The algorithms and features of social media platforms frequently change presently. This makes social media marketing trends transform too. Such rapid changes put forward new challenges for social media marketers and brands as they need to review the current strategies constantly.
Along with that, they need to pivot for adding new kinds of content to the collection. This makes it paramount for marketers to keep track of the latest trends that influence social media.
Any social media marketing agency always employs the latest trends for enhancing the sales order and revenue of their clients’ businesses. Here is a handful of trends jotted down for better understanding.
Let’s check the top social media marketing trends to use in 2023
1. The Rise of Stories
We all know how obsessed people are with Instagram and Facebook these days. On top of that, starting from start-ups to big players, all use Stories for branding purposes. Overlooking this social media marketing trend is not advisable for any business these days. People now perceive Stories in the content format.
Hence businesses must take up organized plans and approaches for Stories in the form of a content calendar for publishing. As per a study, pictures in Stories carry a 5.65% elevated forward tap rate when compared to videos. This rate indicates the number of individuals who came across your Story and clicked on the upcoming one before finishing it. Almost 55% of brands today are utilizing videos in Instagram Stories, and of course, the number will boost in 2023.
2. Augmented Reality (AR) as a Media Mania
Recent events in 2022 have had a tremendous effect on adopting AR or Augmented Reality by businesses. Also, in social media platforms, AR experiences are prevalent. AR does not need any additional hardware but just a Smartphone, one of the most crucial social media marketing trends. AR experiences are compelling for engagement as such technology is highly interactive.
Brands in today’s time are incorporating social media trends like these for crafting AR filters. This is to advertise new products. With an entertained audience, it is even possible to attract potential customers with the correct promotion. 2020 limited the amount of brick and mortar purchasing. This makes AR even more future-ready for driving purchases. Any business can stand out in 2023 by the creative implementation of AR into social media marketing tactics.
3. Importance of Transparency and Authenticity
Any brand that always straightforwardly deals with consumers becomes the talk of the nation. Maintaining transparency and genuineness regarding business operations and products is very important for businesses these days. As brands remain honest at all times, consumers will automatically trust them more. This social media marketing trend is an important one.
The best way of implementing this is via social media. Engagement and transparency with the audience are crucial for the best social positioning of any business. When your brand is always connected with the audience through social media, the customers can be clear about their disappointments and queries.
Addressing every negative comment openly and confidently is now more critical than ever for brands. This will show the audience that you care about their problems. Audiences are social-savvy these days, which means that there is no point in shoving, deleting, or avoiding negative feedback beneath the rugs.
4. Campaigns that are Purpose-Driven
Whenever social media has driven engagement, it has been with causes. The pandemic has thrown a brighter spotlight on the causes. Individuals worldwide want to extend a helping hand, and they also anticipate businesses to take part. 74% of respondents stated in a survey that they wish brands to display gestures of kindness. 77% of them also feel inclined towards businesses that attempt to support society while there is a crisis.
In the year 2023, brands must implement social media trends like social media campaigns that are purpose-driven. 87% of respondents, as per a survey, want businesses to offer support to vulnerable community members. 85% of respondents anticipate more amount of support for the frontline healthcare staff. Audiences also expect brands to display leadership on social issues and not just exploit those for marketing prospects.
5. Popularity of Virtual Reality on Social Media
With things like social distancing and lockdown in the previous year, people have been seeking more amounts of meaningful interactions online. VR or virtual reality is one of the hottest digital marketing trends that can offer people the interactions they are looking for. This is the reason why no entrepreneur, marketer, or webmaster must ever ignore this trend.
When people interact with your brand through VR, it will offer them a feeling of being present physically even when they are halfway across the globe. Such experiences are highly enriching for people when there is a lockdown going on. VR is all set to gain more popularity in 2023 on social media. All social media platforms are slowly being pushing forward for the incorporation of this technology.
6. Live Streams Are Ruling the Platforms
Several businesses did not even go digital with the onset of the global pandemic in 2020. Be it interviews or meetings, and businesses started operating through Zoom instead of face-to-face interactions. Most importantly, people experienced the enjoyment of live concerts in the form of live streams where artists also played from their respective homes. So the uptick in the utilization of live streaming attributes on social media is now prevalent more than ever. Social media marketing trends like these are here to stay.
Facebook witnessed a massive rise in live streaming and messaging, especially during the complete lockdown. Though today’s situation in 2023 is evolving, people are now accustomed to the feeling of interacting with businesses live without the need for moving out of their homes. Hence, the popularity of live streaming is boosting every day, making it a crucial portion of any social media marketing strategy of today’s time. As per a study, 40% of customers are always interested in watching live videos from their favorite brands.
7. Growth of Social Commerce
The industry of social media is constantly adapting to boost the user experience. This is leading to the generation of more and more tools and features that support quick and straightforward shopping. For instance, Instagram enables you to add product tags. Also, it gives you the liberty of encountering easy checkout, and you do not even need to leave the platform for doing so. When it comes to Facebook, businesses can set up shops for people to browse and purchase on the platform. Such social media trends are the ideal tools today for marketers.
As a marketer, you must capitalize on such social media marketing trends in 2023. The role played by social media in driving purchase decisions for buyers is highly important these days. It is vital to know that 54% of social media users constantly research services or products with the help of social media. Social media recommendations are known to influence the buying decisions of users by 72%. As you move forward in adding social commerce to your equation, you will be shortening and simplifying the consumer journey.
So now, if your audience witnesses and likes a product on social media, there is no need for them to reach the website and hunt for it. The Social Commerce Platforms offers them the opportunity of buying then and there that will automatically decrease abandoned transactions. Just by fixing a buy button, you enhance the likelihood of buying from the users’ end.
So as you set the social media storefronts, you will be including one of the best social media practices in your social media marketing strategy. Making the posts shoppable in today’s time is significant. Your campaign strategy must fit perfectly to the transforming audience behavior. If not, then chances are there that you might lose potential customers.
8. Inclusivity Will Matter a Lot
Be it small, medium-sized, or large businesses, they are all under somewhat pressure for making meaningful strides. This is for inclusions in their respective business operations. The fact that now there is a myriad of options presents is not unfamiliar to the audience anymore. Now, the audience will only invest their money in the brands that will display interest in investing in communities and their passionate matters. Brands must keep themselves prepared.
They cannot afford to be ignorant or silent about the issues that the target audience is genuinely fervent about. One of the studies discovered that 29% of the shoppers would start buying from a brand that focuses on diversity and inclusivity. Audiences of today’s time are also familiar with performative activism that seems like more of a marketing play and not just a meaningful contribution. The content that you create on inclusivity must be well informed. Your brand must be geared up to be in action.
Final Words
Learning and implementing the newest social media marketing trends can help businesses construct a robust presence not just for today but also for the future. Especially the trends that will govern the landscape of social media in 2023 hold special importance.
Social media is the most dynamic space that we have today, and the trends will assist in acing the social media game. To know which trend to incorporate next, give us a knock.
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