Top MarTech predictions for 2023

In this ever-changing climate, brands that rely solely on old marketing best practices will not survive and those who ride the waves and respond to changes in consumer behaviour will emerge as the winners.

We have all experienced a whirlwind of events over the last couple of years in the UK and across the globe. Through a horrific pandemic, a polarizing government, a war overseas and the world's discussion of climate change, we have experienced it all. A series of unfortunate, life-altering events have plagued us in recent years, and the cost of living crisis is the latest on the list.

According to Nadia Alramli, Vice President of Engineering at Hubspot, marketers will need to make some adjustments to their existing marketing strategies if they want to succeed in 2023 given the projected economic challenges, they will face the following year.

Alramli continues: “A major goal for businesses in 2023 will be to rebalance the mix of digital and physical customer interactions. Digital fatigue is legitimate, just as the withdrawal from streaming entertainment or fitness services. We went from a pre-pandemic mix of digital and physical channels to a nearly 100% digital reality. People want offline engagement as well when making a high-involvement buying decision, and are even enjoying a return to quality tailored assets. The idea is to create a strong content supply chain that connects these many interaction opportunities in a way that fosters topline growth.”

In light of this, Nadia Alramli shares her top three predictions for what we should expect from MarTech in the coming year:

1. AI and smart features

We have previously only interacted with AI with large corporations such as Google and Apple due to the significant investment required in machine learning and R&D. Now, AI and smart features are becoming more widely available outside of tech giants, with many more providers and smaller businesses on the market.

AI vs connectedness does not have to be a tension. For example, bot refunds can be even more straightforward than dealing with a person. AI can be an important tool for all, starting in the most basic ways.

Recently, there have been some interesting advances in content generation technology, such as GPT 3, that are not only easily accessible but also reasonably priced, and the results are of very high quality. However, this raises an intriguing ethical question about Intellectual Property and who owns the right to AI-generated art, as well as whether it is art at all. Consider this: who owns a novel written by an AI machine? Especially since AI-generated content is nearly identical to human-generated content. We have no idea how much of the content we consume on a daily basis is generated by AI.

Businesses should ask questions as with any new technology, but this is one to be embraced. However, it is critical to understand that AI should serve as a supplement to humans rather than as a replacement. And it should be checked by a human.

It is up to businesses to create the tools, institutions, and capacities needed to shape the future of AI technologies in a safe, ethical, and responsible manner that protects human rights and well-being. It will take a deliberate attempt from developers, businesses, policymakers, and civil society to achieve ethical, human-centric, and trustworthy AI.

2. User control and privacy

We've seen an increase in user privacy concerns recently, with Apple introducing privacy changes to their phones and Google following suit by phasing out third-party cookies, and we don't expect these changes to slow down.

Many brands are attempting to combat it; obviously, tracking engagement, clicks, referrals, open rates, and so on is critical for marketing. However, at HubSpot, we believe that the best course of action is to embrace rather than fight this change. Respect user privacy instead of trying to exploit it. Change your focus from invading that privacy to working around it - give customers something in exchange for engaging with your content. Make the user want to interact with your content for the right reasons, such as the value you provide, rather than relying on deceptive methods of obtaining that information.

We believe that, despite these increased privacy measures, there are still many ways to determine if your content is being accessed while still respecting the privacy of your visitors. Newsletters, replies, and clicks can all be used to interact with customers. Human-like WhatsApp conversations are a great example that customers enjoy and it is tools like these businesses can use to organically interact with their customers without invading their privacy.

Third-party cookies cannot be used to track users, but first-party cookies can - you must engage your customers in order for them to interact with you, and you can use this engagement to determine what they want to see more of.

3. Crisis of disconnect

There is a lot of disconnect in the post-pandemic world. This necessitates a focus on systems, data, and people. People are yearning for a sense of belonging, especially after working from home for so long. A connection between businesses and their customers is much needed. We are seeing various companies respond, such as Facebook using the metaverse to build their own virtual community.

HubSpot is investing in platform features to respond to people's desire for community and connectedness. We've built our platform to deepen that connection between customers and companies, as well as people working in those companies.  We were conscious of adding more collaboration tools, such as deep commenting, to make remote working more personal, and we created new channels beyond email, such as WhatsApp, which we have already launched and are in the process of expanding. We want to provide businesses with a platform that allows them to interact with their customers whenever and wherever they want.

Companies must place a greater emphasis on connecting with customers where they are and where they want to be connected. Because inbound is still strong, you must use channels and communities to spread the word.

Every marketer will acknowledge that post-pandemic communication has pushed creativity to new heights. It is no longer enough to create a brand and forecast sales. Customers are no longer responding well to this type of activity. In 2023, the emphasis will be on creating a successful brand, crafting a compelling narrative, and measuring the impact of that narrative.