Social Media Trends For 2023

Last month I covered 10 trends we’ll see in Graphic Design next year, but what about in Social Media? As an ever changing application, it’s easy to fall behind with what is relevant in the world of Social Media. Here are four features that can help your business stay ahead of the game.

Short Form Video

With more and more social platforms popping up that focus on bite-sized content, it’s no wonder businesses are adopting this concept. As we know, video is the fastest growing advertising medium and the human attention span is shrinking so why not marry these two facts?! In a poll by wyzowl.com, when asked how individuals would like to learn about a product/service, “73% said they’d prefer to watch a short video”.

If you want to learn how to create short form video, Influencer Marketing Hub has created ‘The Ultimate Guide to Short-Form Video Content’ to help you get started.

Micro & Nano Influencers + User Generated Content

Influencers aren’t anything new, in fact the word was added to dictionary.com in 2016 - that’s how commonplace they have become, but this year we saw the rise of micro influencers. In our industry getting your “typical” influencer doesn’t make sense, they’re very expensive, and it’s much harder to engage with their broad following. This is where the Micro or Nano Influencer comes in. Finding someone in our industry that is well established - professionally and via social media - makes more sense to partner with than trying to work a deal with [insert big name influencer of your choice]. An excellent example of this is the Promotions East social campaign from this summer. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, check out my article How To Create A Social Media Campaign where I talked with Meg Erber about the Survival Kit SAAGNY created to boost awareness for the new Promo East Show.

In a similar vein, UGC (user generated content) is also on the rise. This form of influencing is more organic and offers a direct connection with actual customers, boosting a feeling of trust and credibility. Some great examples of UGC are unboxings, reviews, tutorials, etc.

Brand Authenticity

It’s always important to be authentic, but in 2023 we’re hoping to see it even more. According to Sprout Social, “86% of Americans believe transparency from businesses is more important than ever before.” By being more authentic and building relationships with your social followers, brands can help improve their reputation and, in turn, their sales. You can achieve this by being honest (obviously), have your CEO take to the spotlight from time to time, share ‘in-the-moment’ content that isn’t over-polished or over-curated, and keep content relatable.

Augmented Reality

Even though AR has been around for a good bit of time, it’s still so cool to experience. SnugZ is leading the way in the Promo Industry with SwagAR so don’t be surprised if we start seeing more of this from other Suppliers. With the quick evolution of hybrid marketing, AR is a strong strategy to help enhance your digital presence. If you sell sunglasses, headwear, temporary tattoos, etc, this is a fun way for your customers to to get an idea of what the product could look like on them without meeting in person or sending samples.

Have a wonderful rest of your 2022 and see you in 2023!