May 5, 2023

Navigating the Future: Top Digital and Local Marketing Trends for Retail Businesses in 2023

May 5, 2023
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The retail landscape has undergone significant transformations in recent years, with the rapid evolution of digital technologies and consumer behaviors. As we enter 2023, retail businesses must stay ahead of the curve by adapting to the latest marketing trends to reach and engage with their local customer base effectively. In this blog post, we will explore the top digital and local marketing trends for retail businesses in 2023, and provide insights on leveraging these trends to drive growth and success.
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The retail landscape has undergone significant transformations in recent years, with the rapid evolution of digital technologies and consumer behaviors. As we enter 2023, retail businesses must stay ahead of the curve by adapting to the latest marketing trends to reach and engage with their local customer base effectively. In this blog post, we will explore the top digital and local marketing trends for retail businesses in 2023, and provide insights on leveraging these trends to drive growth and success.


The Rise of Hyperlocal Marketing


In 2023, hyperlocal marketing is set to gain even more prominence. Hyperlocal marketing involves targeting customers based on their location and delivering personalized messages or offers. With the increasing use of mobile devices and location-based technologies, retail businesses can leverage hyperlocal marketing to reach customers at the right place and time, providing them with relevant and timely information.

Targeting Customers at the Right Place and Right Time


Retail businesses can use geofencing to effectively implement hyperlocal marketing strategies, which involves setting up virtual boundaries around specific locations, such as a store or shopping center, and delivering targeted messages or offers to customers who enter these areas. This can be done through push notifications, SMS, or email campaigns.

For example, a retail store can send a push notification to customers who are within a certain radius of the store, offering them a discount or a special promotion to incentivize them to visit the store and make a purchase.


Another way to implement hyperlocal marketing is by leveraging business directories and social media platforms. Many social media platforms now allow businesses to create location-based posts or stories, which can be used to promote local events, highlight local partnerships, or share content relevant to the local community. This can help retail businesses to connect with their local audience and foster a sense of community, which can drive customer loyalty and repeat business.

Read the full story about how Hawaii restaurants are managing their business profiles to win more customers and build a strong reputation.


Download our Local Marketing for Retail Businesses Trend Report for more insights on implementing hyperlocal marketing strategies in 2023.


Personalization and Customization


In 2023, personalization and customization will continue to be key trends in retail marketing. Customers now expect personalized experiences, and retail businesses must deliver relevant content, offers, and recommendations to meet these expectations. Customization gives customers more control over their shopping experiences and creates a sense of ownership, increasing engagement and loyalty.


Delighting Customers with Tailored Experiences

One way to implement personalization and customization is through data-driven marketing. By leveraging customer data, retail businesses can gain insights into customer preferences, behaviors, and purchase history and use this information to deliver personalized recommendations or offers. For example, an online retailer can use customer browsing and purchase history data to recommend similar products or offer customized discounts based on the customer's interests.


Another way to implement personalization and customization is by offering customizable products or services. For instance, a fashion retailer can offer custom-made clothing or a beauty retailer can offer personalized beauty kits tailored to a customer's skin type or preferences. This provides a unique shopping experience for customers and allows retail businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors and create a loyal customer base.


Download our Local Marketing for Retail Businesses Trend Report to learn more about how to implement personalization and customization strategies in your retail business.


Social Commerce and Influencer Marketing


Social commerce and influencer marketing will continue to gain traction in 2023 as retailers look for innovative ways to leverage social media platforms for sales and brand advocacy. 


Social media has become integral to consumers' shopping journeys, with many turning to social media platforms for product discovery, recommendations, and reviews. Retail businesses can tap into this trend by incorporating social commerce and influencer marketing into their digital marketing strategies.


Leveraging Social Media for Sales and Brand Advocacy

Social commerce involves selling products or services directly through social media platforms. Many social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, now offer features that allow retailers to create shoppable posts or tags, where customers can click on a product in a post and directly purchase it. This seamless integration of shopping within the social media platform provides a convenient and frictionless shopping experience for customers and can significantly impact impulse purchases and conversions.


Influencer marketing, on the other hand, involves partnering with influencers or content creators on social media platforms to promote products or services. Influencers have established trust and credibility with their followers, and their recommendations can carry significant weight in purchase decisions. 


Retail businesses can collaborate with influencers whose audience aligns with their target market and leverage their reach and influence to promote their products or services. This can include sponsored posts, product reviews, or giveaways, driving brand awareness, engagement, and sales.

