The digital landscape is constantly changing, and with a new year comes new predictions for what we can expect in the next 12 months. Last year we saw apps like BeReal begin to dominate the industry, as well as the rise of influencer marketing, continuous scroll for Google search on mobile, and more. Keep reading to learn about what the Directors at Online Optimism are predicting for 2023.

Leadership

According to Sam Olmsted, the New Orleans Managing Director, remote work will become more of a perk rather than a norm since, as people return to the office, they will decide what they want their workplace to look like. 

Remote work has seen an 81% increase YoY, with more and more job seekers now expecting a remote position. Additionally, remote workers also show higher job satisfaction and loyalty. 

Growth

Business trends include BeReal turning on its ad platform very soon. Additionally, Business Development Director Irene Muchai expects BeReal also to have an increase in user-generated and influencer content. Irene adds that OTT ad spend will also increase in 2023 with the rise of ads on Disney, Netflix, and Hulu. 

At the end of last year, Disney and Netflix announced new plans with ads. Netflix’s Basic with Ads plan will cost $6.99 a month, while Disney+ with ads will cost $7.99 a month. Disney also bumped up the cost of the ad-free plan to $10.99 per month. Hulu is also taking part in this trend, allowing advertisers to RSVP for the Beta of its Ad Manager.

Operations

Regarding business operations and company culture, Operations Supervisor Sara Bandurian expects DEI efforts to continue to rise in importance but grow to include neurodiversity and caregivers. 

According to Forbes, DEI trends will continue evolving, with some of the key features including: 

• Mandatory DEI training 
• Employee Resource Groups 
• DEI efforts led by People of Color 

Search + Content

AI will be a major trend in 2023, with more people implementing it in their processes and Google releasing algorithms to identify and combat purely AI-written content. 

Lauren Walter, our Search & Content Director, also anticipates the differences between the first and second-page rankings diminishing due to continuous scroll coming to desktop and mobile for Google search, making SERP features even more important. 

Social Media

In 2023, Social Media Director Meara McNitt expects AI to move into the social media space in community management and ad automation. Other social media trends that Meara predicts are live streaming becoming the next significant stronghold of organic social media and going beyond platforms like Twitch, as well as user-generated content moving down to smaller creators as people have less trust in influencers and the UGC that they create. 

Digital Ads

Digital Ads Director Esteban Largaespada explains the two main trends for 2023 started in 2022 but will continue to grow. First, bidding automation means fewer controls from marketers to pull and push on and more audiences and first-party data. The other change is that more companies will look outside Google Analytics since GA4 isn’t good at providing a cohesive look and report. 

Design

JP Madrid, the Senior Director of Design Innovation, has three design predictions for 2023: 

• Brutalism in design is here to stay as designers try to bridge the past decade’s flat look with their brands’ rich character
• More 3D experiences and options to create them
• A lot of new mediums with designs with the rise of AR/VR

Partner with Online Optimism to Keep Up with the Latest Trends

Keeping up with the latest trends can be difficult, so let the team at Online Optimism do the work for you! Our team is well-versed in the latest platforms and ready to help you optimize your marketing. We are prepared to adapt to new trends, from AI continuing to gain traction to finding alternatives to GA4. Visit our website to learn more, or contact us to get started. 

As we begin 2023, we are optimistic about your marketing!