News and Insights
Paid media trends in 2023
February 24, 2023
From the latest bidding tactics and lead generation strategies to the impending switch to GA4, we asked our Paid Media team here at FINN Partners for their predictions for the upcoming paid media landscape for 2023.
If there is one thing that’s true, it’s that no two days working in paid media are the same. So, whilst it’s difficult to predict what will happen in this year to come, our team have summarised what they think the biggest Google PPC and Paid Social trends will be in 2023.
GA4
As a Digital Marketing Agency, we value the importance of staying up-to-date on the latest tools, trends, and technologies to serve our clients best. One of the significant changes to the digital marketing industry in 2023 is the replacement of Universal Analytics (GA3) with Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the newest version of Google Analytics we were introduced to last year.
On the 1st of July, 2023, the standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing hits, while Universal Analytics 360 properties will continue processing new hits until the 1st of October, 2023.
One of the key differences between GA4 and its predecessor, Universal Analytics, is the event-based model for collecting data and setting digital marketing metrics.
This event-based model allows for more insights into the customer journey, allowing businesses to optimise their marketing focus. GA4 is also more compliant with privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
It is important to note that GA4 is still in its early stages, therefore some capabilities and features may not yet be available. Additionally, businesses that have invested heavily in Universal Analytics may find it challenging to transition to GA4.
PPC Campaigns for Voice Search
With the rise of smart speakers worldwide, one of the key trends we’re seeing emerge (and that is predicted to soar in 2023) is the rise of optimising Search campaigns for voice-driven searches. A huge number of households now have smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo or Google Home speakers in their homes, with 38.2% of adults in the UK owning at least one smart speaker.
With that statistic in mind, it’s no surprise that voice-driven searches are on the rise, and are set to be an influential factor to consider when planning your SEO and PPC campaign management this year.
Whilst initially the idea of optimising your search campaigns for voice searches may seem daunting, there are some quick and easy steps that you can implement to ensure you or your client’s Search campaigns are ready for this anticipated PPC trend for 2023.
After all, it’s estimated that two-thirds of users utilise their smart speakers daily, so it’s only a matter of time before your campaigns are impacted.
Firstly, we recommend you conduct a keyword review across your campaigns to ensure you’re bidding on long-tail keywords.
Aside from key phrases in your campaigns, it’s important to include keywords that are longer and more specific of around three of four words. Long-tailed keywords are often thought to be used in voice searches when a user has a more specific query in mind, or perhaps when the user is closer to making a conversion or purchase.
Long tail keywords are an important strategy when optimising for voice-driven searches due to their similarity to questions and the characteristic of a typical smart speaker request.
Secondly, it’s time to start thinking of customising your ad copy. If users are looking for an answer to their question, what better way to show your brand, product or service has the answer than answering their question in your ad copy? This plays into the key considerations for constructing ad copy, in terms of staying relevant, considering search intent and engaging your target audience effectively.
Finally, think about key questions that surround your brand, product, or service, and consider setting up a dedicated question campaign that focuses purely on these questions. This way you can ensure you have campaigns set up and running that are both ready to catch users with a more niche, detailed search query (and are therefore further down the sales funnel, and ready to convert) and those that are utilising voice-driven search.
Cookieless World
With the 3rd party cookie deprecation, marketers need to start planning their transition to a new targeting model and re-evaluating their current performance marketing strategies, as it will become more challenging to attract and reach relevant audiences unless you provide a long-term value.
We are already seeing that consumers are feeling positive regarding the recent and upcoming changes toward user privacy and data sharing, however, users will be more inclined to share their personal data with a brand in exchange for extra value. As a result, businesses need to make sure that they focus on product value at each stage of the marketing funnel, and address each group of users differently.
For example, in exchange for personal data that would improve your campaign targeting, it’s key to ensure that the content you share is meaningful to the user that is being targeted, or perhaps, you can provide a reward in the form of a discount or free downloadable resource.
Moreover, marketers need to become more transparent and open with their intentions of collecting that 1st party data. They need to clearly state why this information is collected, and for what reason and make sure that only necessary data is being collected. In return, this will help businesses to build trust and brand loyalty in the long run.
These are just two examples of the solutions in terms of how marketers can make sure they continue serving ads to the right audience, however, it is important to understand that not every approach will be applicable for everyone. Businesses need to focus on testing these solutions to see what works for them in this cookieless world.
TikTok Growth
TikTok is continuing to experience unprecedented growth, and it is becoming increasingly important for brands to include in their paid media campaigns.
With over 1 billion active users worldwide, it is now the 6th most popular social media platform, ahead of LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat. TikTok saw an especially impressive rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 315 million installations in the first quarter of 2020, setting a record for the most downloads in a single quarter for a social app.
TikTok has been particularly appealing to young generations, as its rapid video format allows users to create and share short lip-sync videos and dance challenges. It has also become a platform for discussing complex topics and campaigning for change, with many users using the platform to educate their audiences on various subjects.
In recent years, more and more brands have been drawn to TikTok, as it reflects a key social media trend for creative skills and collaboration amongst young audiences. Its fast-paced nature keeps users engaged for relatively long periods, with users spending an average of 52 minutes per day on the app and 90% of all TikTok users accessing the app daily.
Brands can grow through real connections with TikTok users through a range of different ad formats such as in-feed, top view and brand takeovers.
However, when creating content for TikTok brands should be conscious of ad fatigue. Ideally, ads should also be updated on a weekly basis. As TikTok users value real content that they can relate to, it is important for brands to create ads that emphasise their personality and aren’t primarily sales focused.
Performance Max Campaigns
Last year Google announced that Performance Max campaigns will replace all Smart Shopping campaigns. In 2023 these campaigns are the new and upcoming way of advertising on all Google Platforms, somewhat simultaneously.
Performance Max campaigns are goal-based, and allow advertisers to increase conversions across Google’s many channels, meaning one campaign can appear on all Google advertising platforms. These channels include Search, Display, Discover, Maps, Gmail, and YouTube.
Working with a combination of assets such as text, images, and videos, Google will mix and match the creative assets and create a different ad based on the placement. Performance Max campaigns can also use Audience Signals when it comes to targeting, which suggests the customer segments to Google’s AI and points it in the right direction. Other ways of targeting include existing audience lists or Google Audiences, and we’re sure that there will be many new features and strategies for Performance Max appearing all through 2023!
As a Digital Marketing Agency, we understand the importance of staying ahead of the curve and we are here to support our clients with the upcoming changes and trends in 2023.