In order to predict the social media trends that will gain popularity in 2023, one does not require the abilities of a fortune teller, but rather access to data.
By combining data on performance and consumer preferences, a clear depiction of the upcoming year can be formed. This does not refer to predicting future TikTok audio trends, but rather understanding the factors influencing audience behavior and determining where your brand stands in relation to them.
If you are one of the organizations that rely on social data daily, which accounts for 60%, then you are already making progress. In this article, we will discuss the essential statistics that are propelling new social media trends in 2023.
1. Brands with an engaged social media community will win in 2023
Instead of focusing solely on sharing content, many brands believe that social media involves much more. The remaining aspect is establishing a community, which means connecting and actively interacting with the audience. To determine whether you have an engaged community, keep an eye out for the following indicators:
- Unprompted promotion of your brand
- Sharing of your content
- Communal celebration of brand milestones and successes
- Relationship building rooted in an interest in your brand and/or products
According to our survey, 90% of social media marketers say building an active online community is crucial to a successful social media strategy in 2023. It’s so important that it’s their second-biggest goal for 2023.
Analyzing consumer data, we can understand the reason behind this. According to our survey, within the last three months, 20% of social media users have become members of an online community, with 22% actively engaging in these communities. Among those who actively participate, approximately 21% consider product discovery as the primary advantage.
Given these considerations, the question arises as to which platform is most suitable for building an online community. There is a division among social media marketers, as some prefer Facebook while others favor Instagram. Our recommendation is to initially establish a presence on the platform where your target audience is most active. This initial experience can then be utilized to shape your approach on other platforms.
2. Social media is the future of e-commerce
Shopping on social media gained significant popularity in 2022. Features such as shopping tabs and “save later” buttons on platforms like Instagram facilitated seamless in-app purchases. Beginning with product discovery, social media emerged as the top choice among individuals aged 18 to 54 for exploring and encountering new products.
When considering purchases, it is observed that more than 20% of social media users from Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X have made direct purchases within a social media app in the last three months. Furthermore, social media marketers have observed an increase in social shopping, with 47% of surveyed marketers also reporting sales made within the app.
Moreover, approximately 80% of social media marketers argue that consumers are more likely to make frequent purchases on social apps compared to brands’ websites or third-party platforms such as Amazon.
Even though these statistics exist, a significant number of consumers still have concerns when it comes to making purchases on social media. According to the survey we conducted, just 41% of social media users feel at ease buying products on social media platforms, and merely 37% have faith in these platforms to safeguard their card details.
The top three concerns that were reported by users of social media are:
- The legitimacy of the brand (54%)
- The ability to get a refund (48%)
- The quality of the product (44%)
Among all the apps offering in-app purchases, Instagram is the one consumers say offers the best shopping experience. Social media marketers also believe it offers the best ROI and marketing tools. So, if there’s one place to start, the survey suggests that Instagram is the best call.
3. DMs will be consumers’ preferred customer service channel
There is a possibility that your brand may receive an increased number of customer service requests through direct messages this year.
Approximately 20% of social media users from Generation Z, Millennials, and Generation X have reached out to a brand through direct messages (DMs) for customer service within the previous three months. Additionally, it is anticipated by 84% of social media marketers that this method will become the favored channel for consumer assistance in 2023.
A majority of brands seem to have made arrangements for this, as 76% of social media marketers have stated that their company presently provides customer service via social media, and 42% have mentioned that offering customer service through direct messages is a main aspect of their job.
When delving further into the data, it can be observed that among companies utilizing direct messages (DMs) for customer service, 43% assign the task of responding to customers to a customer service representative, whereas 41% entrust this responsibility to the marketer in charge of overseeing the platform.
This is an indication that you should create a strategy for directing customer service requests via social media through appropriate channels.
4. Search engines lose steam as consumers turn to social search
In 2023, social media marketers predict that consumers will search for brands on social media more frequently than they will through search engines, as stated by our survey findings.
Based on our survey, it was discovered that a higher percentage of individuals aged 18 to 54, specifically 24%, prefer using social media platforms rather than search engines to seek out brands. This percentage significantly increases to 36% among the Generation Z population. In what manner are social media users utilizing the search function? They use it for the purpose of finding:
- People (58%)
- Interesting content (57%)
- Brands (32%)
- Ideas/inspiration (32%)
- Products/services to buy (31%)
Google’s senior vice president of Knowledge & Information, Prabhakar Raghavan, confirmed in 2022 that social platforms were consuming Google’s core products, namely Search and Maps.
According to the Google executive, around 40% of young individuals do not utilize Google Maps or Search when searching for a lunch spot. Instead, they turn to platforms such as TikTok or Instagram. Raghavan elaborated that modern young consumers desire search results that are visually engaging, and they tend to avoid text-focused search engines.
Here are the top recommendations from social media marketers on how to optimize your profiles for social search.
- Including relevant keywords and hashtags in your posts and bio.
- Making sure your username is easy to search for.
