, having undergone profound transformations in the past year. An astonishing 5.16 billion internet users, equating to 64.4% of the global population, showcase the pervasive influence of the online realm. This represents a 1.9% increase in the last 12 months. Join us as we delve into the monumental changes that shaped 2023, setting the stage for an era of unparalleled digital evolution.  

#1. Twitter Became X and Continued Monetisation Evolution

After Elon Musk's acquisition in October 2022, Twitter underwent a radical transformation into X, aiming to restore itself as a free-speech platform. Musk's strategic moves, like limiting third-party apps and introducing paid verification marks, set the stage for substantial shifts. In July 2023, the grand rebranding to X signalled aspirations beyond mere social media. Despite these changes, a notable 55% drop in ad revenue within a year highlighted challenges. By introducing a $1 annual posting fee in specific regions, X strived for innovation. Amidst this evolution, marketers faced a crossroads, swiftly adapting strategies to navigate the altered platform dynamics.

#2. Google's Live Marketing Update

Announced at the May 2023 Google Marketing Live event, the five game-changing innovations were aimed at redefining the digital marketing landscape. Conversational Search Ads, opened doors to futuristic dreams into reality by allowing advertisers to engage in real-time, interactive conversations with users through ads. Enhanced Performance Max took the stage with advanced machine learning, automating campaign optimisation across Google networks to deliver optimal results while saving valuable time. Further, automated Creative Solutions stepped in to simplify the creative process, using machine learning to generate personalised and engaging ad content. For merchants, Google Merchant Center Next introduced enhancements and features to streamline product listings and drive better performance. Last but not least, Product Studio revolutionised product development with generative AI, enabling marketers to create high-quality product images in minutes. These announcements signified Google's commitment to leveraging AI for a more user-friendly, efficient, and rewarding digital marketing experience.

#3. Instagram Threads Unraveled

In a game-changing move, Instagram launched Thread, unlocking fresh global conversational possibilities. Throughout the year, updates like web accessibility, polls, GIF integration, and keyword search transformed Threads into a versatile platform. Further noteworthy additions, including fact-checking and content controls, aligned with the safety protocols of Facebook and Instagram, added to its merit offerings. Beyond its role as a text-sharing app, Threads, with its web experience and innovative features, found resonance among a diverse user base. Its compatibility with the ActivityPub protocol signalled a strategic move towards interoperability and user empowerment. Launched in 100+ countries, Threads demonstrated impressive global reach in its inaugural year. Marketers skillfully responded to these advancements, tapping on Threads' numerous functions to effectively engage audiences. The platform's dedication to user controls and safety became an appealing proposition for marketers, providing a climate favourable to meaningful brand engagements. Marketers are set to explore unique techniques as Threads continues its revolutionary journey, tapping into its enormous potential in the future as well. 

#4. Updates in Influencer Marketing 

In 2024, influencer marketing underwent a transformative phase, witnessing impactful shifts. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) redefined the influencer landscape, emphasising credibility and reliability. ASCI's guidelines broadened the celebrity spectrum, considering the number of followers, and also set legal guidelines for Finance and Health space influencers. Simultaneously, AI influencers surged, projecting a market value rise from Rs. 12 billion in 2022 to Rs. 28 billion by 2026. Marketers swiftly adapted, aligning with ASCI's guidelines and tapping into the potential of AI influencers. With budgets escalating by 33%, the industry also actively embraced nano and expert influencers, showcasing resilience and innovation. Amid these strategic moves, influencer marketing emerged robust, setting the stage for future advancements in a domain driven by adaptability and statistics.

#5. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) replaced Universal Analytics (UA)

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) had taken over Universal Analytics (UA) as the go-to version starting June 30, 2023. The transition marked a significant shift from session-based reporting to user and event-based analysis, allowing for cross-platform insights and improved path analysis. GA4 introduced features such as life cycle reporting, an events-based model, a new user snapshot in Real Time data, and the Analysis Hub for enhanced data visualisation. Notable differences include GA4's ability to predict user behaviour while maintaining privacy through data modelling and machine learning. While UA data will be retained for a year, marketers were encouraged to adapt to GA4 by setting up new properties or incorporating it alongside existing ones, ensuring a smoother transition before GA4 became the default version in July 2023.

