Social media is one of the most significant and influential aspects of our lives. More than 55% of people, which accounts for over 4.9 billion people of our entire population, spend at least two hours each day using social media. And this increasing popularity is unstoppable. Social media will continue to rise over the next two to three years for sure. It is becoming an essentially infinite business platform. The chances of success for your business through social media are limitless. Many platforms today are starting slow but growing significantly with time to make a mark. Social media is characterised by trends that come and go. Some stay for long while others don’t. If you haven’t already, you should follow these trends because they are not only popular but also necessary if you want to succeed in the digital epoch.
- TikTok’s continued supremacy
Today TikTok has really become the most used and influential social network not only for entertainment but also for marketing. The predictions are that Tiktok supremacy is gonna prevail in 2023 as well. Tiktok is doing everything to make itself the top ranked social media.
In the past two years, TikTok has introduced a number of helpful tools geared toward businesses, such as advertisements and business profiles. Thus, it is no longer only a stage for emerging creators to perform dance routines. With that being said, it is positioned to emerge as one of the primary channels via which businesses may connect with millennials.
Mostly this whole tiktok supremacy is being driven by Gen Z, but other groups are using it as well . And this increasing popularity makes sense because tiktok has short videos which are pretty inexpensive to produce and simple to make, which produces some excellent engaging content.
- Reels and Short videos; The new buzz
Instagram’s introduction to the new algorithm has given incredible rise to Reels more than ever. Just like Tiktok, it is understandable why reels are gaining popularity.As more features, including the option to add music to your reels are added more and more people are using Instagram reels. Since their original release in 2020, Instagram Reels have become the new cool. And it doesn’t seem as though they will soon slow down.
As 2023 descends, reels are on the rise not only on Instagram but on Facebook as well. Other platforms like Youtube, have introduced Youtube Shorts which are short videos just like reels. Other short-form videos in terms of engagement are also on the continuing boom, averaging 53 minutes of viewing time per session globally.
According to recent research, it has been found that almost 90% of the vertical videos on either Instagram, Facebook or Youtube contain soundtracks. It can be easily said that most people spend a major chunk of their social media time, scrolling through short videos. You might have even noticed that most videos on instagram these days are in the form of reels. What this means for business and brand owners is that they can utilise this platform for promoting their content creatively. Instagram reels reached an all time high in 2022 and predictions are that 2023 as well will be a successful year for Reels and short videos.
- LinkedIn Era
While LinkedIn was founded in 2003, it wasn’t until 2020 the majority of individuals began to use LinkedIn more frequently. But have you since 2021 the popularity of LinkedIn increased drastically? More and more users today are using LinkedIn, and it has become the largest and most reliable professional network, to share knowledge and participate in conversations more than ever before. A 25% rise in open conversations on the site has been seen only over the last year alone. For professionals wishing to connect with their networks and exchange expertise, LinkedIn is now the go to place.
To help attain a greater reach, what LinkedIn has done is that it launched the creator mode, creator accelerator program, linkedin events, polls and many more features. They have been utilising the regionalized Creator Accelerator Program to increase the number of users who are creators, effectively pushing users to create a following for their personal accounts. Your profile prompt changes from Connect to Follow when Creator Mode is activated; a personal profile can have up to 30,000 connections but an unlimited number of followers.Creators are using the platform, adding individuality to their contributions, and establishing themselves as authorities in their subjects.
This is undoubtedly the reason why LinkedIn posts drastically changed over the past two years. As a result of this, we continue to notice an increase in personal posts without links as well . Additionally, LinkedIn contributed $25 million to a Creator Fund, giving 100 creators each $15,000 to publish content and ignite conversations.The best method to capitalise on this trend is to hire ghostwriters who will strategically use LinkedIn brand engagement.
4) BeReal
BeReal is a new, viral app that you might have seen people using these days oftenly. You might be wondering what exactly this app does. Let me tell you. BeReal is an app that is in a way opposite of Instagram. This is because it emphasises on realness rather than filters.The app’s concept is rather straightforward: once per day, at an unknown hour, the app notifies you to take a photo.The front and rear cameras of the cell phone need to be activated simultaneously, so that you can post an unaltered, unedited photo to a small circle of friends each day.
This app became live at the end of 2019, but its popularity really took off in 2022. It has around 29.5 million installations and was the most popular social networking app on the App Store in October 2022.This app’s key selling point for its users, who are primarily female and young people, is that it is free from any type of advertisements or business related functions.
The best thing about this trend is that it kind of makes us nostalgic of the early simple social media days before it became a commercialised enterprise. As most users were tired of Instagram’s focus with commercialization, adverts, and an algorithm that made it harder to view their friends, BeReal emerged as an informal but kind of a more genuine Instagram. It was so well-liked that there was even some buzz about Instagram adopting some of the concepts behind BeReal.
