The leaves aren’t the only thing that changes with the seasons, alongside cooler weather comes a new set of advertising trends. With autumn almost at a close, there are some industry insights worth investigating and analyzing to better strategize for the upcoming winter months.
Advertising trends this fall are growing and evolving to include new technology, while keeping customer preferences and behaviors front and center. Since many target audiences are best reached on social media sites via short-form videos, many organizations are switching up their strategies to include more short, vertical clips.
Additionally, with the growing prominence of AI technology, many advertisers are continuing to explore how this new tech can be used to improve their content and expedite processes. Perhaps this new technology can help marketers reach audiences on mobile? Mobile ads are also becoming increasingly popular with both audiences and advertisers as we move into the holiday shopping season.
Finally, advertisers are catching on that a large portion of social media users are scrolling with the volume off. In response, many marketers are exploring ways to make silent ads just as engaging, if not more so, than their “talkie” counterparts.
Advertising trends fall 2023
These are the top trends in advertising from this autumn.
Short-form, vertical videos are making an impact
Short-form, vertical videos like TikToks, Reels, and YouTube Shorts have seen a significant increase in popularity in recent years. Viewership and engagement data shows just how effective these videos are at grabbing and holding their audiences attention, with consumers now finding short-form videos 2.5 times more engaging than longer-form content.
This research also shows that a significant number of adults (over 25%) tend to close a video within the first 10 seconds, while more than half of them will close it after 20 seconds. This makes short-form videos the most effective way to ensure an ad is seen and watched until completion.
More marketers are making mobile ads a priority
Mobile ad campaigns are critical for marketers in 2023, with daily smartphone usage reaching its apex. Marketers are optimizing their reach through cross-channel marketing strategies that include mobile apps. Currently, one of the most popular categories of apps for marketers is mobile games.
According to recent estimates, mobile ad spending in the US is projected to reach $53.9 billion by 2025.
When creating mobile-centric campaigns, marketers must consider user experience. Like with all marketing, every step of the audience’s journey needs to be considered, from first point of contact to after they click-through. After clicking an ad, mobile users should be able to seamlessly make a purchase and return to the activity they were performing before (ie: having a mobile game auto-save so that a user can easily return to playing).
Advertisers are implementing AI
The introduction of OpenAI and ChatGPT is enabling marketers to optimize processes like never before. They can talk to their technology, and it feels like the technology is talking right back.
With new and evolving technology, more and more marketing teams are integrating AI, like ChatGPT, into their content marketing strategies, either as a brainstorming, tracking, or even content generation tool.
ChatGPT achieved 100 million monthly active users within the first two months of its launch – an impressive achievement. That said, marketers need to be intentional with their AI implementation. Before developing content and generative AI strategies, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of how AI has evolved and what consequences its use may have.
Silent ads are making a splash
A greater number of website users are opting to scroll in silence. Since video ads can autoplay loudly, many marketers are finding ways to engage audiences without disturbing their quiet time (or background music).
According to recent data,66% of users dislike video ads that automatically play with sound.
One platform that services this need is Outstream. Outstream videos play seamlessly within a users’ content, and automatically play without sound. According to these recent statistics, Outstream ads have a higher click-through rate (CTR) and longer engagement rate compared to other in-stream video advertising.
Additionally, a mid-2020 report shows that advertisers are now paying up to $45 per thousand impressions on Outstream ads.
Paying attention to new and evolving advertising trends is critical for staying ahead of the competition, whether following trends or are attempting to set new ones. Audiences and trends are always evolving, and so does a good marketer’s advertising strategy. By understanding how and why advertising trends change, advertisers can quickly hop on board and make the best impact possible while these trends are still hot.
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