Welcome to the wild west, otherwise known as social media, where nothing ever stays the same. As social media continues to evolve for brands and businesses, we have a few predictions about where it may be headed in the near future. We used data from the past year and analyzed recent platform shifts to predict five trends for brands to watch in 2023.
Trend 1: Brand authenticity matters more than ever
In 2022, we saw a rise in the demand for more authentic content on social media. Accordingly, the rise of apps like BeReal taught us that users were feeling consumer fatigue associated with traditional forms of content. Over the next year, businesses will need to worry less about “going viral” and vanity metrics, instead focusing more on what truly matters to their core audience and making deeper connections with target users.
So, how should your brand capitalize? Consider incorporating this trend into your social strategy by including more “behind-the-scenes” content and using social media to draw attention to social causes that are important to your audience.
Trend 2: Influencers keep growing
The trend of using influencers to promote brands is certainly nothing new, but it will continue to increase in 2023. According to stats from Influencer Marketing Hub, the influencer market saw steady growth over the past six years, expanding to $16.4 billion in 2022. Using influencers is a more affordable method of advertising than traditional paid media, while still delivering impressive results. It also helps promote customer engagement. We predict the influencer market will continue its steady growth this year.
One way businesses can take advantage of this trend, regardless of size or budget, is by utilizing “internal” influencers (i.e. employees) as a way to build humanizing, engaging connections with their audience. Encourage staff members to share posts from the company’s social media channels on their personal accounts, which can significantly increase reach and engagement.
Trend 3: Users turning to social media for customer service
During the pandemic, brands experienced a significant shift in the number of customers turning to social media for answers to their questions and concerns. In the years following the pandemic, we have continued to see an increase in the number of users looking for help on social platforms regarding service-related issues. We expect that trend to continue in 2023.
According to a survey from Emplifi, two out of three consumers prefer to use social media during the buying process to make purchases. They also turn to social media for post-purchase support, which further highlights the importance of brands finding a way to integrate customer care services with their social presence. As more people begin to expect immediate responses from brands on social, we predict that more businesses will form dedicated teams to serve this purpose 24/7.
We recommend that our clients use a personalized, humanistic approach when providing customer service through social media. Showing genuine care and concern toward a user complaint helps build trust and loyalty and improves the likelihood that customers will return. Businesses should customize their social media responses by greeting the customer by name and using an upbeat, helpful tone in their messaging to create a positive experience for the user.
Trend 4: Creating content with the help of AI
While AI cannot replace the personal, authentic touch that comes from a human writer, it can assist with copywriting by creating social content in new, exciting ways. Over the next year, we predict that businesses will use AI more than ever, especially when it comes to AI tools that can provide recommendations on customizing posts to reach their target audiences and hit peak engagement.
Remember, use AI tools wisely. AI can support your social media marketing efforts, but it should not replace human content creation entirely. Through tools like CopyAI, AI technology can provide inspiration to help generate new ideas for social media teams while brainstorming content topics and crafting posts.
Trend 5: Optimizing for SEO and keywords on social is essential
With nearly half of Gen Z using TikTok and Instagram for search rather than Google, optimizing posts on social media will become more important than ever in 2023. If businesses want their content to be discovered, it’s important to create content associated with keywords that are relevant to their brand and that users are likely to search. Businesses should start by considering which keywords they’d like to rank highly for and curate or create content around them.
Red Dot recommends taking into account the algorithms of each platform when optimizing social media efforts. When posting on Facebook, include relevant keywords in post copy/captions and choose images/videos that reflect those keywords. On Instagram, brands should put keywords related to their desired search rankings in their page’s name line and bio. And remember, TikTok content can be optimized by using keywords in captions, hashtags, and in the actual text/sound of the video, so it may be a good idea to include three to five hashtags per post.
Need help staying on top of the latest social trends?
Our social team can help you navigate the wild west. Drop us a line at info@reddotad.com.
