7 Social Media Trends To Watch Out for in 2023
The good and the bad: coming soon to an app near you
I’m a senior video editor and self-coined “marketing specialist.”
But it’s not as fancy as it sounds. Basically, I work on ads and scan the web for ways to grow our company’s social media channels. I do it daily, and I’ve noticed some things are changing.
This is what I see happening to social media in 2023.
1. Social media commerce will get a makeover
Did you know China has its own version of TikTok?
It’s called Douyin, like the older, more mature version of the TikTok app we all love and hate.
Douyin’s content ecology is its unique advantage. It combines short videos and live-streaming to bring in users to buy things.
But how?
Short-form content plants the seeds and attracts traffic for live streaming. Then the real magic begins.
“According to the Douyin 2022 Ecosystem Conference, Douyin livestreams over 9 million sessions per month, with gross merchandise value (GMV) growing 3.2 times year-over-year. It’s that type of content that seems to be a main driver of e-commerce growth by Douyin’s users. Data show the number of orders from livestreams increased 112% compared to April 2021.” — Franklin Chu
This shows that social media e-commerce sales aren’t happening in an Instagram shop or on some fancy site that costs tens of thousands of dollars to make.
Regular people are using live streaming to sell. It’s genius if you ask me.
2. Videos will continue to rule
My not-so-bold 2022 prediction was correct.
Video is king, and it’ll only become more powerful in 2023. But it’s not the same as I thought it would be.
What I’ve seen over the past year as I’ve worked as a pseudo-social media manager is that you don’t need fancy cameras or audio recording equipment to gain a big following.
Many of the best TikTok creators just use phone cameras and microphones to record their lives.
And who can blame them? Smartphones are more affordable and portable than traditional camera gear.
Apple recently released the iPhone 14 Pro with a 48-megapixel camera; why bother with a DSLR? You’ve got a full studio in your pocket.
Stick with the video trend
I was talking to someone about their business marketing.
She’s not pleased that Instagram is forcing people to make “reels” (short-form video content). She likes taking pictures of her finished products, but now she gets fewer likes and follows.
I recommended swapping photos with video reels of the exact same things. Literally, to just take videos instead of photos.
Simple changes can make significant differences. You can’t expect to do the same thing repeatedly and get the same result.
You either play the game of trends, or you die (metaphorically, of course).
3. Get ready for more ads
Did you know Youtube is testing five ads before the start of a video?
Imagine you want to try something new for dinner. You go on YouTube and type “Easy 15-minute recipes.” You find a sweet new taco salad dish you want to try out. You click the video, and now you have 5 minutes of ads to watch before you start cooking.
In frustration, you close the Youtube app and try making the recipe yourself, which turns out horribly. You could’ve waited for all those ads, but instead, you chose to skip the video.
Youtube is no longer for you. They want to give creators more power.
It’s looking for any way to get more people to sign up for YT Premium. They also want to give everyone “the right to monetize.”
“In simpler terms, the “Right to Monetize” all content meant Google would start placing ads on videos from channels that aren’t in the YouTube Partner Program.”
Along the same lines, I’ve recently noticed more ads on my TikTok feed than I ever have. The ad trend is increasing, so get ready to open your pocketbooks to skip them soon.
4. Social media will be a customer service hub
Companies with a significant social media presence will pour big money into their customer service experience.
Picture this: your online order never arrived, and you need to figure out where it is. After all, you spent $53.99 on a new set of Tupperware.
So you call Tupperware support and are put on hold for 20 minutes before you hear from someone. Then it takes another 15 minutes of back and forth because the customer service agent needs you to repeat your cell number and email address multiple times out loud.
Now imagine: messaging Tupperware’s Instagram account directly with your order number. You can do it all from your phone, even at work, and multitask.
When an agent is ready to respond to your inquiry, they ping you. The time saved for both you and the big corporation is massive.
This is one trend I hope stays for years to come.
5. Live audio rooms are gaining traction
Clubhouse had it all right. But the big boys have the floor.
Audio content allows you to listen to creators on the go.
Social media platforms like Facebook are already working on an audio creation tool that enables users to create “Soundbites.” Twitter has Twitter Spaces. Even Spotify is a pseudo-social media platform since you can host your podcast there.
Expect to see live audio rooms, meetings, voice messages, and much more trend up in 2023.
6. Influencer Marketing Will Continue
Influencer marketing is nothing new, but these numbers are.
Influencer marketing spending is projected to hit $16 billion by 2023. And if you don’t think that’s a lot, at the beginning of 2022, Forbes estimated influencer marketing spend would be $15 billion.
The trend is heading up in 2023.
And TikTok will continue to take in most of the market share.
7. Authenticity will win
Thankfully, crusty influencer marketing is dead.
People want to read, watch, and listen to people they trust. These creators show up weekly and dump their hearts and souls on a given platform.
People want an emotional connection with the person or brand. If you’re a creator, keep that in mind. You don’t have to pretend to be someone else.
Be true, and you’ll grow.
🚨HEY! — Want to know how I manage a 9–5 while also writing 3+ articles every week? I’ve stacked five of the most important lessons I’ve learned writing online into a free Effortless Blogger Blueprint.