Pay attention to marketers: are you already working on your marketing plans for 2023? And do you want to be at the forefront of social media marketing? Then take into account these 7 trends in the field of social media that will become important in 2023!
1. Less mass marketing, more personal and direct contact
In recent years, many companies have started using social media platforms for mass marketing. Getting as many likes as possible, or even creating viral content, seemed to become increasingly important.
An opposite movement is expected for 2023: social media is returning to its roots. People are expected to make less and less use of public forms of social media, while more private interactions are taking place on channels such as Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, and Instagram DMs. When content is shared via private interactions, we also call this “dark social”. Research from GlobalWebIndex shows that people are increasingly making use of “private messaging apps” to share content and less and less of public social media platforms.
It is therefore important for marketers to focus on personal and direct contact via these channels. In addition, companies can use AI techniques, such as bots, to handle common questions asked through these channels as quickly as possible.
2. Public messages must also be personal and human
Messages that are shared publicly, for example on a company’s Facebook or Instagram page, must also be personal and human. Social media users are less and less interested in a “slick” page and more and more in the human side behind the company. More important than the most beautiful photos and the highest quality films, is a communication style that reflects the personality of the brand. Give your followers a look behind the scenes and remember: you don’t have to be formal to look professional.
3. Influencer marketing: authenticity is becoming increasingly important
As a marketer you know the enormous importance of influencer marketing: in recent years this form of marketing has become an essential part of the marketing strategy of many companies. Influencer marketing is also expected to be an effective way for companies to reach a new audience in 2023.
In 2023, however, companies will have to think even better about the question of which influencer they will work with. A company should certainly not only look at the number of followers of an influencer but also ask itself: does the brand or product suit the influencer in question? A study by Bazaarvoice showed that 47% of the respondents were fed up with content from non-authentic influencers. Forced partnerships and non-authentic content: social media users will no longer fall for that in 2023.
Research from eMarketer even shows that marketers are increasingly investing in so-called “micro-influencers”; influencers with 10,000 to 100,000 followers. Relatively unknown influencers are seen by their followers as more authentic.
4. Talking from the facts / giving a substantiated opinion
In addition to authentic and personal messages, there is an increasing demand from social media users for substantiated content. Some social media users have become more critical: they are aware of “fake news” and therefore critical of the messages being distributed. As a company, you have to speak from the facts. And do you as a company want to give an opinion or propagate an ideology? Then make sure that you properly substantiate this opinion or ideology.
5. Social media marketing continues to dominate B2B Marketing
In 2019, social media marketing was the most important and effective form of B2B marketing. This applied to both paid and unpaid content. In their annual report on B2B Content Marketing, the Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs predict that this trend will continue in 2023.
It is of great importance for marketers to draw up specific strategies for the various social media channels. Social content is certainly not one-size-fits-all: Facebook naturally has a different target group than Instagram and these target groups have different needs.
6. TikTok becomes the new platform
TikTok is currently being used by 500 million people worldwide, according to data from Datareportal. This social media channel is expected to become increasingly important. In the figure below, Oberlo indicates that in the first quarter of 2019, TikTok was even the most downloaded app in the Apple App Store.
Especially among Generation Z (young people born at the end of the 90s / early nineties), this platform is gaining popularity. This is shown by Oberlo in the figure below.
Social media marketers must be aware of this and – if they are not yet familiar with this channel – make the channel their own. Namely, global brands are expected to use this channel in 2023 to establish a brand voice, connect with the public and attract younger consumers.
7. VR and AR are becoming increasingly important In 2022 we see more use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in social media marketing. Snapchat’s geo-filters and lens functions are already being used in marketing campaigns and it is expected that this will also play a major role in 2023. Social platforms continue to push mobile AR functions because novelty increases user engagement.
