Time and time again, working in social media has shown us that the only constant in this industry is CHANGE. Every year, social platforms continue to evolve and develop, and social media marketing trends shift and take on a life of their own.
With so many businesses clamoring for attention on social media, it’s important to have a strategic approach to ensure that your brand stands out. One of the best tools to add to your strategy kit is trendspotting. Making sure that you know what’s currently trending and what works best for each platform is essential.
So, what’s on the horizon for this year? Keep reading to learn more about the social media marketing trends you should keep an eye on in 2023.
1) Authenticity and Transparency
According to Sprout Social, 86% of American consumers say that transparency is one of the biggest things they look for in a business today. Because so many people are on social media today, brands are being held more accountable than ever before. The same Sprout Social study also shows us that 32% of consumers say that a CEO’s transparency on social media would inspire them to buy more from than business. Social media gave consumers more of a voice, and as a business, it’s important to listen.
So if you haven’t already, 2023 is the year to start cultivating authentic human connections with your online community. Gone are the days of hard sales – these days people want transparency and authenticity from their brands. It’s time to build connections!
2) The Rise of TikTok and the Gen Z Audience Base
Did you know that nearly 40% of Gen Z users go to TikTok to learn about and buy new products? And that’s only according to a 2021 survey by IRi! We think it’s safe to say that, if you haven’t already, it’s time to add TikTok to your list of essential social media platforms for your business in 2023. Especially if you want to connect with a younger audience.
According to explodingtopics.com, the percentage of marketers that use the platform has been growing rapidly – with 68% of marketers saying they use TikTok in 2021, compared to only 16% in early 2020. It’s time to add yourself to that statistic (or hire a social media team to do it for you if the thought of navigating a new platform sounds too stressful).
3) Social Media Shopping
As the pandemic accelerated the growth of online shopping, we’ve also seen a huge growth in social media shopping – with many social media platforms integrating shoppable post functions into their user interface. Facebook and Instagram remain the most popular social platforms to sell your products on, with 36% of social media users purchasing products directly from Facebook, followed by 24.5% of consumers using Instagram to buy products (according to a HubSpot survey).
Aligning your content strategy with social shopping functions is an increasingly effective way to make conversions. Instead of directing your audience to your website, social shopping cuts out the middle man, allowing customers to shop your products while they scroll through their Instagram feeds! Make sure you take advantage of these social shopping features for your business and start converting more of your followers now.
4) Video Content is 'Reel'y Fun!
For years now, “Video Content” has appeared on social media and digital marketing trend lists, but with the popularity of TikTok and Instagram Reels rising in 2022, it’s becoming accessible to a larger user base than ever. With 86% of businesses saying they use video as a marketing tool, there’s really no excuse for not having fun with video content.
In particular, short-form video content continues to rise in popularity in 2023. Along with platforms like TikTok where short-form video content reigns supreme, other platforms have introduced new features like Youtube Shorts or Twitter Fleets, allowing users to share short videos. On Instagram, shorter Reels tend to perform better than longer ones, as users are more likely to let the video loop, gaining more views and pushing it to more users on the platform. Marketing executive Mireia Boronat says that 7 to 15 seconds tends to be the best-performing length for Instagram Reels today.
5) Digital Spend is Higher Than Ever
Organic reach vs. paid reach has long been the bane of every social media marketer’s life, and in 2023, that’s not changing any time soon. According to Hootsuite, the average organic reach of a Facebook post is just 5.2%. That means if you aren’t setting aside a budget for paid social media marketing reach, you can’t expect to compete with bigger brands.
This year, most major brands have a firmly cemented presence in their social media space, which is even more reason to be strategic with your brand’s social media. If you use social media marketing to promote your business, it’s essential to assign an ad budget to your account, and keep up to date with the latest trends like the ones we’ve mentioned in this post.
Alternatively, if you don’t have the time and energy to do that, you could hire a digital marketing agency to stay on top of things for you… 😉😉
