2023 Social Media Trend Predictions
New year, new social media trends. The social media sphere is constantly evolving, but don’t worry - we’ve done the hard work for you. Read on for five trends we expect to see in the social media industry in 2023!
TIKTOK + SHORT-FORM, VERTICAL VIDEO
HIGH RISK, HIGH EFFORT
Let’s start by getting the most obvious out of the way: short-form video content has dominated the social media scene the past few years and will likely remain at the forefront of content strategies in 2023. According to Social Media Today, new skills for SMMs to hone in on will include: video editing, video direction, and storytelling.
While this form of content has proven great for discoverability, it’s no secret that it can require quite a bit of effort to execute. From identifying trends and sourcing audios to actually filming, editing, and gaining client approval, a single TikTok or IG Reel can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours. Luckily, we’ve created several downloads, including our IG Reels + TikTok Brainstorming Spreadsheet and Reel + TikTok Bundle, to streamline this process.
Because the virality of your video is no guarantee, there is some risk posed against spending an extensive amount of time on content creation. On the other hand, that extensive time could be just what your brand needs to pop off on the platform. In fact, our Instagram following increased by 91.7% in only one quarter from consistent IG Reels! If you’re looking to increase brand awareness in 2023, consider video essential to your content strategy.
Lastly, if you’re an SMM in the U.S., you can’t disregard the ongoing discussion about whether or not TikTok should be banned in the States. Just this month (December 2022), the Senate passed legislation to ban TikTok on all government electronics. Could the general public’s devices be next? Something to keep on our radar for 2023 and beyond…
ZERO-CLICK CONTENT
LOW RISK, HIGH EFFORT
To understand the strategy behind zero-click content, we have to first acknowledge that Instagram is a business that runs on ads. In order to get users to view more ads, Instagram’s goal is to keep users in the app for as long as possible. As a result, the algorithm rewards accounts that are able to do so.
So what does this mean for brands? In 2023, brands should prioritize content that requires zero clicks - meaning everything they need is available to them within the platform as opposed to being linked out to a third-party website.
Executing this may look like:
Sprinkling in longer captions
Leveraging IG Story Highlights, IG Guides, and pinned posts to store longer pieces of content or information that users can easily refer to in-app, rather than heading to the website
Encouraging in-app purchases via IG Shopping with “Tap to shop!” CTAs as opposed to the classic “Link in bio”
I know what you may be thinking: how can I, as a brand, guarantee ROI when we remove trackable visits to our website? VP of Marketing at SparkToro, Amanda Natividad, explains it best in this Twitter thread!
LESS HASHTAGS, MORE SEO
LOW RISK, LOW EFFORT
Move over, Pinterest! TikTok and Instagram will continue evolving into both social platforms AND search engines in 2023. When discussing the evolution of search at a recent conference, Senior Vice President of Google Knowledge and Information, Prabhakar Raghavan, shared that about 40% of young people, when searching for information, no longer turn to Google Maps or Search – they go to TikTok or Instagram.
When it comes to post distribution, Instagram itself has recommended users keep their hashtag count between three and five max. Because additional hashtags will not boost discoverability, the platform recommends users incorporate keywords into the caption to increase the likelihood of their content showing up in search results. Consider this new initiative a low-risk, low-effort way to boost discoverability on social.
To SEO optimize your content, start by finding keywords that your audience is actually searching for. Use the social platform’s search bar to type in a base keyword and discover other keywords in the predictive text’s drop-down list. To show up as one of the top results for these search queries, you’ll want to start incorporating these keywords into your content as much as possible without keyword stuffing.
At Homemade Social, we’ve removed hashtags from our content strategy entirely and have yet to experience a dip in reach or engagement. In 2023, we predict social platforms will continue pushing less for hashtags and more for SEO-optimized content.
MINIMALISTIC, LESS CURATED CONTENT
LOW RISK, LOW EFFORT
If you're an OG Instagram user, you likely remember the days when posting on Instagram required little-to-no effort. Any photo from your camera roll in 2012 would fly as "cool" as long as a native Instagram filter was thrown on top of it.
Fast forward a few years to 2018 and Instagram culture amped up the intensity of effort required and filters applied. Photos from this era were extremely posed, Facetuned, and filtered.
In our 2022 Q2 Analytics Reveal, we shared a major shift happening in the nature of social media: users are craving entertainment, relatability, and connection. Overly polished and filtered content is out and being real (literally ⚠️) is in. That’s why apps like TikTok are booming, and content like IG Reels, unfiltered photo dumps, memes, and tweet graphics are thriving on Instagram.
Additionally, while most people formerly turned to social media to connect with others they knew in real life, users are now (largely thanks to TikTok) using social to connect with others who share interests with them, regardless of whether or not they actually know them offline.
As we transition into this new "anti-aesthetic" and relatable period of social media, brands will need to re-evaluate how they convey genuineness and transparency to their audience. Because authenticity will be key, brands will be challenged to think like marketers, while behaving more like creators. Low effort and less curated content created with a “community-first” strategy in mind will be more impactful than ever in 2023.
UGC + INFLUENCER COLLABORATIONS
MODERATE RISK, HIGH EFFORT
What better way to “behave like a creator” than incorporate UGC into your content strategy? Collaborating with influencers on social media is a great strategy for increasing brand awareness, growing your following, and generating sales. Additionally, re-posting content shared organically by your followers creates relatability and allows your audience to better visualize themselves with your product.
In Instagram’s 2023 Trends Report, the platform revealed that over half of Gen Z social media users will gain fashion and beauty inspiration from influencers in 2023. While sending influencer pitches and fostering ongoing partnerships can require high effort, it will be key to getting your brand in front of a large audience, establishing social proof, and acquiring content that your brand can re-post later.
Keep in mind when collaborating with influencers, you will face a moderate amount of risk:
Navigating FTC regulations
Lack of full creative control over the content delivered
Lower influencer campaign results than anticipated due to an inauthentic following
Being ghosted by influencers
Backlash for re-posting UGC (must receive permission!)
We hope this blog post was insightful for you in discovering a few of our social media trend predictions for the year ahead! For more tips on how to succeed on social, join the waitlist to learn more about our NEW coaching service launching in 2023!
xx- The Homies
