According to a new report, social media is already one of the communication channels with the highest return on investment for companies. However, constant updates and the emergence of new social networks force companies to rethink their social media strategy from time to time. We explore the 24 most important social media trends for 2023.
Social networks are essential communication and digital marketing channels for any company. Their power to publicize brands, attract customers and transform leads into customers is growing, especially among younger audiences.
It is difficult to conceive cutting-edge digital marketing strategies such as Inbound Marketing or content marketing without involving social media.
Today, most companies are already creating specific marketing strategies for their social media accounts.
According to the report just published by Epsilon Technologies, social media already provides a higher return on investment (ROI) than television.
The great advantage of social media over traditional communication channels is that they allow interactivity and direct communication between companies and their customers or potential customers. Therefore, social networks are not only suitable for broadcasting and advertising, but also for strengthening relationships with customers.
However, the speed of innovation and change in social media forces companies to be constantly informed about new social media trends and to update and adapt their social media strategies on a regular basis.
Below we review the 24 most important social media trends for 2023.
Plus... Download all 24 trends along with our tips on how to take advantage of them! Get your marketing and communication teams to anticipate the trends and start building strategies for the upcoming year.
The 24 Essential Social Media Trends for 2023
1. Social media provides a 1.7 times higher ROI than television
The previously quoted report confirms that social networks offer a return on investment 1.7 times higher than television, even with a third part of the investment.
According to the Advertising Observatory 2022 of the Spanish Association of Advertisers, television and digital media are the channels with the greatest reach among consumers. However, social media is now outperforming what used to be the most important advertising media for businesses.
Facebook vs Instagram
2. Facebook keeps losing users
Although it is still the social network with the largest number of users worldwide, with 2,936 million users, Facebook's user ratio continues to drop year after year.
This together with an increase in the average age of Facebook users has led advertisers to turn to other social networks such as Instagram.
3. Increasing investment in Instagram
Facebook's loss of users is benefiting Instagram, which is gaining investment.4. Instagram is settling down
Instagram continues to grow in number of users, as well as in investment. However, the platform is growing at a slower rate than in previous years. On the other hand, capturing users' attention on Instagram is becoming increasingly difficult.
Aumento de los 'paid posts' en las redes sociales
5. Paid posts are already responsible for 80% of the total number of interactions on Instagram
Paid content published on Instagram's feed (without taking 'storys' into account) is already generating 80% of the total number of interactions on the platform.
6. 84.5% of users think there is too much advertising on social networks
However, the increase of paid posts does not seem to be pleasing users. According to the Advertising Observatory, 84.5% of users think that companies are overusing paid content on social media.
The success of a new type of content: vertical videos, high quality and 'snackable content'
7. Users prefer vertical, high quality content that provides value
The emergence of new social networks such as TikTok and the success of reels on Instgram are transforming users' content consumption preferences. According to the report, users prefer vertical content, which also has a greater organic reach.
In addition, it seems that vertical videos are here to stay. All indicates that by 2023 users will watch vertical videos more frequently, both on Instagram and on other social networks.
Also, users prefer quality content that provides them with value.
8. Users prefer authentic content: the end of posing?
It seems that images that show a 'perfect' vision of reality are becoming less relevant. Users are not that impressed by branded content that portraits perfection. They prefer brands to create authentic content, with less filters and which they can identify themselves with. The rise of 'BeReal', the new social network on trend, is proof that extreme posing is no longer that cool.
9. The rise of podcasts
Podcasts are already one of the most successful types of content in 2022 and it looks like they will continue to be in 2023.
As we have already mentioned, users prefer high-quality content that provides them with value. In this sense, podcasts are one of the best formats for generating valuable content.
According to a 2022 study, podcasts are expected to have generated €1.5 billion in advertising in Europe by the end of 2023.
10. Snackable content is a winner
A snack is a small meal, ready to be eaten. Similarly, 'snackable content' refers to short, visually attractive and easy to digest content. In other words, content that does not require a great effort or concentration on the part of the user.
Social media has popularized snackable content, which provides increasingly better results: more reach, higher interaction rates, etc.