5) UGC focusing on Trust
User-generated content (UGC) is the process of gathering, creating and sharing content made by audiences rather than brands themselves. This could be through contests, giveaways, reviews and other audience sourced content.
Today people rely on one another, not brands. Brands are cultivating connections and relationships with the individuals that other people trust if they want to continue being heard and noticed. The test for trust is no longer the number of followers or talking heads.
Today, UGC is wonderful for organisations because the majority of people appreciate trust above all else, which can be achieved by increasing consumer awareness to strengthen client relationships. It increases brand loyalty since it is genuine social proof and makes the UGC creator feel special.
Since marketers have no influence over what consumers may say or share, UGC is 100 percent legitimate. It is the most reliable informational resource somebody might find about a product or company. This trend has been so popular that it was founded as of 2022 that consumers claim to trust user-generated content (UGC) over all other forms of marketing content by over 92%. In addition to this, the success of user-generated content (UGC) on Facebook and Instagram is predicted to influence other social media platforms to adopt it in the future as well.
6) Social Commerce Expansion
For a very long time, businesses have sold their goods via social media sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Social commerce has evolved into a brand’s new retail shop and this trend is only likely to get stronger in the coming years.
More and more brands and marketers are including social commerce in their sales efforts. Although the number of new customers had decreased since the epidemic, but with TikTok accounting for the majority of the increase in new customers, social commerce is back on its rise. This implies that, despite problems with trust, users are beginning to accept social media as a major platform for buying and are using it more frequently than before. Taking statistics into account, last year around 2 billion consumers made purchases on social media platforms, which is a 3 times quicker growth rate than traditional eCommerce. Instead of following the beaten path, the social commerce journey is guided by inspiration and creative discoveries.
With this potential, social media can be used as a direct source of income for enterprises. So, if your business isn’t currently utilising social commerce, then this is the ideal time to do so. However, in doing so, you might want to conduct an in-depth research beforehand on your target market and desired platform to find out whether they can support social commerce activities and to see if that platform can scale to accommodate your growth.
7) An epoch of AR and VR
Augmented and virtual reality options are finally here and they are here to stay. 2023 is going to be a year of exploration of Ar and Vr, in which many brands will collaborate their branding with the metaverse possibilities. With 62% of American gen Z users claiming to apply filters on their posts, augmented reality is already widely used on social media. AR is still lagging behind virtual reality, but with Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s full support, we should anticipate it to gradually reach end users. Virtual concerts and tours are already becoming prevalent. Although it might be too soon for a small business to commit to using virtual reality (VR) as a social media marketing tool, it’s crucial to understand that it is a developing trend with enormous potential in the years to come.
Customers can now try on things before making a purchase through this option in which a variety of online retailers are providing AR-powered shopping, enabling customers to use this to make more informed judgements before making an investment. In addition to this, users can take photos, record videos, and share them across platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram while also changing their profile photographs with avatars, business logos and etc
The market for augmented reality (AR) is continually developing and it is anticipated to pick up further steam in the upcoming years. By the end of 2021, it was predicted that 48% of consumers would be using AR in some capacity. In 2023, the AR and VR market is anticipated to generate $70-$75 billion in annual sales.
8) Communities replacing Followers
In 2023 marketers are targeting their larger brand communities rather than personas. Today 76% of internet users participate in online communities in order to concentrate on learning more about their consumer psychology, and pay close attention to who is initiating and spreading brand-focused conversations.
From influencers to normal social media users all of them are participating in these communities. LinkedIn groups, Discord chats, Facebook groups, and subreddits are becoming increasingly popular. It is clear that Facebook and LinkedIn were well-suited to capitalise on this trend. Due to people’s social orientation and desire to communicate with others, Facebook Groups saw an increase in the number of groups, which almost precisely matches the current global situation.
Businesses are also becoming increasingly interested in growing their communities as a result of this social media trend. Many companies make use of these groups to gather all of their clients, both current and potential, and to have meaningful, value-adding conversations with them. Members of the group can share their experiences, talk about various subjects, and look for answers to their difficulties together. However, these communities are not always used for marketing. Instead, people are also using it to integrate themselves fully.
9) SEO Dominance
Instead of utilising Google, almost half of Gen Z prefers to search on TikTok and Instagram. This means that optimising posts with keywords has become more crucial than ever. Hence the importance of SEO is still intact as it was in 2022. In fact it is growing even more day by day. Businesses are strategizing their social media by making a list of keywords to ensure that they frequently produce social material around those keywords. This helps them rank on top of the searches.
