New trends and ideas emerge daily, and the blogging world is no different. New opportunities arise, and old ideas become less relevant.
As a blogger, staying up-to-date on the latest trends is important to ensure your content is relevant and engaging for your audience.
The rise of mobile technology, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other innovations has made the blogosphere a much more dynamic entity than it was just a few years ago.
As such, many new blog trends have emerged in recent months that you need to know about if you want to be relevant and successful as a blogger in 2023.
And, without wasting time, let’s dive right into the latest blogging trends…
1: The rise in e-Commerce blogging
According to Oberlo, the number of online shoppers stands at 2.14 billion, which is 27.6% of the 7.74 billion people in the world.
They actually read blogs and articles to get information about the products and services they want to purchase.
As the world of online shopping grows, so does the opportunity for bloggers to create e-Commerce content.
This can take the form of product reviews, shopping guides, style advice, and more – anything that helps people make purchasing decisions based on the expertise of a trusted blogger.
The rise of this form of blogging has been made possible by multiple trends.
For instance, the popularity of personalized shopping experiences that help people find exactly what they want and the growth of influencer marketing as a way to build trust and authority among consumers.
E-commerce blogging has massive potential. It provides an opportunity to monetize your blog while still providing the kind of content your readers want.
And if you’re looking forward to growing your freelance writing business and earning a decent income, then digital marketing is a potential blogging niche.
Keep in mind, though, that there are multiple laws and regulations that come into play when blogging about products and shopping.
For example, you need to be careful that the products you recommend aren’t being sent to you for free in exchange for a positive review.
Always be transparent about your incentives for reviewing products.
2: Growing demand for virtual reality content
First things first here…
What’s Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of real or imagined worlds that allows users to experience and interact with virtual content in a physical, believable way.
The term comes from the word ‘virtual,’ meaning something that isn’t real, and ‘reality,’ meaning something real.
In simple terms, VR is an artificial environment that you can see and hear, so you feel like you are there.
This environment can be either a simulated world or an artificial version of the user’s real world where they cannot normally go.
Virtual reality (VR) is a fast-growing and emerging technology.
A study by Grand View Research indicates that the VR market was valued at USD 21.83 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 15% from 2022 to 2030.
New virtual reality startups and established companies are investing in this technology, and many of them have already launched their own VR products or services.
As virtual reality technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, it’s no surprise that it has quickly become a go-to option for many bloggers who want to engage their readers more deeply.
The ability to transport someone to a new environment where they can experience something new has huge potential for blogging.
VR lets people experience places, events, and other things that they might not be able to otherwise – and it can do so in an extremely immersive way.
VR has been extremely useful for travel bloggers, in particular, due to the growing demand for VR content in the Global VR content creation market.
VR has also been invaluable for journalists, as it allows them to recreate events that they couldn’t be present for in real life.
VR could also be a useful way for brands to engage with their customers.
Brands that make their own VR content can let their customers experience their products or services in a completely new way.
They can create virtual tours of different places they’ve been to, bringing their readers along with them to experience those places in a more intimate way.
3: Increasing popularity of video content
Videos have been a staple of the blogosphere for a long time now. And, like many other forms of content, video is only becoming more important as time goes on.
First, it’s important to note that “video” can mean a lot of different things. You can make regular videos, like vlogs where you record yourself talking into the camera about different topics.
You can also make short videos designed to be played on Facebook and other social media platforms.
And, of course, you can make videos designed to be watched on a larger screen – this type of video is often called “online video.”
A recent study found that internet users spend 88% more time browsing websites that have videos and 72% of consumers use videos to learn more about a product rather than reading the product manual.
And another study reveals that 6 out of 10 people prefer watching online video content compared to television.
This trend will only continue growing, so it’s important to consider incorporating video into your blog content.
You can do this by creating vlogs, or video blogs, a type of blog post consisting of a video instead of text.
4: Influencer marketing is souring
As more and more brands start to understand the power of influencer marketing, likely, this trend will only get more popular in the coming years.
Influencer marketing is a form of digital marketing that builds and maintains relationships with key bloggers, journalists, and social media influencers to drive brand awareness and product sales.
When done right, an influencer marketing campaign can be an extremely effective way to build brand awareness and drive sales.
It’s no doubt! Marketers are now investing heavily in influencer marketing to generate leads and improve sales.
