Startup Marketing Trends for 2023 and Beyond
It’s been a tumultuous year for many businesses, and startups are emerging into a more uncertain landscape than ever. There’s never been a better time to take stock of what marketing trends are going to drive tech industries in 2023, so you can get your marketing strategy into gear now. Here are three exciting marketing trends we expect to see more of in 2023.
Thought Leadership as a Cornerstone of Content Marketing
Thought leadership is about creating more than just SEO-focused blogs that hit keyword counts and, someday, the first page of a Google search. Instead, this style of content marketing is about genuine insights from genuine experts, written with care to impart wisdom, advice, or simply reflections on key points that others in the same industry can relate to.
As tech markets become ever-more crowded, expect to see successful startups positioning themselves as experts in their field early on. This could be by creating commentary on existing issues or by presenting new ways of doing things that spark interest across tech communities.
Semrush reports that 60.9% of readers prefer thought leadership content that’s inspirational and drives changes, encouraging collaboration and bringing peers together. Talk with your CMO about creating a content strategy that highlights your knowledge and expertise and how you can use that to inspire others and gain more traction for your business.
PLG or Product Led Growth
Hardly a new trend, but perhaps one that’s not been as big in the B2B sphere, PLG means letting clients get their hands on your product or service for free or at a reduced rate while they decide if they’re going to make a commitment or not. Basically, it’s about having the confidence that your tech offering will speak for itself, showing its value to your chosen clients during a short trial period or a “freemium” offering that highlights key features.
To get the most out of PLG, you need to hand-pick clients that will genuinely value your product or service. You need to know their pain points and be able to concisely and clearly articulate how your app or SaaS addresses those. That means researching and working with a marketing expert to understand your target audience.
Customer success platform Gainsight recently reported that companies combining PLG with targeted lead generation could increase conversion rates from 9% to 25%.
Even More Virtual and Hybrid Meetings!
The pandemic taught businesses that not everyone has to be in the office to get things done, and that trend isn’t going anywhere. From hybrid conventions, which take place at a real venue but with participants connecting via Zoom or Teams, to one-to-one virtual meetings with decision makers, expect in-person marketing to be an exciting mix of digital and “real-life” interactions into 2023 and beyond. 64% of organizations recognize that the shift to hybrid and virtual work is a permanent one, so it’s reasonable that your clients will expect you to meet them online as well as face-to-face.
This applies to the product lifecycle beyond the initial sale. B2B customers now want self-serve options. They want to be able to jump on your website and find the answer quickly. This means making sure your content marketing strategy is up to par, investing in AI solutions like chatbots and automated email responses, and focusing on cross-selling based on customer types if you offer multiple products or services.
Final Word
Marketing is as much an art as it is a science. Make sure you onboard some truly creative experts who can paint your tech startup as the next big thing and take advantage of all the upcoming marketing trends. Book a 15-minute introductory call and tell us more about your startup so we can connect you to the right freelancer for your need.
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