Following some research, it was founded that utilising keyword-optimised captions rather than hashtags can improve reach by 30% and increase interaction by a factor of 2. Also, you must’ve noticed that hashtags alone are no longer sufficient for good social media reach unless you combine it with good SEO techniques. So in order to market your brand or products in a better way, you need to hop on this trend ASAP.
10) A Whole New Twitter
For years, Twitter has been a source of and has been recognised as one of the most authentic and reliable sources of news. People usually don’t watch televisions to keep up with news and updates anymore. However, when Elon Musk took control of Twitter in 2022, it changed a lot of things. While there are positive changes like the introduction events calendar for 2023 which will be updated all year long. The planner will be useful for remembering all the significant dates and annual events. In order to create a successful marketing plan for 2023, marketers will frequently turn to the calendar. On the other hand, other people are of the view that Elon Musk has created an environment for Twitter which is inevitable to fall. Because it has so few engineers, a massive platform like Twitter doesn’t completely collapse, barring a major meltdown of the servers and actual inner workings. If anything, Twitter will change gradually, being less entertaining, less useful, and more unpleasant. It will suffer a slow, agonising death, just like the social media platforms of the past.
11) Goodbye GIFs, Hello emojis
GIFs were undoubtedly quite hip for a long time. THere was a time when Gen Z, millennials and everyone was using GIFs. But unfortunately for the millennials who were just getting used to it, the time to say goodbye to GIFs has arrived. As for what the new cool is and whether it is going to stay for long or not, we have our bets on emojis. WIth the rise of emojis, stickers, and avatar usage, GIFs are no longer the trend. From Instagram to Whatsapp, all users are using stickers and emojis to communicate in more original and humorous ways. People who are still using GIFs are being called boomers. Emojis and stickers are expected to completely replace GIFs in the year 2023. While, we are very appreciative of the times that GIFs aided us in our messaging, but all good things must come to an end. So if you also don’t want to be characterised as “Cringe” or “Boomer” you need to get yourself acquainted with emojis and stickers
12) Personalized Ads
Personalization and customization are the current trends among consumers around the world. The more personal the ad the better the reach.
Brands are strategically choosing as many target audiences as they wish for their social media advertisements. The advantage of this is that it enables you to display the proper advertisements to the proper audiences at the proper times and places.
They can also be utilised to give consumers of a company better buying experiences, for example, through interactive advertisements. Instead of blocking ads using ad blockers or avoiding them altogether, this kind of advertising enables users to take part in the ad experience. Users are more likely to interact with a certain brand or product if they are allowed to take part in such a “experience.” The use of interactive commercials can increase brand exposure in addition to gaining greater audience viewing time than standard ads. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are three social media platforms that have a stronger focus on personalization. They are video more centred towards video and graphic content. Not to mention they are also the most popular social media sites that are routinely used. Hence it makes sense for them to add more personalised ads.
13) Customer Oriented Chatbots
One of the most well-liked methods for enhancing the user experience is chatbots. Because they are quick, efficient, able to handle numerous questions at once, and never get tired, they are widely employed. As of 2022, there were 300,000 active chatbots on Facebook Messenger.
In 2023 it anticipated that chatbots will be utilised more frequently in customer support as artificial intelligence (AI) advances too. They are offering a more individualised experience than conventional customer service techniques, which explains why they are so important.
This can be helpful for many companies who lack the capacity to provide their customers with manual customer service around-the-clock. Hence chatbots doing this for large scale businesses and more efficiently .
14) Social Media- the new Google
With the widespread over use of social media a trend that has been very popular is social media taking the place of search engines . Instead of google, people search on instagram tiktok and facebook for information. social media has now evolved into the competitive search engine that it is today.
Social media has the ability to significantly increase brand engagement, and because of this, brands are using it to have a successful business on social media by optimising their search engine results.
Taking Instagram as an example, Instagram continuously introduces new upgrades which aids them specifically in growing to become a social media powerhouse with over 1.39 billion active users each month. If we look at its origin, Instagram began as a straightforward image-sharing service. But with time they have been employing algorithmic updates to effect audience reach as well as to assess how well a page, image, or hashtag is optimised to target key demographics in order to manage and maintain this growth. Therefore, you should consider how social media platforms are being used as search engines to connect with the right demographic
15) Memeology
Memes are everywhere. And when i say everywhere I mean EVERYWHERE! Who doesn’t like to have a good laugh? They can be used to fit in every situation and deliver any message while retaining their elegance with a little imagination.
Creators are easily engaging with their audience using creative and specific memes and advertise their brands frequently without sacrificing the fun factor. They act like little treats that you can find on every social media platform. The memeology era is here to stay and we are lovin’ it.
2023 is going to be yet another important year for Social Media with its increasing expansion and innovations. So if you want to explore and discover your creativity, strengths, and limits, now is the perfect time to do so!
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