2023 Trends
At GJ, trends aren’t just something to chase after. They are a chance to check the pulse and take the temperature, to gauge where our industry is doing its best work and to decide how our energy will be best spent. At the start of 2023, we surveyed the landscape and picked out a few trends that are making us pay attention.
It’s all about the user (generated content).
You can’t put a price on user-generated content. These free, organic pieces of content give a fresh voice to unknown and well-established brands, cutting through the usual advertising noise with something heartfelt and direct. Most importantly, UGC drives strong engagement and gets brands more involved.
It has been a great tool to leverage as we spread the word about exciting new developments across the country.
Keep it brief.
When it comes to video content, we live by one rule: the shorter the better.
Our TikTok launch last year taught us how quick and digestible complicated topics like real estate can be when they are in the right hands. 92% of global users take action after watching a TikTok, and so are we.
But this goes so much further than one app. TikToks, Reels, YouTube Shorts – it’s all trending in the same direction. Short-form video is set to see more growth in 2023 than any other marketing strategy.
We could go on and on, but we’ll keep this concise. If you want to learn more, check out our blog on Why Everyone Loves TikTok.
SEO all the way.
Search-optimized ads are nothing new, but as the fourth most popular marketing trend, they are here to stay. And the applications only continue to grow. Increasingly, people are using social platforms like TikTok as their go-to search engines. The ability to assign keywords to posts is creating countless new possibilities to reach the right audience.
As more companies recruit experts, SEO is yielding greater insights, impressions and both long- and short-term returns. This year, 88% of marketers with a concrete SEO strategy will boost or maintain their investment. That is as sure a bet as any.
AR you ready, kids?
Augmented reality filters on social media are giving users new ways to see the world around them and offering companies new ways to connect with their core audience. Whether it’s trying on a virtual pair of Nikes or seeing what you would look like with Ray-Ban sunglasses, AR is proving to be the perfect interactive experience between brands and customers.
Apps like Instagram make these filters readily available and addictively reshareable. While some industries have been slower to adopt these dynamic tools, we only expect them to grow more ubiquitous as the 2020s unfold.
As GJ celebrates its 40th anniversary, we are continuing to pay close attention to the ways all these trends play out. As we look to the future, we hope you will follow along with us. Check us out on social media or here on our website for more industry observations!
A Grand Virtual Opening
Introducing and building excitement for one of the most significant new master-planned communities in Temecula required a smart marketing solution. With the highly anticipated festival-like celebration put on hold to ensure the safety of prospective homebuyers and our builder partners, we needed to switch gears and take the show online.
Say hello to the first-ever Sommers Bend Virtual Builder Fair. What was once planned to be an in-person extravaganza became an engaging collection of virtual sessions between builders and prospects—a creative introduction to the community and its esteemed builders.
Answered: 176
With our builder partners anxious to provide an experience to the prospective buyers at Sommers Bend, Gunn | Jerkens set to task by coordinating and moderating three separate virtual sessions, including curating visuals, fielding real-time questions and obtaining key insights.
As for the results, they speak for themselves. We tripled the anticipated attendance with all three sessions nearing capacity, streamed and fielded hundreds of qualified questions, provided pertinent information to engaged audiences and most of all made a great first impression for Sommers Bend.
This may have been a master-planned community first, but as the marketing landscape continues to evolve, we know we’ll continue to level-up the marketing. Keep your eyes and screens open—you never know what’s coming next.