#6. Google's Video View and Demand Gen Campaigns

Among the most significant changes, Google's Video View Campaigns emerged as a standout choice for businesses. Fueled by the impressive global revenue from YouTube videos in 2022, the influence of video content took centre stage. The widespread launch of Video View Campaigns in September 2023 opened up exciting possibilities for brands.   These campaigns, a strategic choice for advertisers, significantly increased views compared to regular ads and seamlessly incorporated YouTube Shorts with brief and impactful videos. Advertisers could effortlessly navigate between different video formats, enhancing the overall effectiveness of their campaigns. Beyond cost-effectiveness, the integration of smart AI yielded valuable data. From boosting brand awareness to generating leads, Video View Campaigns delivered various benefits to advertisers. However, the transformative wave didn't stop there. Demand Generation campaigns took centre stage, harnessing the power of AI to engage and prompt consumer action. Working across YouTube Shorts, in-stream, in-feed, Discover, and Gmail placements, these campaigns went beyond directing traffic to sites. These also leveraged lead form assets and tracked conversions, adding a new layer of precision to the advertising landscape. It offered marketers nuanced reach options from Narrow (2.5%) to Broad (10%) that redefined video advertising and propelled demand generation into a new era of precision and effectiveness. 

To Sum Up

In 2023, the digital world experienced numerous transformative updates that left a lasting impact. The year witnessed significant milestones in the journey of Google, which celebrated its 25th anniversary, and YouTube India, which marked 15 years. The widespread integration of AI emerged as a significant trend, with far-reaching implications for our daily lives. Looking back on the year, it's clear that we are on the cusp of a tech era that will be dominated by cutting-edge technologies, which will profoundly shape the marketing industry. Looking ahead, marketers and audiences alike should anticipate transformation shaped by the continued evolution of AI and other inventive tools. The advancements made in 2023 will undoubtedly serve as a foundation for the future of the marketing industry. Stakeholders must remain vigilant and adaptable, as the pace of technological change shows no signs of slowing. 

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    This Week In Digital

    Unleashing the Power of Google Analytics 4

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    In the dynamic world of digital marketing, maintaining a competitive edge is imperative for marketers aiming to orchestrate impactful campaigns and attain desired results. Among the range of available tools, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has emerged as a noteworthy solution, capturing considerable attention within the industry. With the introduction of…

    In the dynamic world of digital marketing, maintaining a competitive edge is imperative for marketers aiming to orchestrate impactful campaigns and attain desired results. Among the range of available tools, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has emerged as a noteworthy solution, capturing considerable attention within the industry. With the introduction of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and the retirement of Universal Analytics, marketers now have an exceptional opportunity to enhance their marketing strategies and SEO techniques to gain advanced insights. Read ahead to discover a world of possibilities and explore the true potential of your marketing endeavours. 

    GA4 vs Universal Analytics –  What’s in it for marketers?

    The significance of tracking traffic sources, user behaviour, and key metrics cannot be overstated, as approximately 68% of online experiences start with search engines. GA4 revolutionises tracking by shifting to event-based tracking, capturing user interactions like page views, clicks, and conversions. This enables marketers to track specific events aligned with their business objectives, leading to a deeper understanding of user engagement with digital properties. Embracing GA4's event-based tracking empowers marketers to optimise campaigns, make data-driven decisions, and stay ahead in the competitive digital landscape.

    4 Key Features of Google Analytics 4

    Let us now explore the compelling features and progressive strides introduced by GA4, emphasising its significance within the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing.

