As the digital space expands, there are more unique digital marketing channels for businesses to engage with their consumers. From podcasts to NFTs, the digital marketing space has transformed! Allowing businesses to build value and trust with their audiences in unique and exciting ways!

Here Are 10 of The Best Unique Digital Marketing Channels To Use In 2023

Podcasts

Podcasts feel like an ingrained part of our media culture, even though they were created less than 20 years ago. Now, podcasts are one of the most popular pieces of consumed media. About 57% of the population listens to podcasts. Statista predicts that there will be 160 million podcast listeners in 2023!

But just because a platform is trending doesn’t mean that investing in it will bring you new customers or a great ROI. The good news is, podcasts may help you do both of those things.

As you create your digital marketing strategy, you typically consider three things. One, how will we get new customers to be interested in our brand? Two, how will we get these customers to convert and make purchases? Three, how will we build deeper relationships with our current customers, so they return to us again and again? Well, in order to get potential customers to become returning customers, they have to trust your brand. Podcasts are useful resources to help you build trust with your audience. As customers look for more authentic brands, podcasts offer the ability to connect directly with your audience using authentic, long-form content.

2 Ways To Utilize Podcasts

There are two different ways to utilize podcasts. You can create your own podcast or purchase ads on a podcast your audience already loves!

If you’re looking to purchase ads in existing podcasts, trust can be built much quicker. Most of the time, podcast listeners form a deep connection with one or two podcasts, building trust with the host. So, if the audience trusts the host, and the host seemingly trusts your brand, it is much easier for the audience to trust your brand. For example, if your business sells cookware, then advertising on cooking podcasts could offer immediate conversion.

If you start your own podcast, the intention should be to build deeper relationships and offer valuable thought leadership to your current audience. Your intention shouldn’t be immediately converting new prospects into buyers. This is not to say that a podcast won’t lead to new customers, as it absolutely will, but the intention should be connecting with an audience base that already exists, however small. Podcasts can help your brand deepen trust and create ambassadors for your company.

Texting & Chat

While a solid email marketing strategy can never be replaced, brands are starting to integrate texting and chat features to engage with customers. Drift’s State of Conversational Marketing report says that almost 42% of consumers use conversational AI and chatbots when making purchases. This makes texting and chat a vital new channel to invest in, and one of the most engaging unique digital marketing channels to use.

Video

The need for brands to invest in video content is growing year after year. Video content is essential for brands trying to grow on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, but it can also be incredibly beneficial on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social sites. Statisica found that 60% of survey responders watched YouTube multiple times per day, and 54% watched TikToks more than twice.

Video helps increase conversions, build relationships, and increase ROI, but most importantly, your customers learn and build trust more easily through video.

Wondering what content to include in your videos? Try repurposing web or social content. If you have a successful blog or provide valuable content through your Instagram captions, turn that content into video. Then be sure to use analytics to see what your customers like!

Some content ideas include:

• Live video: When you have an update about your organization, try hopping on a live video. Most of the time, the social media site will notify your followers about your video and help you drive engagement.
• How-to: Share knowledge about your products and industry while providing value and building trust with your audience.
• Explainer video: This can include an explanation of anything from your product to your brand’s mission.
• Testimonials: Ask a customer to create a video sharing why they love your brand. Adding more social proof to your website and other digital spaces is always a good idea.

It’s also important to remember that your content does not have to be professionally produced. Authentic content created using your phone can be just as impactful. As long as the audio and video are clear and the content is easily digestible, there is no need to hire a professional videographer.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing works very similarly to influencer marketing. In its most basic form, affiliate marketing is when influencers, celebrities, and sometimes other brands are paid to promote your products or services. Although there are a few differences between influencer and affiliate marketing, two of the key differences are the process of lead generation and payment.

Basically, when a company starts an affiliate marketing program, they allow brands and individuals to sign up to be an affiliate. Marketing an affiliate program to influencers and brands can easily be done on websites like FlexOffers. This means your marketing team does not need to seek out influencers like they would as part of an influencer marketing program.

Additionally, instead of paying influencers for a post that may or may not lead to conversions, you only pay affiliates when a purchase is made. When affiliates market your product, they each have a unique link that allows you to track purchases made due to their efforts. When a purchase is made, affiliates usually receive a percentage of the sale.

Public Relations

Positive media coverage from trusted sources can drive customer growth and increase brand trust with existing customers. In the past decade, many businesses have moved away from investing in PR and instead invested in newer strategies like social, which is why we included it in a list of unique channels. Public relations is an effective tool for companies and can quickly help them reach their business goals while authentically building their image and presence.

E-Books

Creating an e-book is a great lead-generation tool and a great way to provide value to existing audiences. First, think of a topic that your audience would want to know more about (e.g. for us, it could be unique digital marketing channels!) So again, if your business sells cookware, an e-book on how to care for your cookware or a guide to purchasing cookware might be valuable to your audience.

Once your e-book is created, you can use it as a gift when someone signs up for your organization’s email list, or you could even sell it on Amazon!

Events

Whether the event is in-person or virtual, events can be an excellent investment. During the Covid-19 pandemic, screen fatigue caused a drop-off in attendee rates, consider an on-demand event.

On-demand events, like webinars and pre-built courses, are typically shorter than other events and can be watched and rewatched whenever your audience has time. Additionally, the content can be used and repurposed throughout time. The time investment required to produce the content can continue to impact your marketing efforts.

NFTs

Blockchain technology is one of the newest strategies digital marketers can implement in 2023. NFTs or non-fungible tokens are unique digital assets that can be bought and sold. For example, when an artist creates a painting on canvas, like the Mona Lisa, people can find prints and replicas of the piece of art online, but the actual Mona Lisa can only be owned by one person or entity. NFTs are each like digital Mona Lisas.

Many brands have started to partner with popular NFT creators to market their products. Some brands have even given away free NFTs to customers to build trust.

User Experience and User Interface ((UX/UI)

So, you’ve created an engaging digital marketing plan that has increased your website traffic, but your customers aren’t buying. This is where an investment in UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) are essential.

In the past a website could consist of one webpage with your phone number and a list of services. Now, users expect a smooth and engaging online experience. Without one, your website may fail to convert.

So what’s the difference between traditional website design and a UI/UX designed website? While traditional design ensures your website is attractive and includes all the relevant information. UI/UX optimized websites focus on user behaviours, needs, and psychology to determine how to best support conversion.

Don’t Know Which Unique Digital Marketing Channels to Use and Want a Hand?

Our team have over 30 years of combined digital experience, and would love to work with you on your digital marketing project! Get in touch with us, and let’s have a chat.