Social Media Trends to Watch Out for in 2023

Social media is now as much a part of most people’s day as eating breakfast. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that more people skip breakfast than their daily dose of social media. With it being so omnipresent and capable of reaching a huge audience, it’s no wonder that businesses and marketers of all kinds give it their undivided attention. 

Social media, being driven by its users, is nearly a living thing, so it is never sitting still. If one is to make full use of the potential it represents, it’s important to stay on top of trends. With that in mind, here are some of the social media trends to watch out for in 2023.

 

Using Social Media for Crisis Management

Many companies lack a plan for crisis management and have no crisis response team in place. This is particularly noteworthy given that a survey by PWC indicated that 95% of businesses expect to face a crisis within the next two years. 

Social media has become an effective means of dealing with crises big and small, as it allows for the rapid and widespread dissemination of information. Its role in crisis management will only grow. Not only does it allow for businesses to quickly provide important details when something occurs, it also plays a role in showing accountability and in assuaging fears, with a large majority of consumers indicating that transparency and acting responsibly can regain their trust.

 

Continued Social Commerce

Social commerce, which allows users to make purchases directly on social media, grew steadily through 2022, and it is expected that social media platforms will continue to be popular among consumers as shopping outlets.

 

Social Customer Care

Companies need to focus not only on expanding and finding new customers, but also on keeping those that they already have. Businesses that have engaged in social media customer care address both these needs. So, while it has long been said that content is king, it is becoming increasingly important to focus on conversations and a strong customer experience. 

With customers increasingly looking to social media to discover new brands, research products, and make buying decisions, they expect to be able to converse with the brands they are considering. They are, effectively, looking to converse with you digitally in the same manner they would in a traditional brick-and-mortar store.

 

Short-Form Content Will Dominate

Visually appealing content has long been a focus, with increasing emphasis on visual components such as images and videos. Video is already being used for marketing by 86% of businesses, but there will be a growing emphasis on short-form content. This type of content can potentially result in more engagement, with 73% of people stating a preference for short videos to learn about products and services.

Today’s audience is more impatient, with a shorter attention span. It is already known that visitors to a site will start clicking away if load times exceed a mere 2-3 seconds. Bite-sized content will help keep an audience’s attention, though it is important to maintain standards of high quality, despite the shorter length.

 

Brand Authenticity

As indicated above, transparency is important to consumers, who expect businesses to build authentic relationships with them. This is what leads to trust and brand loyalty and can be facilitated by leaders taking an active role on social media.

 

Improving Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is developing quickly and being put to many uses, one of which is suggesting content on social media platforms in an effort to drive engagement. This will allow for increasingly relevant and targeted content to be displayed on the user’s newsfeed.

 

Interactive Ads

As technology advances, we are able to interact with it in new ways, such as with augmented reality and virtual reality. Interactive ads will foster greater engagement, encouraging users to participate in the ad experience. This interaction will increase the likelihood of continued engagement with specific products and brands.

 

Games Become an Alternative to Social Media

It is expected that by 2026, the gaming industry will reach $321 billion. Its growth has been the result of several factors, not the least of which is people looking for new ways to maintain social connections while entertaining themselves during the lockdowns of recent years. 

Although gaming is not yet in a position to replace social media, its rapid growth is drawing attention, making it entirely possible that brands will start looking for ways to benefit from its potential to create social interaction.