    Enhanced Cross Platform Tracking

    GA4 simplifies the tracking process by consolidating web and app tracking into a single property, eliminating the need for separate properties as required in Universal Analytics. By adopting an event-based measurement model, GA4 enables the tracking of individual events, such as page views, clicks, and downloads across different devices and platforms. This capability allows GA4 to capture and analyse a user's journey, providing a more comprehensive view of their interactions with a business. Whether users engage through a website or an app, GA4 seamlessly tracks their interactions across both channels, offering marketers a holistic understanding of user behaviour and engagement. With GA4, businesses can gain valuable insights into user engagement patterns and optimise their strategies to deliver a more personalised and seamless experience across all touchpoints.

    Event-Driven Data Model

    A notable feature introduced by GA4 is its event-driven data model, which enables the collection of data pertaining to individual events such as page views, clicks, and downloads. Website owners can leverage this event-driven data model to track specific user actions, including page clicks, scrolls, button clicks, video plays, and form submissions. By incorporating GA4's event-driven data model into their tracking approach, businesses can gain deeper insights into user behaviour and engagement. This methodology has proven particularly effective for clients operating in the facility management industry, as they have witnessed notable success in understanding user interactions and optimising their websites and apps accordingly. To implement the event-driven data model in GA4, website owners need to create and add events to the tracking code. Subsequently, when users engage with the website or app, the tracking code triggers the respective event, and GA4 captures and stores relevant data about the event within the GA4 property. This data-driven approach empowers businesses to gain granular insights into user behaviour and make informed decisions to enhance user experiences and drive desired outcomes.

    Machine Learning Powered Insights

    Machine learning has emerged as a transformative force within the digital media industry, reshaping data analysis, personalization strategies, and targeted advertising. GA4, recognizing the power of machine learning, incorporates this technology to provide marketers with automated insights, predictive analytics, and actionable recommendations, all aimed at optimising marketing efforts and enhancing the user experience. To leverage GA4's Machine Learning-Powered Insights feature, users need to enable it within their GA4 property. Once activated, a new Insights tab will appear in the GA4 interface, offering access to a wealth of valuable information derived from the user's own data. It's important to note that the insights generated by GA4 are unique to each user, as they are based on their specific data and circumstances. Consequently, the insights seen will differ from those observed by others utilising GA4. Furthermore, as more data is collected, GA4 will continuously generate new insights, enabling marketers to stay informed about evolving consumer behaviours and trends.

    Enhanced Reporting And Analysis

    Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers an enhanced reporting interface that prioritises exploration and analysis, providing marketers with powerful tools to uncover actionable insights. GA4's reporting capabilities include flexible reports, advanced segmentation, and an intuitive user interface, all designed to facilitate trend analysis, targeted marketing campaigns, and improved customer experiences. To access this feature, users need to enable it within their GA4 property. Once activated, a new Reports tab will appear in the GA4 interface, offering a range of pre-built reports as well as a blank canvas for creating custom reports. This flexible reporting framework empowers marketers to dive deep into their data, explore various dimensions and metrics, and extract valuable insights that can drive informed decision-making. The data generated through GA4's reporting interface can be utilised to optimise website and app experiences, improve conversion rates, and fine-tune marketing campaigns. By leveraging advanced segmentation capabilities, marketers can slice and dice their data to uncover meaningful audience segments, enabling targeted messaging and personalised experiences. Additionally, GA4's intuitive user interface streamlines the reporting process, making it easier for marketers to navigate through data, visualise trends, and derive actionable takeaways.

    Final Thoughts

    Google Analytics 4 represents a substantial leap forward within the digital marketing sphere. By virtue of its enhanced tracking capabilities, customizable reporting framework, machine learning integrations, and improved cross-platform tracking functionality, GA4 equips marketers with formidable tools to grasp user behaviour, optimise campaigns, and achieve superior outcomes. As the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve, GA4 emerges as a pivotal asset, empowering marketers to navigate the complexities inherent in contemporary consumer behaviours and emerging trends. By harnessing the insights and capabilities offered by GA4, marketers can drive more impactful campaigns, deliver personalised user experiences, and maintain a competitive advantage within the fiercely contested digital realm.

