2023 Social Media Trends To Watch Out For

It is undeniable that in just the past decade, social media has transformed the way the internet- and the world- works and communicates.

Despite already being massive, the industry continues to grow at an unstoppable rate, with more than 190 million users jumping on board in 2022 and a total of 5.85 billion users expected by 2027.

If you are not already utilizing social media for your business, the time to start is now! Here are three of the biggest social media trends you need to be aware of in 2023.

UGC and Micro-Influencer Marketing

Along with the never-ending growth of social media has come an endless stream of people looking to profit from their favorite platforms and build full-time careers from them. While the most popular influencers are often considered to be shallow and willing to do or say anything for a quick buck, there is a whole other group of influencers that are often overlooked- micro-influencers.

Micro-influencers are online personalities with between 1,000 and 10,000 followers, and they often create content that caters to specific audiences with specific interests. While high-ranking influencers charge tens of thousands of dollars for a single sponsored post, 70.7% of micro-influencers charge less than $100 per post. Utilizing micro-influencers who share target audiences with your brand is an incredibly effective and budget-friendly method of advertising.

Another category of online creators you need to know about is UGC- user-generated content- creators. UGC is what it sounds like- content that is shot and created by people using a product rather than by the company behind the product.

UGC creators can be established influencers or creators who do not have specific audiences or brands based on their own personalities and simply just enjoy creating content for others. No matter who these creators are, UGC comes off as much more authentic and trustworthy than content created by the companies themselves!

Short-Form Video Content and TikTok

It should come as no surprise that TikTok will maintain its popularity in 2023. While it was not the first app to popularize short-form video content, it was the one that launched it to the levels of success it has reached today. Even apps such as Instagram and Facebook have introduced “reels” to their platforms in an attempt to capture whatever they can of TikTok’s success.

While these platforms may not be able to successfully use TikTok to their advantage, you can- and you absolutely should. Both big and small businesses have been able to grow and build audiences on the platform, and the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt reached 32 billion views at the end of 2022- a number that is only set to grow in 2023!

Livestream Shopping and Social Commerce

Social media commerce has become a major player in the world of e-commerce. The convenience and appeal of being able to buy a product right from a post about it have led to an estimated $992 billion in sales in 2022 and a predicted $1.3 trillion in 2023.

Furthermore, 55% of people have reported buying a product through social media and 87% of people say that social media helps them make shopping decisions. If you aren’t using social media to sell your product yet, the time to start is now!

Now you know what trends to keep an eye out for as we head into the second half of 2023. Now it’s your turn- try them out for yourself and watch your brand flourish!