The digital world moves so fast, and customer expectations continue to grow. So missing a trend or using outdated methods can slow down your progress and result in your brand losing relevance and trust in the industry.

As of 2022, a staggering 6.6 billion people — or 86% of the global population — are smartphone users. This number is expected to reach 7.7 billion by 2027. This data shows how much opportunity a brand could be missing out on if mobile marketing isn’t already playing a central role in digital campaigns.

Let’s explore the top mobile marketing trends for 2023 that will help you stay up-to-date and ahead of the curve. 

1. Mobile Commerce

Every smartphone user has probably experienced making a mobile commerce transaction. Mobile commerce or m-commerce is the mobile-optimized adaptation of e-commerce - buying and selling goods and services using mobile devices.

Mobile commerce often occurs on digital shopping platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Shopify, but you can also complete it through social media. The trend took off during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a 55% increase in revenue was generated through mobile shopping in 2020 alone.

Social media still plays a key role in digital marketing as the number of users and platforms continues to rise. Judging by the continuous popularity of mobile shopping, mobile commerce will continue to gain traction. So, if you want your business to make an impact, leverage the power of mobile commerce to reach and engage many consumers.

2. Optimizing for Voice Search

Voice search has rapidly evolved over the past few years as more and more consumers are using voice-controlled devices such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri to find information online. So businesses need to pay attention to this growing trend.

Businesses that wish to optimize for voice search should optimize their website for local SEO. They can do this by adding location-specific keywords into content and meta tags. Their content should be easily discoverable. Creating more FAQ-style pages with long tail keywords will increase their visibility in mobile search results.

3. Mobile Streaming Video Content

Video has always played a crucial role in digital marketing but it’s now the dominant form of content across the internet. According to a Cisco study, online video streaming and downloads accounted for 82% of internet traffic in 2022.

Mobile videos are easily shareable and provide a rich, immersive experience that captures users’ attention. When it comes to mobile marketing trends, TikTok is a clear winner. The short-form video content app has been downloaded more than 3 billion times and is currently the most downloaded app in the world. YouTube and Instagram have also adopted similar short-form video content strategies.

4. Chatbots

Utilizing AI chatbots solves problems, answers queries, and provides the hint of humanity your audience is searching for. It’s expected that the chatbot market will rise to $1.3 billion by 2024, making now an integral time to add them to your mobile marketing strategy.

They serve as an analytics storage tool, and with the correct programming, you can have them provide answers to frequently asked questions. Once chatbots have spent enough time with your audience, they can offer intelligent answers and a conversational language that converts.

5. Mobile Games as Social Networks

Today, mobile games are enjoyed by billions of people worldwide and are becoming increasingly social. The wide-scale adoption of 5G networks and cloud data has made playing mobile games more immersive, with less lag and better synchronization and interaction for multiple gamers in different locations.

According to Allied Market Research, the global in-game advertising market value is poised to reach $17.6 billion by 2030.