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      This Week In Digital

      The future of advertising

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      The advertising industry has been shifting towards a more data-centric approach for years now. It is entering a new era. With emerging internet technologies, there has been more precision in data gathering, sorting, and utilization. Online advertising is on the rise, attracting more and more advertising budgets. Data is the…

      The advertising industry has been shifting towards a more data-centric approach for years now. It is entering a new era. With emerging internet technologies, there has been more precision in data gathering, sorting, and utilization. Online advertising is on the rise, attracting more and more advertising budgets. Data is the new gold standard for advertising and, alongside ad tech, is a game changer in process and targeting. Older advertisers are losing importance, while new forces are emerging. This transition is structural and is expected to continue. 

      This year might bring us surprises in the advertising industry to help us create our marketing strategy better. Here, we have listed a few anticipated transformations in digital advertising that we expect in 2023.

      Cookieless future

      Cookies have been around since the dawn of the web. Web browsers use cookies to make our surfing experience better. It is anticipated the cookie will eventually crumble, with the removal of third-party cookies in Chrome. The removal of cookies will create an opportunity to build a better foundation for digital advertising. According to stats, 42.2% of users reject cookie banners. The cookieless future will create a more robust and reliable technology space for advertisers. Additionally, cookieless futures will allow advertisers to respect user privacy. Users will enjoy transparency as to what companies and websites are doing with their data. Rise of white labeling

      According to various advertisers and marketers, white labeling would witness a rise in 2023 and beyond. The rise of the white label is an alternative to uncertainty in digital marketing. White-label solutions offer an opportunity to create a balanced and transparent environment for everyone. Nearly 87% of SMBs use digital advertising to grow their business. With white-label solutions, advertisers will be able to bring in top-funnel traffic to brands and attention to all other marketing tactics.

      AI-powered advertising

      AI will play a major role in how brands understand what consumers want and need. The different preferences of people for products and services will be catered to in a better way with AI. This technology would also be used to generate smarter advertising content. The recent innovation that grabbed the eyes of the people – Chat GPT – is an excellent example of an AI tool which has attracted 96Mn+ users, and will continue to grow. Additionally, AI can also be very useful in automating conversational marketing. Brands use AI to shoot personalized email marketing campaigns based on the behavior of their customers.

      CTV programmatic advertising

      It is anticipated that advertisers will spend nearly $27 billion in 2023, witnessing a 27.2% increase since last year. CTV advertising platforms give advertisers advanced tracking options such as location, lifestyle, demographics, internet browsers and search habits, allowing brands to reach relevant audiences. Video marketers across all industries think of CTV advertising as a must-have in their media plans to deliver ads in a premium environment and minimize ad costs. 

      Emergence of ad tech and mar tech tools

      As Mar Tech & Ad Tech enriches with more customer data, advertisers will be able to use that data more efficiently. Advertisers and savvy marketers have recognized the value of shared big data over the last few years. With cooperation leading toward the creation of uber-personalized campaigns, this trend seems to be promising. Additionally, DTC advertising is all set to capture and conquer the e-commerce market, which opens more opportunities in the digital world, making brand-consumer interactions more individualized and customer-centric. 

      Conclusion

      The future of advertising rests on discreet technology that follows the latest privacy guidelines and delivers a quality user experience. Digital marketing is an industry that cannot stand still. After 2023, there will be many changes to how it works. It brings us development and new interesting challenges that digital marketing will surely tackle.

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        Digital Marketing / Inbound Marketing

        Digital Marketing – What to expect in 2023

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        The impact of digital marketing has forever changed the way companies positioned themselves in the market and communicated with customers. Post the development of computing and business intelligence systems, digital marketing has transformed the way brands communicate with their audience. Artificial Intelligence, Metaverse, Social Media – it has now become…

        The impact of digital marketing has forever changed the way companies positioned themselves in the market and communicated with customers. Post the development of computing and business intelligence systems, digital marketing has transformed the way brands communicate with their audience. Artificial Intelligence, Metaverse, Social Media – it has now become central to almost every brand to include them in their marketing and media plans.  The digital marketing trends for 2023 are an essential aspect that brands are watching out for to skyrocket their businesses. From SMEs to large organizations, it is crucial to incorporate the latest marketing trends into marketing strategies to stay relevant and competitive in today’s market.  With continuously evolving tools, algorithm updates, and technologies, keeping up with digital marketing trends can be overwhelming. However, the trick to keeping abreast of trends in the adage is to work smarter, not harder. For brands to stay on top of current and future trends, we have listed down what marketers can expect in the digital space in 2023: 

