2023 Social Media Trends and Predictions
2023 is just around the corner, so here’s a breakdown of everything you need to keep an eye out for…
If you think social media has changed recently, buckle up, it’s about to change even more in 2023. And guess what, social media is ever evolving, so don’t expect it to stay the same. As businesses (brands, creators, influencers) we have to learn how to adapt to social media accordingly, if we want to succeed. If you’re here, you’re open and willing to adapt - so bravo & let’s get into it!
AR and VR
AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) are still not main stream, but they’re around and will be coming into the mainstream world soon. You know the filters you use on social media, yep, that’s AR! We can already see it come into life with Meta launching a VR Halloween Horror experience for users! As well as Snapchat’s latest feature, the AR filter that came out on World Restart a Heart Day, which teaches users how to perform CPR correctly (talk about a good way to use technology). Snapchat also came out with another AR filter in which users could try on a Halloween costume on their camera, see how it fits them and looks on them, and then purchase it without leaving the app! This ties into the increase in more online shopping…
SHOPPING AND PAID ADS
Towards the end of 2022 and onwards, it is very clear that we will be seeing a spike in shopping on social media platforms. TikTok is pushing out creator’s content that are promoting their TikTok Shop, as well as content that is paid. TikTok has been (and will continue to be) a hub for brands to kill it at organic content marketing, and still have the ability to reach the masses, but hey - TikTok’s gotta make some money too! And how do they do that? Live streams, TikTok Shop and Paid Ads. Guess what will be pushed in 2023 - whatever makes them more money. We can’t say we didn’t expect it, because it was only a matter of time that this would happen.
The bottom line is, try out live streams, where watchers can send you “gifts” worth monetary value (that TikTok gets a cut from too), if you’re a product-based business, get yourself on TikTik Shop and maybe look to investing in some paid ads in 2023.
INFLUENCER MARKETING AND USER GENERATED CONTENT
If you thought the world of influencers & content creators was over-saturated already, this is just the beginning! Side note - if you’re thinking of becoming a content creator/ influencer, there couldn’t be a better time than now.
Consumers rely on authenticity to make purchases from brands, and brands know that. Now more than ever, brands are (finally) realizing the value of influencer marketing and creating authentic high- quality user generated content. Consumers need to see a face and an honest opinion in order to make a qualified decision about their purchase, which is also why we are seeing so TikTok overtake Google when it comes to searching for things. On TikTok, people see real people, their faces and their voices for reviews, tips and tricks, whereas, on Google, you’re just reading and for all you know, it could be anyone writing that? Anyways, back to the main point, influencer marketing and creating user generated content will be a top priority for brands in 2023.
This is fantastic news, as we still see brands not taking influencers & content creators seriously enough by not paying them enough. We’re excited to finally see the stigma be broken down about “it’s just 1 video” and for more brands to see the value in user generated content, content creators and influencers.
More Authenticity
On the topic of influencers, the “aesthetic plus perfect life” type influencer is out. Consumers are tired of seeing unrealistic standards of life on their socials, because they don’t relate to them as much as they relate to everyday “normal” people who share their opinions. In 2023, we will see a rise of influencers who have “normal” jobs, as that’s who consumers are turning to, and ultimately, who consumers trust. And as we all know by now (hopefully), with trust, comes a strong community and therefore, increased sales and/or conversions. Brands value that and we predict for influencers with everyday “normal” jobs to rise in 2023. We’re already seeing this with this creator, who works at a golf course and shares her stories about what happens at work everyday.
We already know how consumers got smarter in 2020 onwards, when TikTok came to rise and creators began giving honest reviews of products and brands that weren’t living up to their standards. Consumers will just continue to get smarter and smarter; which means, being authentic will continue to be important in 2023, and we could even argue, forever-more.
Short Form Content, or Long Form Content?
This has been a key debate in the past couple of weeks in the social media industry. Is short form content dying out? Is long form content coming back in? Just by looking at what TikTok and YouTube are pushing out, we can see that both short-form and long-form video content will both remain relevant in 2023. TikTok allows creators with over 1k followers to create 10 minute videos, as well as of recent, are pushing out longer form videos (anything between 1 and 3 minutes). While simultaneously, YouTube is introducing “Shorts”, which allows you to reach more people by uploading videos up to 1 minute. Our prediction is that both are valuable and are here to stay.
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