The world of Social Media is notorious for being ever-changing, whether it’s algorithm changes, new trends or even a completely new platform. Keep reading to find out the upcoming trends for 2023.
Social Media has become an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes and provides a variety of channels to engage directly with consumers, showcase products, generate content and more. More businesses are investing in useful management tools such as Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, HubSpot or Later.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, so does the world of Social Media. With each new year, there comes new predicted trends to account for.
Below, you will find a list of the top trends to prepare for in 2023.
Consumers are becoming less and less interested in perfectly polished content. According to Anjali Lai, Senior Analyst at Forrester ‘Authenticity communicates brand value, strengthens the relationship between consumers and brands, and measurably improves customer experience quality’. Now more than ever, brands are expected to be transparent and have strong values at the core of their business.
According to the 2022 Edelman Barometer of Trust, consumers believe that businesses ‘need to step up on societal issues’ and that ‘businesses must lead in breaking the cycle of distrust’. For example, in the fashion industry, ‘fast fashion’ is associated with pollution and unsafe workplaces. Brands who are seen to be contributing to the issue are facing backlash and a decline in consumer trust. However, brands who are promoting more sustainable options and actively speaking out against fast fashion are seeing an increase in brand loyalty.
We’re sure by now you’ve heard about The Metaverse and VR, which are considered emerging technologies. If you read our recent article on Web 3.0, you will know that there are already a variety of opportunities available to businesses within the special internet. It may seem like a gimmick but Augmented Reality can be useful to consumers in a number of ways such as visualising products in their home, virtually trying on clothes (yes really!) and more. According to a report from threekit ‘71% of consumers say they would shop more often if they used AR’.
Various retailers have already implemented AR and are offering a more immersive experience, for example you could provide a 360 view of a physical product or offer wayfinding/directional information as part of an in-person event. Businesses should be examining opportunities relating to new emerging technologies, to avoid being left behind when mass adoption occurs.
It’s predicted that in 2023, brands will need to have more focus on targeting broader communities, rather than specific personas. A recent report from TalkWalker states that post-pandemic consumers ‘are now too changeable to pin down’ and that brands will need to ‘focus on gaining a deeper knowledge of their consumer ecosystems’.
Brands should consider the rising popularity of private Social Media networks, such as Signal or Discord. These channels are where genuine communities come together and build connections, using private or public servers. You can read about how the gaming industry is utilising Discord in this article from The Drum.
The method of working with influencers who have from 1,000 to 5,000 followers is expected to continue to grow in popularity next year. HypeAuditor recently released their State of Influencer Marketing 2022 report which showcases some interesting data when it comes to influencer marketing. According to the report ‘68% of marketing specialists use Instagram for their influencer campaigns’ and Nano-Influencers are one of the largest creator groups on the platform (27.8%).
When examining the average engagement rate (ER) of each influencer group based on their number of followers, data shows that Nano-Influencers has a much higher ER of 4.8 which is much higher. Showcasing the fact that Nano-Influencers have a stronger connection to their audience, making them more valuable to brand campaigns.
If you want to evaluate your online presence, whether it’s how you utilise social media or implementing a new digital solution, why not organise a convenient time to talk to our dedicated team?
We have worked with some of our key clients on implementing important social media tools to improve customer service, build their online presence and other objectives. Read more about some of our key clients here.
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