        Relying heavily on data

        In the era where brands are engaging digitally with their customers, it is important to use the collected data to make decisions. Data helps businesses determine how well the digital marketing strategies have performed for the targeted population and make required adjustments in areas of improvement. The collected data is valuable for marketing and sales teams to focus on qualified leads and A/B testing of messaging, emails, creatives, and strategies. With the help of marketing automation, brands get real-time insights into user engagement and campaign performance, making their strategies more effective. 

        Boom in live audio interactions

        Live audio interactions in social media are rapidly evolving. Multiple social media platforms are now making a shift towards active interaction with customers via dialogues. These interactions enable brands to portray their most authentic selves by promoting better empathy and accessibility. With a surge in social audio, businesses must make the most of this social media trend in 2023 by incorporating the same in their channel-specific strategies. Additionally, marketers can also make use of audio interactions for a Tête-à-Tête on brand-specific topics. These discussions will be a new form of UGC, with free-flowing conversations as attendees will be providing all the required content.    Live Audio Interactions  

        Youth-centered marketing

        Gen Z isn’t just the upcoming generation of consumers; they are the current generation, with a solid capacity of purchasing power under their belt. In addition to their impressive power as consumers, Gen Zers are trail-blazing how the audience views and interacts with brands. This generation chooses to connect with brands that truly appeal to them and the way they communicate – they expect brands to be extremely honest, down-to-earth, authentic, and transparent. The younger generation isn’t pro to the feeling of being sold a product; they expect it to be more imaginative or experiential. This generation is more inclined to consume short-form video content, which comprises eye-catching visuals that appeal to their values. Brands need to frame their identity around their tastes. 

        Leveraging Pinterest marketing

        Pinterest has recently gained immense popularity, with over 442 million active users each month. This visual search engine is an excellent platform for brands to reach out to new target audiences and increase brand and product awareness. Many brands would leverage this paid media trend in 2023 to introduce their brand to new and potential customers, utilizing a distinctive approach to sell their products or services. The ads on Pinterest appear in the same format as a usual Pin on the users’ feed. Consistent pinning of ads will guarantee more engagement for brands. 

        Augmented reality becomes mainstream

        In an effort to grab user attention and boost sales, more and more brands would heavily rely on augmented reality in 2023. The global augmented and virtual reality technologies market is expected to reach around $142.4 billion by 2023. With the pandemic adversely affecting the stores globally, more and more brands have started to heavily invest in augmented reality to power sales growth. According to Statista, around 1.4 billion users would shift to augmented reality by 2023, which makes it a discernible digital marketing trend for brands. [caption id="attachment_11430" align="alignnone" width="1218"]AR Shopping Experiences  [/caption]

        The future of digital marketing for brands

        There is a lot of room for progression in the digital space. Agencies and brands need to make use of these digital marketing trends in their strategies to secure increased sales, digital followings, and brand loyalty. Brands that get ahead of these advancements in the next year are well set to be ahead of the curve in 2024 and every year to come.     

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          Digital Marketing / Inbound Marketing

          Digital Marketing Trends of 2021

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          The Coronavirus pandemic has furthered digital marketing by a considerable margin in the past few months. Not like it wasn’t popular before, but now, it is possibly one of the go-to methods that people are using to get their brands across to people. The new normal has definitely changed the…

