6 Social Media Trends in 2023 That Are Essential for Growth
Feb 12, 2023Wondering which social media trends in 2023 truly matter? We've got you covered. This article will reveal our top social media trends that will make the biggest difference for your business in 2023.
Social Media Trend #1: Creators Will Continue to Be King
According to the social media scheduling platform Hootsuite, businesses should continue to develop relationships with creators. This is because four out of five Gen Z Instagram users believe creators are more influential than celebrities.
Additionally, Instagram made some more creator-friendly modifications to the platform last year, and we expect them to double down on those efforts in 2023. Many believe the platform's longevity is directly related to its ability to attract and retain creators.
Social Media Trend #2: Bandwagon Trends Will Decline
I think it's safe to say we have all seen the TikTok and Instagram trends where creators copy other creators' content because it did well. Yes, there was some variation in the content as creators added their spin to the trend.
If you're a dog-lover, you'll have seen videos such as this one from a few of your favorite dog channels:
View this post on Instagram
And as cute or awesome as the trend is, users are getting tired of seeing the same thing and are looking for something different. As a result, it's forcing creators to create new original content.
And speaking of original content that will include original audio content. Gone will be the days when the same audio clip, like the one in the reel above, will be used by multiple creators. Instead, in 2023, we will see creators move away from using the same audio clips and focusing on creating original pieces.
Social Media Trend #3: Storytelling Will Take Center Stage
It hasn't been a secret for a long time that stories are a way to promote brands and market products. But 2023 is pointing towards storytelling getting more of the spotlight in how we market online.
Let me explain.
First off, video content will dominate. Why? Because it is easy to make bite-sized videos to educate and market to users. Short-form videos allow businesses to drive engagement despite audiences having a shorter attention span. However, there is still the need for companies to create high-quality content.
This brings me to my second point, how we tell our stories will change too. Shorter content means we don't necessarily have the time to tell a story from start to finish.
As a result, many creators are starting their stories in the middle. This forces their audiences to catch up and dig deeper to figure out what's happening.
Social Media Trend #4: User-Generated Content (UGC) will Dominate
User-generated content can be defined as content created for a brand by regular people. These everyday people make posts, videos, blogs, etc., highlighting the brand's products.
View this post on Instagram
Brands love UCG because it allows them to develop a deeper relationship with their audience and expands their brand's reach. Essentially, this content provides the brand with positive social proof and makes the UGC creator feel special, which boosts brand loyalty.
According to Hootsuite, Gen Z has devised a way to monetize UGC by offering "social media posts produced by freelance marketers or micro-influencers for businesses," which looks like organic UGC.
The difference between the two boils down to who posts the content and where. With traditional UGC, the content is produced by an individual or influencer on that person's page. As for UGC creator content, anything the creator makes gets handed over to the brand for distribution on the company's channels.
All of this points to UGC content dominating our social media feeds in both organic and seemingly organic ways for 2023.
Social Media Trend #5: SEO Will Be More Important Than Ever
The New York Times stated in September 2022 that TikTok is Gen Z's version of a search engine, and that trend should start carrying over to other platforms, such as Instagram. And Google has backed this up. According to the company's internal research, 40 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use social media as their search engine.
Instead of using hashtags to drive traffic to your social pages, try using SEO in your captions to bring in views. Of course, you'll have to keep a list of which keywords you'd like your page and content to rank for your chosen platform's algorithm.
You'll also want to create content that users are already looking for. If this doesn't give you a significant bump in traffic, at least you'll have numerous ideas for new content.
Social Media Trend #6: AI Makes its Debut
You can't go anywhere without hearing about artificial technology (AI) and how it will revolutionize the world. And it does seem to have a lot of applications in the social media space.
For instance, AI technology can create stunning backgrounds for videos or copy for captions and blog posts, among other written forms of content.
Additionally, platforms like Instagram and Facebook hope AI technology will enable them to drive increased user engagement on the platforms. The goal is for more recommended content to reach users, similar to TikTok's For You page.
In Summary
The social media trends in 2021 highlight the importance of creators and the content they share with their users. However, despite TikTok taking the world by storm, we shouldn't discount platforms such as Instagram, which has long established itself as a creator space and will be doing more to support its community.
Speaking of supporting creators, if you want to boost your sales, engagement, and presence across your social media channels, you should check out my IG Growth Accelerator Course. I'll teach you how to use social media to grow your business effectively on social media.