In 2023, brands are expected to spend $4.14 billion on influencer marketing, compared to 2021’s $3.69 billion.
In fact, 93% of marketers have used influencer marketing campaigns to promote their brands, reported excellent ROI, and recommended it as a key marketing strategy to invest in.
So, as a blogger, this is the opportune time to become an influencer or run an influencer marketing brand.
Or if you want to promote your brand, get an influencer to promote your product to their followers to help increase sales.
This is possible because influencers have large, engaged followings – and they have a direct line to those people.
5: Rising demand for live broadcasting platforms
Live streaming is a way to broadcast video content over the Internet. It’s an effective way to communicate with large audiences and an opportunity for brands to engage with consumers in real-time.
Platforms such as Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have seen the number of streams grow since the start of 2020.
As the rise of live-streaming continues, we’re seeing a corresponding rise in the importance of live-broadcasting platforms.
New sites have come up that let you live-stream on platforms such as Facebook, while other platforms have improved and become more popular.
Live streaming is a great way to engage with your readers and build your audience.
It offers a more interactive experience than other forms of content and lets your readers feel like they’re getting to know the real you.
Popular live streaming platforms have helped to expand the reach of online content.
Many people use these platforms to broadcast their lives in real-time, allowing both viewers and participants to see what is happening in the world around them.
As technology has advanced, these types of platforms have become more popular.
6: Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are two concepts that continue to be more integrated into our lives, including in the blogosphere.
We’re seeing a rise in the use of AI in everything from online shopping to autonomous cars. And it’s also becoming more common in blogging.
Many blogging platforms are integrating AI to help users create content fast and understand their readers better.
For instance, some platforms now use AI to analyze your readers’ interaction with your blog – so they can see when people tend to click away from your posts or when they tend to linger on certain sections.
There are also several tools that help you create your content using AI. These tools take your readers’ preferences into account, helping you create posts your readers will love.
7: Bloggers becoming brands (and vice versa)
Blogging doesn’t just happen on blogs anymore. Anyone with a large social media following and a loyal audience can now consider themselves “bloggers.”
And as this trend continues to grow, we’ll likely see a shift in the definition of a “blog.”
These “bloggers” can leverage their brands to create content in different formats.
They’re creating videos, podcasts, and articles on their websites and various other platforms, too.
Blogging is a surefire way to build brand awareness, generate leads, drive traffic to your site, and increase sales.
It’s also a way to position yourself as an authority on a given subject – expertise that can turn you into a power player in your industry or niche.
According to active blogs, 81% of US consumers believe blogs as the right source of advice and information.
It’s also evident that small businesses that blog get 126% more traffic than businesses that don’t blog.
Besides, a study by DemandMetric reports that 70% of consumers use articles from a company blog to get information on their products and services, and not through advertisement as was the trend in the past.
These statistics prove that bloggers are an authority in the marketing world, and many businesses now invest heavily in bloggers to improve sales and achieve higher ROIs.
8: Data-driven content is winning
Marketing has come a long way since the days of candlelight and newspaper classified ads. Now, we have hyper-targeted Facebook Ads and Google AdWords.
In other words, we have data at our fingertips that makes marketing easier than ever before. However, just because it’s easier to market doesn’t mean marketing is easy.
It takes an incredible amount of original research, testing, and use of data-driven content to understand what works best for your target audience.
According to Orbit Media Studios, 75% of articles that are not well researched never get any external link whereas 50% get 2 or fewer Facebook interactions.
Sounds pathetic, right?
Data-driven content is content created based on the data your business has acquired through consumer interactions and third parties.
Using this data, you can create different types of content your target audience will find useful and informative, leading them to take action.
In addition, a recent study by Invesp indicates that 40% of brands are now considering increasing their budgets on data-driven marketing budgets while 88% of marketers use data from third parties to gain a real understanding of their target audience.
Here are the top three reasons why data-driven research is winning massively in the marketing arena.
- Delivers top-quality content
- Content converts at a higher rate
- Increases brand recognition
Bottom line
It’s going to be a very exciting few years for blogging. Keep an eye on these ideas, and use them to your advantage!
Blogging is a great way to share your knowledge and expertise with the world. You can use this opportunity to build your brand, establish your expertise, and show professionalism.
If you want to stand out from the crowd, you must constantly watch emerging blogging trends.
Avoid burying your head in the stone-age blogging, as this will only keep you lagging behind while other bloggers keep winning.