- Having a consistent username across accounts.
5. “Edutainment” content will rule
Edutainment is no longer limited to children only. Some specific industries have recognized the worth of producing enjoyable, educational content. By 2023, everyone will join in on the excitement.
Brands in the fintech industry achieved significant success last year by creating valuable content that is worth saving. To better understand what we are referring to, you can refer to Chime’s TikTok account. Their content effectively combines humor regarding relatable financial difficulties with genuinely useful suggestions on managing finances.
The rising popularity of short-form videos creates the ideal environment for the success of fun facts, tutorials, and explainers on social media. As a result, it is not surprising that educational content is a top priority for most marketers when collaborating with creators.
Take advantage of this opportunity to clarify a common misunderstanding in your industry or share a useful life hack involving your product. Analyze your FAQs and social media messages to identify relevant questions or topics for discussion. Consider creative ways to address these issues through engaging videos on TikTok or Instagram Reels.
6. Businesses will put more money behind video production
At this stage, we can confidently state that video is here to stay.
When TikTok was a new platform, it made sense for companies to assign video creation to their social media team. However, with the average American now spending 80 minutes daily on TikTok, business leaders understand that it is no longer an emerging platform but a prominent one.
In order to ensure that their brand can differentiate itself in the current social media environment, innovative companies will allocate additional resources to video production equipment and personnel. As a result, it is likely that you will receive extra assistance in tasks such as video editing, directing, and brand storytelling.
If there is no ongoing discussion, it is necessary to commence the process of advocating for a new team member without delay. Assist your management team in comprehending the consequences that may arise from neglecting the expansion of the social media team at the appropriate moment. Subsequently, illustrate a precise picture of the potential outcomes that can be achieved with supplementary video production resources.
7. BeReal will be a turning point for brands
BeReal gained immense popularity in 2022 as one of the most popular social media trends. This newcomer impressed users and left marketers puzzled. After all, how are we expected to utilize an app that doesn’t provide incentives for continuous usage?
Instead of joining others in trying to figure out how to promote their brand on the network, take the chance to broaden your perspective. It is essential to comprehend why vertical networks, closed communities, and apps like BeReal are flourishing while consumer social media fatigue is increasing, as this understanding will have a significant impact on shaping your strategy.
In the upcoming months, BeReal might introduce advertising features for brands. It is crucial to determine the appearance of authenticity for your brand and fully embrace it.
In 2023, your business’s success on social media will depend on brand authenticity. Instead of paying attention to temporary viral trends, concentrate on understanding what is significant to your audience and business.
8. Businesses will experiment with emerging (and re-emerging) networks
When it comes to emerging platforms, make sure to stay updated on the latest social networks. It is highly likely that you will establish a new brand account on at least one of them in 2023. Last year, significant changes within popular networks made users feel less important compared to profit-driven business decisions. As a result, a large number of people are now actively searching for their next beloved online community.
As the social media landscape changes, networks such as Mastodon, Tumblr, Hive, and Discord have emerged as noteworthy rising stars. By exploring these new platforms, audiences can determine which trends are temporary and which ones are here to stay, allowing brands to make informed decisions.
When determining whether or not your audience is incorporating a new network into their social media mix, there are several approaches you can take.
To begin with, attempt conducting a poll on your most engaged social media account to assess the level of interest in a particular network. Next, utilize a tool for social listening to analyze the complete conversation related to the network. Delve into sentiment and demographic data to ascertain if it corresponds well with the preferences of your audience.
9. The creator economy will continue to blossom
In 2023, creator and influencer viewership is predicted to reach 10 trillion views per month on all platforms, based on data from Tubular Labs, a video analytics firm. Comparatively, in 2022, influencer content was viewed 13.2 times more frequently than media and brand content.
If you fail to use creator marketing in the next 12 months, you will be missing a significant opportunity.
As the playing field becomes more diverse and focused, brands will be able to find and connect with creators that operate within their target market, enabling them to generate more engagement, strengthen social communities, and reach new audiences. Marketers across industries collaborate with creators to achieve these objectives.
If you are looking for a new creator partnership, begin by exploring within your own community. Take a look at your followers, superfans, customers, and partners. It is likely that you will discover a group of people who have increasingly large audiences and would be excited to collaborate with your brand.
10. Employee advocacy will be the social media trend to talk about
In 2023, brands will utilize their workforce to function as creators. For a while now, employee advocacy has been a valuable but often overlooked strategy in social media marketing. However, due to the expensive nature of paid ads and the decrease in organic reach, it will finally gain significant attention this year.
Companies that have already implemented advocacy programs are seeing an increase in brand awareness and qualified job applicants, on top of gaining more control over brand messaging and thought leadership.
Advocacy will increasingly become the preferred approach to establish a brand presence within an industry as more success stories emerge.
You can use this program launch checklist to generate ideas on how advocacy could be implemented within your company. Focus on defining the specific objectives you aim to accomplish and establish a metric for measuring success as you implement your strategy.