          The Coronavirus pandemic has furthered digital marketing by a considerable margin in the past few months. Not like it wasn’t popular before, but now, it is possibly one of the go-to methods that people are using to get their brands across to people. The new normal has definitely changed the way businesses function, and with employees working remotely, everybody is putting in constant efforts to adopt new ways and techniques, so that their organisations function as smoothly as they would, prior to the pandemic. Since work from home is expected to be a key takeaway from the year 2020, businesses are gearing up to target, engage, and retain their customers apart from also generating new leads - all this in the light of the fact that almost everybody has had to do away with the traditional methods of marketing. Even digital marketing for that matter has changed and continues to evolve. People today are buying all sorts of things online - medicines, clothes, sanitisers, food, etc. With the changing consumer behaviour, digital marketing is also changing to adapt. Therefore, to continue making those bucks, here are some interesting digital marketing trends that will take over in the year, 2021:

          Power of voice-search

          Using the voice-search based method, people can talk to their devices, ask questions, seek information, and do a variety of other things that does not require the traditional text-based or typing-based search. Google, Alexa, and Siri are famous and common examples of voice assistants that people know of today. They are rather fascinating and convenient to use as well.  Conversational interfaces are expected to take over and this might make CaaP (Conversations as a Platform) an actual thing. NLP or Natural processing Language will start trending soon, owing to its intuitiveness and personal touch. Further, it is quicker, and it replaces typing and keyboards.

          Learn more - How Voice Search Will Change The Future Of SEO

          Tell a story with a video

          The attention span of people in general has become quite small. They want content that holds their chin in place but also does not drag on for too long. Videos are a good way to achieve both. They are very commonly used  for marketing and advertising purposes as well, but the main challenge is to make it full of content and information, yet condense it. Due to the pandemic, the trend that has set in is that, videos and ads have left the television space, and are moving on to computers, tablets, smartphones, Youtube, Social media handles, etc. - so we can expect to see a lot more of virtual reality, animation, live videos, 360-degree videos, and so on, in 2021.  As the world advances, people are becoming more and more tech-savvy, and they are on some device or the other, trying to catch up. These new methods will keep them further hooked.

          Checkout 15 Smart Ways to Promote Your YouTube Videos

          Influencer Marketing Revamped

          The switch from offline to online will continue to happen for the foreseeable future. Though brands and businesses continue to find and apply new digital marketing strategies, adapt to new trends, and get their message across, loud and clear, they still want to organically connect to their audience. This is possible through influencer marketing, and brands will start giving that importance to this concept and use the influencer community to get their products  and brand message across to the unreachable segments. A healthy relationship between brand marketing, product marketing, and influencer marketing is expected to take over.

          People believe more when they see and hear someone speak - visual and vocal reassurance is very personal and impactful, therefore, much more engaging.

          Pocket your local audience with SEO

          Increasing the search visibility for local businesses is definitely the in-thing these days, and it will start booming in no time. Hypertargeting allows for bringing in customers from communities or areas that are geographically restricted. By ranking higher on local searches, visibility is improved, plus credibility also increases. People are always looking for quick fixes. If something is not available at the nearest store, it is preferable to walk down to the next nearest. Hypertargeting allows people to do exactly that. It is time-saving from the customer’s perspective, and from the business’s perspective, it is beneficial because the online presence fetches them the required attention and audience.

          Growth of in-game advertising

          With people staying in, e-watching of sports has become even more common, and consequently, this has led to a spike in in-game advertising. Apparently, Gen Z indulges in a lot of esports, and because of the lockdown, others too are doing the same. The lockdown has contributed heavily to a rise in smartphone gaming. Mobile gamers ( around 57 percent) are okay with in-game advertising as long as they are allowed to play the games free of cost. Television is going down and online streaming is becoming more popular than ever. This exponential increase in the number of viewers has led to a healthy bond between gaming and advertising, and this is allowing brands to interact with the audience successfully.

          It is interesting to note that all these trends have been fairly around for sometime now, dilly-dallying between becoming ‘generally known’ or ‘popularly used.’ The pandemic has helped with that super-nudge, thereby making these more popular than before, and also putting them on the path to becoming extremely popular. Had this been a choice, maybe the growth would have been a little slower; but with social distancing and lockdown, digitalisation is the need of the hour. Everything is happening online and therefore, people must know how to navigate through this world of digitalisation. The sooner, the better.

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