We are rapidly approaching the end of the calendar year (how on earth is it already November?)
A whole bunch of stuff has taken place in the chaotic realm of social media – Twitter is in the deep stages of a management takeover by new ‘Chief Twit’ Elon Musk, Facebook and Meta lost A LOT of money, TikTok continues to skyrocket in daily users and Instagram made about a zillion changes to their platform.
AR/VR has taken over our devices, Will Smith smacked Chris Rock, and a video of a corn-obsessed child went viral. The list goes on.
The world of social media is like Max Verstappen in the Mexico City Grand Prix. It’s fast, you can’t take your eyes off it and you never know what’s coming next.
But what’s in store for 2023? Let’s delve right in.
1. Authenticity remains the go-to
The corporate b******t of social media is a thing of the past.
Gone are the days when brands spoke in third person, describing themselves as the perfect corporate money making machine.
Users crave authenticity, and when a brand isn’t being authentic consumers and followers are AWARE.
Over the past couple of years we have seen a colossal shift in how businesses portray themselves on social media. Brands are now extremely transparent with their systems and the services they offer. Being authentic on social is vitally important to retaining customers and clients. Staying true to your core business values, and being honest in your social media marketing plan, builds audience trust and improves retention.
According to SocialMediaToday, 60% of consumers turn to social media before buying or investing in a service or product
90% of consumers mentioned authenticity as an important factor in deciding which brands they like and support
2. Short-form videos are not going anywhere
I bet you’re just as fed up as us about constantly hearing about short-form videos – but let’s be honest, it’s absolutely taken over the social media world.
Everyone has mixed opinions on short-form videos. Some adore the endless-scroll of TikTok, while others despise the big platforms trying to compete with each other in an attempt to force the most video content down our throats.
No matter your opinion though, short-form videos are here to stay.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest and many more platforms have implemented a scrollable video feed into their apps.
Instagram has also openly admitted Reels get greater reach than generic posts.
You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf. If you despise short-form videos, you still have to invest in a strategy one way or another.
Instagram stats: mention.com
3. The creator economy continues to BOOM
Let’s be real for a moment, creators absolutely rule the social and media world.
Years have passed since the term ‘creator’ meant you were sat in your parents bedroom filming 6 minute vlogs talking about your day. In this day and age you have creators making seven figures every year, starring in movies, writing books, building businesses, getting huge brand deals – the list could go on.
You only have to take one peek at the audience size of MrBeast or KSI to realise how much influence creators have. KSI for example juggles more hustles than I can count on my hands. He is a YouTuber, a charting musician, the co-founder of PRIME Hydration, the CEO of Misfits Boxing, and 1/7 of the Sidemen, including their subsidiaries such as Sides, XIX Vodka, Side+, Sidemen Clothing and Sidecards.
Creators are the new A-list celebrities. This is most apparent in the younger demographics now, something which will only continue for years to come.
90% of the video, audio, photo, and text-based content consumed today by Gen Z is created by individuals and agencies, not media corporations.
