As today’s internet users have ever-changing needs and preferences, it’s no surprise that social media platforms must continuously adapt to remain relevant. We can’t help it, but the trends come and go in a blink of an eye.
Who would’ve thought we say goodbye to plain simple status updates this fast? And now memes and short videos are everywhere. Oh, not to mention that we didn’t know TikTok marketing would make this very far.
We’re still in the year 2022, but every business already took some notes and is ready to take a headstart to plan the next year’s strategy. From freshly-launched eCommerce platforms to deep-pocket big corporations, businesses try to keep updated with the latest social media trends to remain competitive.
While new social media trends can feel never-ending, they give you opportunities to experiment and connect with your audience in a different, more effective way.
Now, the burning question would be, “what’s on the horizon for 2023?”
We’ve rounded up some of the most promising social media trends for the next year.
Keeping Up with Social Media Trends: Why Bother?
But first, let’s make it clear why businesses need to bother with social media trends in the first place. You’ll understand what you might have been missing out on and why you should consider implementing some of the upcoming trends into your social media strategy.
Reason #1. Better Understand Audiences
Social media is all about understanding your audience’s needs and wants. And what they want changes all the time, so it’s essential to keep up with the trends.
This way, you’ll know what exactly they want from your brand and how you can give it to them.
Reason #2. Show the Audience that You’re an Expert in Your Field
By being one of the first businesses to adopt new social media trends, you can show your target audiences that you’re not only keeping up with the latest industry news but also that you’re an expert in your field. People only connect and trust brands that they perceive as authority.
Reason #3. Expand Your Reach
By trying out new trends, you can open your business to new opportunities and reach new audiences you might not have had access to.
With more people exposed to your brand, you’ll see an increase in leads and conversions in no time.
Reason #4. Reach Your Customers Where They Are
Social media trends can help you reach your customers where they are. As users flock to new platforms, you need to be there to interact with them and build relationships.
If you’re not where your target audiences are, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to engage with them.
Reason #5. Stand Out from the Competition
If you’re not keeping up with social media trends, chances are your competitors are. So, if you want to stay ahead of the competition, you need to be on top of the latest trends.
10+ Emerging Social Media Trends for 2023
There’s no end when we talk about social media predictions and trends. But we can only focus on the most promising ones that have the potential to change how we use social media for business purposes. Here are some of them:
Trend #1. The Proliferation of Social Media Platforms
There are over 4.2 billion active social media users worldwide. And with the continuous rise of internet users, this number is expected to grow even larger in the next few years.
What does this mean for businesses?
This trend means that there are more opportunities than ever to reach your target audiences on social media.
However, with the number of social media platforms increasing, it can be challenging to decide which ones to use for your business.
The key is to focus on the platforms where your target audiences are most active and create content that resonates with them.
Trend #2. Authenticity Is on a High-Demand
At least 88% of today’s consumers say authenticity is crucial when it comes to interacting with or supporting a brand. There will be a big focus on authenticity and transparency.
In a world full of content, people are craving real and relatable content. They want to see behind the scenes and connect with brands more personally.
What does this mean for businesses?
This trend means that businesses must focus on creating personalized and humanized content that can connect with their audiences more personally.
AI-powered social media marketing tools might make mundane tasks a bit less stressful, but they can never replace the human element in social media marketing.
Remember, people want to connect with other people, not with faceless brands. So, make sure you also invest in humanizing your social media presence.
Trend #3. Social Media Will Be More Visual Than Ever
As we consume more and more content online, the demand for visual content will continue to increase. People want to see videos, photos, and infographics that are easy to consume and understand.
What does this mean for businesses?
From short videos to even memes, businesses need to focus on creating more visually-appealing content. All those bulky, text-heavy social media threads now seem like a chore to read. After all, 65% of the population is visual learners.
If you want people to stick around and actually consume your content, make it more digestible and appealing with visual content.
Trend #4. Social Commerce Is Soaring
More and more social media platforms are also incorporating eCommerce features to make it easier for users to shop without leaving the app. TikTok Shop, Instagram Shop, Facebook Marketplace, you name it. No wonder 40% of social media users in the US will make at least one purchase in 2021.
Source: @thetinytassel on Instagram
What does this mean for businesses?
Shoppers will expect to buy your products directly on social media. This is a great opportunity for businesses to increase their sales and reach and go beyond popular eCommerce platforms.
All you need is to set up a shop on your social media platforms and start selling your products or services directly to your customers.
Trend #5. Focus on Growing Community
Gone are the days when businesses could just post anything on social media, and people would see it.
With the algorithm changes and the introduction of paid ads, businesses must now focus on creating a community of engaged followers if they want their content to be seen.
What does this mean for businesses?
This trend means that no business should do a hard sell on social media. You must focus on creating valuable and engaging content that encourages people to follow them and join their community instead.
The key here is to build more personal, meaningful relationships with followers and provide them with valuable content that they can’t find anywhere else.
Trend #6. Social Media as a Customer Service Channel
More than 82% of consumers look for an instant response from brands on marketing or sales questions. And with the rise of social media, more and more businesses jump into the social customer service bandwagon. It’s fast, convenient, and easy to use. No more waiting on the phone for customer service.
Whether it’s a question or a complaint, social media is now one of the first places people go to when they need help from a company.