Download our Local Marketing for Retail Businesses Trend Report



Voice Search and Virtual Assistants


With the rise of voice assistants such as Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Google Assistant, voice search is becoming increasingly popular among consumers. Voice search allows customers to interact with their devices using voice commands, and this trend is expected to continue growing in 2023. As a result, retail businesses need to optimize their digital presence for voice search and leverage virtual assistants to enhance customer interactions.


Embracing the Future of Search and Customer Interaction

To optimize for voice search, retail businesses can focus on creating conversational and natural language content. Voice search queries tend to be more casual and longer, with customers asking questions or making specific requests. Retail businesses can create content that answers these questions or fulfills these requests conversationally. This can include creating FAQs, blog posts, or product descriptions that align with how customers ask questions in a voice search.

Read the article "Voice search: A guide to improve your Local SEO"


Why Business Profiles are crucial for voice search

1. Business profiles provide accurate and up-to-date information

Having a complete and optimized business profile, including your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and other relevant details, can ensure that your business information is accurate and consistent across various online platforms. This is crucial for optimizing voice search as voice assistants rely on accurate business information to provide accurate and relevant results to voice queries.

2. Business profiles enhance local search visibility:

Optimized business profiles can help your business appear in local search results, which is especially important for voice search queries that often have local intent. When users ask voice assistants for "nearby" or "near me" suggestions, having a well-optimized business profile can increase your visibility and improve your chances of being recommended by voice assistants.

3. Business profiles build trust and credibility:

A well-optimized business profile with positive reviews, high ratings, and updated information can help build trust and credibility with potential customers. When users ask voice assistants for recommendations, they are more likely to trust businesses with complete and accurate profiles. Positive reviews and ratings can also influence voice search results, as voice assistants may prioritize businesses with higher ratings and more positive reviews.


In conclusion, having an optimized business profile is crucial for optimizing for voice search. It provides accurate information, enhances local search visibility, and builds trust and credibility with potential customers. Make sure to invest in optimizing your business profiles across various online platforms to improve your chances of being recommended by voice assistants and staying ahead in the evolving landscape of voice search.



Download our Local Marketing for Retail Businesses Trend Report to gain insights on how to optimize your retail business for voice search and leverage virtual assistants for enhanced customer interactions.



Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality


Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are transforming the way customers experience shopping, and these technologies are expected to continue gaining momentum in 2023. AR allows customers to overlay digital content, such as product images or virtual try-on, onto the real world through their mobile devices, while VR offers immersive experiences where customers can virtually explore and interact with products or environments.


Elevating the Shopping Experience with Immersive Technologies

Retail businesses can leverage AR and VR technologies to elevate the shopping experience and provide unique and interactive experiences for customers. For example, a furniture retailer can use AR to allow customers to visualize how furniture pieces would look like in their own homes before making a purchase. A beauty retailer can use AR to enable customers to virtually try on makeup products and see how they would look on their face. This not only enhances the overall shopping experience but also helps customers make more informed purchase decisions.


In addition, VR can be used to create virtual shopping experiences where customers can virtually explore a store or browse through products in a virtual environment. This can be particularly useful for retailers who may not have a physical store presence or want to provide an immersive experience to customers who prefer to shop online. VR can also be used for virtual events, such as fashion shows or product launches, allowing customers to participate in the event from the comfort of their own homes.


So, whats next? 

Discover Mobal for retail businesses

In 2023, retail businesses need to stay ahead of the marketing trends to stay competitive and meet the changing demands of consumers. Digital marketing trends, such as social media, influencer marketing, AR/VR technologies, and data-driven personalization, are expected to continue shaping the retail landscape. 


Embracing these trends can help retail businesses create engaging and personalized customer experiences, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.


Local marketing is also expected to be crucial in retail marketing in 2023. Consumers are increasingly valuing local businesses and supporting their communities. By implementing local marketing strategies, such as local SEO, localized content, and partnerships with local organizations, retail businesses can tap into the power of local marketing and connect with their local customer base on a deeper level.


In conclusion, the retail marketing landscape in 2023 is expected to be dynamic and influenced by various digital and local marketing trends. By staying informed and incorporating these trends into their strategies, retail businesses can stay competitive, create engaging customer experiences, and build strong relationships with local communities. Take advantage of the opportunities that these trends offer. Download our Local Marketing for Retail Businesses Trend Report and stay ahead!

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