Can you believe the year is almost over?! As 2023 comes into focus, we’ve turned our thoughts to the social media trends to watch out for. From an increase in video content to the growth in AI technology, read on for our top social media trends in 2023…
A focus on authentic connections?
Facebook has been eager to place more of a focus on ‘authentic’ connections in recent years, with the Facebook algorithm favouring posts from friends and family, as opposed to businesses.[i] This is likely to continue into 2023, as is the trend for businesses to struggle with low reach when it comes to organic posts. That’s why paid advertising can be very successful on Facebook. Could we also see the monetisation of messaging?[ii] It will be interesting to see how the metaverse develops next year, how the way we create content changes, and how we can utilise this for our clients.
The continuing popularity of influencer marketing
There has been a 465% increase in searches for the phrase “influencer marketing” on Google alone since 2016.[iii] The use of influencers to promote products, restaurants and more can be highly successful. This is something that is likely to continue into 2023, with brands investing more in using influencers for their business. We have certainly found influencers to be useful for many of our clients, especially restaurants and bars.
A further push for video content
As platforms continue to keep up with the increasing popularity of TikTok, we’re likely to see the preference for user generated video content continue to grow in 2023.[iv] How will YouTube shorts and Instagram reels evolve next year? Will video content continue to grow? And will we see new features by social media platforms? Will TikTok continue in its popularity? We will have to see what happens, but we think social media video content is likely to carry on in an upwards trend.
More verified blue ticks
Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk has been causing quite a stir in the ‘Twitterverse’. He has recently announced the introduction of colour coded verified ticks[v]: blue for individuals, grey for government accounts, and gold for companies. He also said all verified accounts would be “manually authenticated”. It will be interesting to see if this will come at a cost or if the ticks will be free of charge to the user. We’re also interested to see if this will reduce spam and bot accounts in 2023.
A rise in livestream shopping
Have you ever bought anything during a livestream? This interactive experience allows you to make purchases in real-time and to have any questions you may have about a product answered. This is something that is likely to grow in popularity, especially on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. In fact, live shopping sales may make up 20% of all eCommerce sales by 2026.[vi] It will be interesting to see how TikTok pushes this next year.
The use of social media for customer service
64% of people would rather message than call a business.[vii] The use of social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook can be a quick and convenient way for customers to reach out to businesses. Many of our hospitality clients receive a large volume of customer service-related messages on Facebook and Instagram. The demand for social media customer service is likely to increase, so businesses should think about investing more in this.
The growth of Artificial Intelligence
36% of marketers predict AI will have a significant impact on marketing performance this year.[viii] We can likely expect the use of AI to continue, when it comes to many things including social media. From AI tools and machine learning to the targeting of social ads and the improvement of algorithms, there’s no escaping AI. It will be interesting to see how it evolves into next year and beyond.
We’re excited to see how brands champion these trends in the new year. What are your top predictions for 2023? Let us know!
Do you want to get up to speed with the latest social media trends and boost your engagement next year? Start a conversation with us.
If you’d like more social media inspiration, check out our blog: Why Consistency is Crucial to Effective Content Marketing.
[i] https://www.facebook.com/formedia/blog/news-feed-fyi-bringing-people-closer-together
[ii] https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/Meta-Outlines-Plan-to-Reignite-Revenue-Growth/635077/
[iii] https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing/#toc-5
[iv] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190220005302/en/Stackla-Survey-Reveals-Disconnect-Between-the-Content-Consumers-Want-What-Marketers-Deliver
[v] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/25/elon-musk-to-launch-new-blue-gold-and-grey-twitter-ticks
[vi] https://influencermarketinghub.com/live-shopping-trends/
[vii] https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2021/02/21/10-ways-ai-and-machine-learning-are-improving-marketing-in-2021/?sh=7333e11514c8
