Social Media Marketing is a fast evolving world and it’s easy to be left behind if you don’t keep yourself abreast of the latest trends and going-ons in this ever changing landscape.
Let’s start with the existing Goliath which is:
So lately Facebook (Meta) has gone through a rough period. It’s been around since 2004 and has seen many changes not least to it’s demographic. And therein lies part of their issue. The younger generation don’t really want to be sharing content where their Mum or even Gran is able to read and see it. That’s just not cool.
The other issue is from challengers such as TikTok and YouTube shorts. These platforms are geared around entertainment rather than social and that’s helping them be the success they are today.
All is not lost for Facebook as they still have the largest audience of them all. With a few positive changes you could see them clawback some of the ground they’ve lost especially if they can capitalise on leading the way with the metaverse.
In the next year look out for different types of content from Facebook. You’ll see more reels and maybe less from friends. You’ll see more suggested content too from people / accounts you’re not following. Mark Zuckerburg has even gone on to say that you’ll see up to 40% content on the platform from pages you’re not following.
One area where Facebook is still a strong performer is in groups, so have a think about that especially if you’re looking to build a community around your business. Also, take a closer look at Avatars as they will feature more often now too. Think also VR and AR.
Instagram (also part of Meta), have been having some identity issues of late and are making a lot of changes to the platform to help in their quest to stop leaking audience to TikTok.
That all said, Instagram have just confirmed that they’ve exceeded the 2 billion user mark so all is not lost and The Insta is still the place to be for brands and users alike.
So up next for Instagram is the continued push towards reels with more AI recommended content too. It’s really hard to predict what the future holds as the app is in a constant state of flux. We are confident however that they will find the right formula to keep people engaged on the platform in 2023.
Other notable additions to Instagram in the coming year are going to be AR and 3D posts, further integration of NFT art and other new content forms that can be showcased in the app.
Also, look out for a new GIF making tool and 3D creation tools like Spark AR being introduced.
Finally, the trend towards live shopping continues and that will please a lot of ecommerce brands.
In summary, Instagram is far too big to be ignored and it should always be a considered platform when it comes to your marketing mix.
This is going to be the hardest to predict as Elon Musk has recently took ownership of the platform and boy is he making swinging changes.
Staff have been let go and he’s causing a stir on there with his outspoken comments. He’s clearly trying to think of ways to monetise starting off with charging for the illustrious blue tick.
Don’t be surprised if you start to see a monthly fee for simply using the app’.
Whilst there isn’t much solid information out there as to how Twitter could evolve one thing that is being mooted is getting rid of the character limit. We’re not sure how this would go down, but it would certainly make life easier as you won’t need to edit longer form content down to fit Twitter’s 280 character limit.
In essence, we’re excited to see what Twitter do in 2023. With Elon Musk at the helm, it’s going to be very interesting. There are still plenty of opportunities to grow your business on there, especially if you’re keen on networking and communicating with key figures in your industry.
Pinterest has been a steady social media performer over the years. It’s never reached the heights of the other big players as such, but it certainly holds its own in the social media space.
It’s an ideal place for you to collect, store and curate content for your business and discover new types of content too. They’re trying to be seen as more a video-based platform but images still very much lead the way for them.
Like Instagram (and TikTok as well), Pinterest is also testing the waters on live-stream shopping, and if that does become a bigger trend, you can expect Pinterest to make a much bigger push on integrating live shopping into the app.
Live shopping likely fits on Pinterest better than other apps, and as such, you can expect to see Pinterest integrating more live-stream display options into the app in 2023, including, potentially, a full-screen live-screen shopping tab in the app.
The Social Network for Professionals, LinkedIn continues to post record levels of engagement.
Based on various reports LinkedIn is expected to provide more data in order that you can maximise the potential of the platform plus there will be more linkage to LinkedIn Learning courses.
LinkedIn owns the largest database of professional and career insights ever created, and it’s slowly integrating more ways to use this to help people maximise their opportunities.
Expect this to continue in 2023, with more info on what people should do to obtain their dream job, as well as more links to LinkedIn Learning to get the exact skills you need to improve your chances of getting advertised roles.
LI are also looking at enhanced video communication within the app and this could act as a real game changer! There will be a far bigger emphasis on audio!
TIKTOK
So TikTok have been a real disruptor since bursting onto the scene a few years ago. They’ve had to do a bit of work to shake the tag of it been known for kids making dancing videos and they’re doing a great job. We challenge any adult to use the app’ for 24 hours and finding themselves hooked to very pertinent and engaging content! Some people are even suggesting they watch TikTok in the evening as opposed to watching TV. That’s a pretty massive change in consumer behaviour.
Like some of the other platforms above TikTok will focus more on live-stream and shops in 2023.
Also, keep a lookout for creator payments in 2023. They have a creator fund right now so make sure you’re working to maximise the potential financial benefits of this.
One of the good things about TikTok is the ability to post more frequently and perhaps with less polished content. Sometimes the less perfect is better as this leads to authenticity so bear that in mind when you’re planning your marketing for 2023.
SNAPCHAT
Snapchat feels like it hasn’t caught on, at least not with the adult demographic as such, but it’s still a very popular app and is used by millions around the world.
It feels a bit like it needs to grow up a bit like TikTok.
Things like the introduction of AR Glasses mean Snap could still play a big part in social media marketing well into the future.
There isn’t much else coming out of Snap for 2023 but as before with other years it still manages to stay relevant at least to a niche sector of users.
Also, keep an eye out for Video / Bitmoji chat features. That could be an area for them to capitalise on.
SUMMARY
As we touched on at the outset, Social Media Marketing is an ever-changing landscape. It’s in a constant state of flux. That said, don’t get overwhelmed and just choose 2 or 3 platforms to focus on and do it well.
Over and above all the platforms it’s about creating the best content which your customers are looking to digest. The principles of marketing remain the same regardless of if you’re on TikTok, Snapchat or otherwise.