Source: @StarbucksCare on Twitter
What does this mean for businesses?
This trend means that businesses need to have a presence on social media and be able to respond to customer’s queries or complaints in a timely manner.
In other words, businesses should focus on creating a quick and friendly customer experience so that people will want to do business with them.
Trend #7. The Rise of Micro-Influencers
One trend that is already starting to emerge is the use of micro-influencers. According to Mediakix, they’re accounts with anywhere from 10,000-50,000 followers. Meanwhile, macro-influencers have around 500,000-1 million followers.
Even with a lower opportunity to reach out to more people, they are considered more authentic and trustworthy than celebrities or mega-influencers. They can boast up to a 60% increased engagement rate compared to macro-influencers. Take a look at the chart below.
Source: Later
What does this mean for businesses?
Massive followers and following don’t equal higher influencer marketing results. Rather than working with high-end popular influencers that can cost you a fortune, you can consider working with micro-influencers. They’re more “human” and personal–compared to celebrities or mega influencers who mostly seem so untouched and so far away.
Micro influencers can help you reach a more targeted audience and promote your products or services in a more genuine, relatable way.
Trend #8. The Popularity of User-generated content (UGC)
User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by users, not by businesses or brands itself. This can include things like videos, photos, reviews, blog posts, etc.
Source: Cloudinary
Rather than creating new content every single day, businesses can use UGC to supplement their content strategy. Not only will they help you save a lot of time, but also give your brand more authority and credibility.
What does this mean for businesses?
Encouraging social media users to create and share content about your brand is the key to success in user-generated content marketing.
Use hashtags, run contests, and offer incentives to encourage people to create and share UGC about your brand. You should also make sure to give credit to the original creator whenever possible.
Trend #9. Social Listening Is Becoming Mainstream
People tend to share their experiences, both good and bad, on social media. This makes social media the perfect platform for businesses to listen to what people are saying about them.
Social listening is the process of monitoring social media channels for mentions of your brand, product, or service. It helps you understand what people actually think and feel about your product and how you can improve it.
What does this mean for businesses?
Social listening is not all about you getting praised and hearing good things. It’s also about understanding what people don’t like about your brand and taking the necessary steps to fix it.
You should also be prepared to respond to any negative comments or reviews promptly and professionally.
You can use social media tools like Bulk.ly. This powerful tool allows you to schedule your post, track, and monitor your brand on social media platforms–making it much easier for you to see who’s talking about you and what are they talking about.
Trend #10. The Use of Bots Is Becoming More Prevalent
With the rise of artificial intelligence, bots are becoming more and more sophisticated. 80% of internet users have interacted with a chatbot at some point.
You can rely on them for performing repetitive tasks, such as answering frequently-asked questions or scheduling social media content. Meanwhile, for your audiences, bots mean instant answers. Here’s an example from Sephora that uses chatbots for their Facebook Messenger.
Source: ChatbotGuide
What does this mean for businesses?
This trend means that you can cater to your social media users 24/7 without burning your social media team out. You can use the technology to automate some of their tasks.
This will free up time so that you can focus on more important things, such as strategy and innovation. When it comes to customer service, bots can help you scale your operation and provide a more efficient and consistent experience for your customers.
Trend #11. Increased Use of Augmented reality (AR)
Blockchain games, hotels that offer virtual reality (VR) experiences, and social media filters are just some examples of augmented reality (AR).
Even though they’re still at the very stages of social media marketing, this technology is becoming more and more popular as it offers a unique and interactive buying experience.
What does this mean for businesses?
If you want to stay ahead of the competition, you should start thinking about how you can use AR in your business. Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, have face filters– allowing users to “transform” their faces into animals or add elements like flower crowns or glasses to their images. But face filters aren’t just for fun and games.
For example, you can use it for product demonstrations–try before you buy. Dominos launched its shareable pizza filter on Snapchat.
Trend #12. Paid Advertising
Social media platforms are indeed accessible for businesses of all sizes– regardless of the industry they belong to.
But, an organic social media strategy requires a lot of time and resources as long as patience and consistency before you finally see the results.
You heavily rely on algorithms to get your content to go viral. Through paid advertising, you can easily reach wider audiences.
What does it mean for businesses?
Paid advertising can be a great option to ensure they deliver the right message to the right people at the right time.
YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram have featured paid ads with targeting options you can invest in when you’re looking for quicker overall social media marketing results. You can deliver the right message to the right people at the right time.
Trend #13. Long-form Video is Bust
Short videos dominated social media. Thanks to TikTok.
With short attention spans, this type of video is more straightforward and digestible as most of them are under a minute. No wonder why social media users love it.
What does it mean for businesses?
The saying “save the best for last” doesn’t really apply to social videos. To get your message across effectively in under 60-second, you have to get the core message right off the bat.
Put the CTA and highlight the pain point of your audience at the very beginning of the video.
Over to You
Social media marketing is pretty much about adapting to the latest customer behavior. While many trends can come along anytime, those emerging trends mentioned can help you understand what the 2023 marketing field will look like. Most of them are not very much different from the previous year. But, the way how you should implement them should evolve.
As a savvy social media marketer, what is important here is to continue to research trends, analyze online consumer behaviors, and pay attention to your team’s social media data to determine which trends or strategies to lean into or how to navigate unprecedented events.
