It’s that time when entrepreneurs declare their 2023 marketing predictions, and seemingly everyone sets goals, decides on their word of the year, and looks ahead to how they can make 2023 THEIR YEAR! If you’ve rolled up your sleeves and are committed to making this year the one that you finally start that business that lets you travel, you’re in the right place.

Here are the 2023 marketing predictions I’m betting on for 2023.

1. Social Media is a Catch-All, But Not a Marketing Plan (HOORAY!)

It has been YEARS since I’ve heard a scream this loud about the overwhelm around social media. We are sick of it for so many reasons.

We’re tired of living through the lens of someone else’s by mindlessly scrolling through reels when the world is happening in front of our eyes.

We’re sick of feeling like we have to be “on” all the time to keep up with the algorithm so our audience can find us by mindlessly scrolling through wheels when the world is happening in front of their eyes.

We’re exhausted by keeping up with all the trends, hype, changes, “supposed tos,” and comments.

We’re tired of feeling the pressure to reply to comments FAST because, if we don’t, *gasp* the algorithm will know we’re not tethered to our phone!

It. Is. Exhausting. And in 2023, that exhaustion will finally cave in.

Sure, there will be a place for social media, but that’s not where the real magic will happen for businesses. It’ll happen through organic relationship-building. It’ll happen through SEO. It’ll happen through shared experiences. It’ll happen in front of other people’s platforms. Social media will become a nice-to-have instead of a need-to-have.

(I mean, if that last sentence doesn’t make you want to jump up and pop confetti, I don’t know what will, but I’ll keep going regardless).

2. Long or Short, Fine. But Ditch the In Between

SEO is coming back to being the cool kid on the block. It has always kind of been there, but it’s been that guy whose back was leaned up against the brick wall watching all the other crazy platforms do their thing and burn out in the process.

Now, he’s going to stand back up, slyly put out his cigarette, pop his collar, and walk back onto the scene as the thing to dominate the New Year.

To get there, he’s going to ask two things of you:

• Feed long-form content that is worth your audience giving it attention. No. More. Fluff.
• Feed short-form content that is entertaining enough to capture the hearts and minds of your buyers.

Those middle-ground, 500 – 700 word blog posts are fine to use later in the journey (like when your audience is considering buying from you and wants to get to know you better). But they’ll do nothing for you regarding getting found and getting an audience. You’ll need to go deep and get more emotionally charged with your content to capture attention closer to the start of your audience’s journey.

3. Extend That Runway (Your Buyers Need It)

It’s not a secret that times are tough. The word recession keeps rolling off the tongues of journalists and politicians like it’s no big thing, while buyers are sending pictures of grocery store shelves and price tags on eggs to their friends, saying, “WTF?!”

Buyers are still spending, sure. But they’re also spending more cautiously and carefully. That hesitation has meant that people will need a longer runway to purchase from you. They’ll want more information, more nurturing, and more reassurance that their hard-earned money is going to someone or somewhere that will help them move the needle.

4. Personalization Through Automation Will Keep Being a Thing (Which is Awesome News for Us Roadpreneurs)

To automate is human. To automate is human. To automate is human.

I wrote that three times because so many people shy away from automation because of the lack of human touch behind them. I beg to differ.

In today’s world, consumers expect instant gratification. They want to instantly access the course they just bought. They want to get a shipping notice within 24 hours or less so they know that the package they ordered is on its way and not getting lost in the universe somewhere. They want acknowledgment that the action they just took was the right action and that they’re in the right place.

We’re accustomed to automation. And, when you can personalize which automations your buyer receives based on their unique journey, it’ll feel like there’s a human touch on the backend of it.

The more you can design your funnels, systems, and event-driven triggers (fancy speak for which automations are triggered when a specific event happens, like a sign-up for your opt-in) to feel personal and like there was a human who put that intentionality behind it, the better.

And that’s great news for you as a Roadpreneur! It means you can design a business that lets you go off the grid more often without worrying that your peeps aren’t getting taken care of in the way they need. Win. Win. WIN!!!!

5. Show Up to be Helpful Instead of Boastful

There’s a copywriting strategy I, and almost every other online copywriter, teaches — Bridging the before and after. It happens when you showcase the before state (where your audience is right now), then show what could be in the after state (where your audience wishes they could be). Then, you bridge that gap and show them how you’ll help them reach their dreams.

It’s a great framework. The problem? Too many businesses forget the last critical piece of sheperding their audience across the bridge. Instead, they sit at the other side shouting, “Hey, look! I made it across! Come on over!” and then don’t actually roll up their sleeves to help them make it there.

Sure, they’ve laid out a bridge of content and support, but then it’s left up to the customer to navigate that journey across while lava explodes up alongside them (picture, Shrek and the donkey trying to reach the princess in the tower).

Customers are onto these marketing tactics. Next year, the wiser market will pay more attention to helpful people rather than boastful about their journey across that bridge.

This is why I’m committed to sending you a newsletter with tactical tips each week.

It’s also why I put together a free masterclass for you on how to make money from the road.

And it’s why I’m going through this list in more depth on January 4th in a live masterclass on how to implement these areas so you can build a business from the backroads in 2023. Join me for this free live by signing up here.

We see you 2023! And we’re ready to make this our best year yet!