The familiar saying, “Change begins at the end of your comfort zone” may be put to the test in the coming year, at least as far as paid media goes.
There’s no reason to panic. Not everything in paid media will be different in 2023. However, agency media buyers like the ones on our team here at Richardson Media Group and the clients for whom we buy digital media need to be prepared for some inevitable changes to how popular advertising platforms and those ubiquitous search engines will perform in the days ahead.
Three Trends to Look for with Paid Media in 2023
1. Video is King! That’s right, short, easy to consume video should be a key ingredient in any comprehensive digital media plan going forward. We’ve known for quite some time that video is a more engaging medium, but these days, we know more about optimizing video for organic search results and we’re better able to showcase video across nearly all paid social channels like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube and others. Adding to those platforms, we have an expansive set of programming options via OTT, otherwise known as Over the Top Television. Over half of all TV watchers stream their TV content these days and forecasters believe that trend will become the norm in 2023. All this means that video content will continue to heighten brand engagement in paid media like no other tactic as we head into the new year.
We know that video ads boost engagement and drive more
traffic than non-animated ads ever will.
traffic than non-animated ads ever will.
2. Authentic Content. Consumers are demanding that online content be
more “authentic” these days. What does that mean for 2023? It tells us
that we should finally usher out heavily produced ads in favor of less
formal, more casual advertising experiences. The point is that digital
ads should blend more seamlessly into a person’s web and mobile
viewing habits vs. standing out in stark contrast to organic content.
“Professional and photoshopped content is no longer meaningful to everyday users, so expect to see more authentic and less polished content from your favorite brands…”
3. The Role of AI. Expect to see AI play an even more influential role than
ever before. Media buyers on the Richardson Media Group team see the pros and cons of letting individual platform algorithms do their thing, tracking available user data and trends in viewing habits to better inform audience targeting. But with the science behind AI getting stronger and more accurate, we predict it will no longer be a matter of choosing to accept AI’s recommendations, but instead, allowing AI to take the wheel. Pending legislation scheduled to be enacted in 2023 in certain U.S. states like CA, VA and CT is designed to boost privacy protections. In October 2022, the Biden Administration passed an executive order linking data privacy practices between the E.U and the U.S. Of course, we support legal routes to keep data-driven platforms more responsible. But what we’ve always said here at Richardson Media Group still holds true: Consumers need to stay informed about how much of their data is collected and where their data is being shared. It’s on each one of us to manage our online privacy controls and be aware of the different ways digital marketers seek to use our data.
ever before. Media buyers on the Richardson Media Group team see the pros and cons of letting individual platform algorithms do their thing, tracking available user data and trends in viewing habits to better inform audience targeting. But with the science behind AI getting stronger and more accurate, we predict it will no longer be a matter of choosing to accept AI’s recommendations, but instead, allowing AI to take the wheel. Pending legislation scheduled to be enacted in 2023 in certain U.S. states like CA, VA and CT is designed to boost privacy protections. In October 2022, the Biden Administration passed an executive order linking data privacy practices between the E.U and the U.S. Of course, we support legal routes to keep data-driven platforms more responsible. But what we’ve always said here at Richardson Media Group still holds true: Consumers need to stay informed about how much of their data is collected and where their data is being shared. It’s on each one of us to manage our online privacy controls and be aware of the different ways digital marketers seek to use our data.
By taking the time to learn about our data privacy options and choosing for ourselves, we should feel safer and be less bombarded by undesirable content while we spend time on our preferred screens.
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