Our Social Media Predictions For 2023

2023 has already started with a bang with social updates left, right and centre. Social media is forever changing, meaning that 2023 is going to be a year full of change and surprises. Here at Talking Stick Digital, we wanted to share with you our predicted trends for 2023 based on our experience as well as what happened in 2022 as there is already a lot of conversations about what’s going to happen in the next few months.

Before we get into it, it’s important to remember your brand’s goals and objectives as some of these points may not be beneficial or accessible. So let’s keep an eye out together, as it’s going to be an interesting journey…

 

Taking responsibility, deeper conversations, and brand values:

It’s no secret that as the years go by, there are more pressing issues taking place i.e. global warming, government issues, NHS crisis, cost of living crisis,  Global pandemics and so much more. It’s important for brands to remember, that their customers are really going through it. This year we expect to see brands starting to get more involved in the conversations and being aware of the issues rather than just pushing their product or service.

Marketers will have to start implementing these topics in their marketing, for example in a Facebook ad, talking about their airline’s mission to reduce carbon dioxide output or payday sales with deeper savings so that the customers can still book a holiday without being able to afford a food shop or unable to place the heating on during colder days or even purchasing products from brands who are acting sustainably with their clothing products, rather than purchasing from fast fashion brands.

So, what can brands do?

Determine where the brand is practising ethically and showcase that to its customers, this can be around how the business treats its employees, taking a stand and talking about ethical issues and talking about sustainability and how your business is making an active effort to do its part. Drawing attention to these issues will show the consumers that the brand cares, creating a deeper relationship almost immediately.

 

AI Officially Starts To Take Over The World:

 

If your anything like us, we are nervous about AI and the complete potential it comes with. The technology is impressive and extremely advanced, however, it’s allowing students to produce A* work just by imputing a few keywords into a website. But it doesn’t stop there, brands are creating AI interactive spaces where customers can play games, explore shops and cities and so much more – therefore creating a better customer experience rather than just the customer buying a product and moving on.

Filters on social media platforms are equally as popular and has been since around 2013, brands are creating certain filters for promotions, events and so much more, allowing the customers to get a hands-on experience with the brand.

So, what are the next steps?

AI is taking the world by storm and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Start by doing some research and test and try AI in different aspects of your marketing strategy and start to analyse the performance and if it’s working for you as a brand/agency.

Look into using AI to create ideas for blogs or captions, and look into creating filters and spaces where you can create an interactive experience for your products.

Budget is a huge aspect here as it can be costly, however, AI is being beta tested on a lot of platforms such as later, where captions can be created to save time and include specific keywords that algorithms are looking for.

Did you know that Shopify reported that AI, AR and 3D content has a 94% higher conversion rate compared to the traditionally produced content?

Combined App Experience:

It’s not going to be a shock that once one social media platform creates an idea, it won’t be long until the next implements it as well. For example, BeReal came around and took the world by storm, and a few weeks later TikTok implemented the same thing “TikTok Now” and the same thing happened with stories, and video content and it goes on and on. There is a popular app in China called “WeChat” where all our favourite social media channels are collated together, therefore having one platform with everything we love and use every day, keeping users on one app for longer, therefore increasing trust and potential for customers to spend more money.

We are expecting more apps to be released in 2023 where images, videos, live streaming, stories, reels, blogs, chatting, shopping and so much more will be all accessible in one app. Elon Musk at the end of 2022 was talking about creating an “Everything App”, so let’s keep our eyes peeled for that one.

Customer Service:

The days of calling and emailing brands to resolve an issue are over, with social media being the place for all communications between customers and businesses.

We will see in 2023 more customer service strategies being implemented for brands to address concerns, complaints, requests and information on the product, service and brand itself – there are even listening tools available on most social media schedulers where the platform can flag where your brand is mentioned so you can enter the conversation as quickly as possible for great customer service as well as being there as soon as possible to put any fires out.

Customer service is important for many reasons:

• Improves customer service response times
• Image of brand
• Helps grow the brand
• Makes life easier for your customers, therefore, encouraging them to come back to the brand and buy from you again over other competitors.

So, what can brands do?

• Training staff on the best procedure for customer service and how to deal with customers In the correct manner so that the customers have a great experience with the brand.
• Setting automatic replies so that the customer is dealt with immediately whilst letting them know their message has been received with times available for replies.
• Replying to customers publicly is another method that works great, these public replies may answer another customer’s question whilst also showing that someone is there on the company’s behalf to speak to.
• Look into listening tools to see what people are saying about your brand, where you can reply and interact with the customers, again increasing brand personality and image.

User-Generated Content (UGC):

User-generated content throughout 2022 was really popular and we are expecting to see the same throughout 2023. Content with people reviewing products, using products, visiting places and putting their own spin on the content is received a lot better than just a standard post or carousel on the product.

Watching real people interact and use products increase the trust worthiness of the brand and the product itself. We know first-hand that when influencers or brand Instagram pages filled with regular people using the product showing us their thoughts, how to use and how to buy it, makes us want to be involved.

Using the pickle kit trend on TikTok for example. Thousands of influencers, celebs and average users were videoing themselves trying the pickle kit, and a few of us here ended up spending £20 on these kits just to see what the talk was about (let’s just say there were mixed opinions..)

The power of UGC is incredible, and it is great for brands to use its customers to promote products, building long-lasting relationships with brands and customers whilst promoting the brand.

So, what can brands do?

Thankfully UGC isn’t expensive and can sometimes be free compared to influencer marketing. Just reposting tagged videos and images to place on your profile, sending out products to customers that comment and engage with the content and asking them if they would take pictures and videos is a great way to start. Getting friends and families involved is another great way to get started and is really affordable.

Analyse the data and see what does better, statics, carousel, videos and reels and stories and continue to interact with the customers.

Social media algorithm updates & changes will continue:

One thing we can absolutely predict this year is that the much-loved Instagram algorithm will continue to change leaving social media managers and brands on their toes to keep up. Following these changes as many know can be a challenge, as by the time you analyse these changes, and change your strategy – it changes again.

So what can we do?

Subscribe to other agencies, social media tools and platforms, and join webinars and events where you can learn new information. Follow like-minded people and businesses on Linked in where you can see trends and conversations around what people are doing, how they are doing it and how Instagram is responding. React and implement as soon as possible, like when Instagram became a reel-only experience, businesses and social media managers had to react and change their strategy immediately.

So, all in all, 2023 is going to be one heck of a ride, but we are looking forward to doing it with you and adapting our strategies to ensure that we give our clients the best exposure for their brand as well as increasing conversions and staying on trend.

Contact us today for more information on how we can help your brand succeed in 2023.