The keys to a social media strategy in 2023: content reuse, 'Instagram Collabs' and user-generated content
11. Streamline your budget by reusing content
Most companies have accounts on more than one social network. To optimize their marketing budget, it is wise to create content in a format that is compatible with more than one social network, or to publish the same content while adapting the format to the social network.
Content reuse allows companies to create more content while saving time and money.
12. User-created content continues to grow
User-generated content (UCG) already covers 39% of the time users spend consuming content.
In addition, user-generated content fosters a more real and authentic perception of brands.
The new social media influencers: Content creators, streamers and your employees
13. Content creators keep gaining relevance
Establishing synergies with content creators continues to be a winning strategy for brands and companies. Content creators —also known as 'influencers'— continue to be an infallible means of raising brand awareness and promoting marketing campaigns.
14. Make your Community Manager the star of the show
In line with the generation of content by users and the creation of an authentic and honest brand image, we continue with the importance of community managers, who are increasingly taking on a leading role in the brand strategy in social media.
15. The advantages of Employer Branding
In relation to the previous point, in 2023 another trend linked to the promotion of the company's employees will stand out: employer branding.
Employer branding consists of taking advantage of social media to give visibility to the talent of the company's team and to involve the employees themselves in the creation of valuable content. This strategy increases the company's credibility and brings the customer closer to the brand, while reducing content generation costs.
16. Top Management Advocacy
Just as employees are a great opportunity for creation of social media content, top managers also have a great power of influence that can have major impact on he image and the reputation of the company.
17. The popularity of streamers continues to grow
In recent years, streamers who create live streams have become the new leading players in a new style of content that is growing like wildfire.
Streamers and the format they have popularized will become even more relevant in 2023.
New avenues for collaboration: 'Instagram Collabs' and 'cobrandings'.
18. Take advantage of Instagram's new feature: 'Instagram Collabs'.
Instagram has recently launched a very useful new feature for businesses.
'Instagram Collabs' allows you to create shared content and posts, which facilitates synergies and collaboration possibilities between companies and content creators.
19. Cobranding continues to be successful
Another of the strategies that will be highlighted in 2023 is the collaboration between brands or 'cobranding', which allows several brands to benefit from the same content or advertising campaign.
The generation of content by two or more brands is giving very good results to many companies and everything indicates that this type of content will continue to work in 2023.
New ways to connect with consumers: CSR and social listening
20. Promote Corporate Social Responsibility through real actions
Customers give more and more importance to corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, the traditional ways of communicating corporate values do not convince younger audiences.
21. Social listening is more important than ever
Social listening is another of the most relevant customer strategies of the last few years. Users value companies that pay attention to them, that really listen to what they have to say and that respond accordingly. In short, companies that have a good Voice of the Customer (VoC) strategy.
22. Conversations make you relevant
Social networks are made for conversation. Beyond the publication of content, interaction with the customer and the generation of conversations between users are paramount to success in 2023.
Most social networks benefit accounts and content creators that generate conversations and that have a high number of interactions.
The new game-changing social media platforms
23. Twitch, the hottest social network
Twitch has become an explosive social network in a short period of time. Beyond its success, the platform has managed to revolutionize the consumption of audiovisual content, positioning long live streams among the most popular content among a certain group of users.
24. The era of the metaverse
The Metaverse is without a doubt the social network that will have the greatest impact in 2023 and in the years to come. Many companies have already started to invest in the Metaverse through the development of VR events, for example.
While it is true that the vast majority of users still do not have the necessary devices to enter the Metaverse, advertising campaigns in the virtual world generate great notoriety.
What's more, Apple has announced that they will launch augmented reality glasses in 2023, which could democratize access to the metaverse and increase its popularity.
Finally...
Social networks are essential for any company and the generation of content and specific marketing strategies for social media is of vital importance for any company's image.
Social media is constantly changing. Updates, new functionalities, changes in their algorithms and new social networks.... This forces organizations to be up-to-date with the new trends that will define the future of their content and marketing strategies in social media.
- Get ahead of the competition with the 24 most important social media trends for 2023 and our tips on how to take advantage of them.
