Even by the fast-moving standards of tech world progress, it seems like the social media landscape is always changing, and it becomes hard to keep up. So for 2023, rather than stumbling along while just trying to keep up with these changes, set yourself up for success by researching some educated predictions about where the social media industry will be going in 2023. While nobody has a crystal ball and the possibilities are truly endless, here are a few 2023 social media predictions that the web experts feel are likely to have the biggest impact the coming year:
Recommended content takes over your feeds
Have you logged onto Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter lately and felt like you barely recognized your feed? And by that, we don’t mean stylistic changes–we mean you literally don’t recognize the accounts you’re seeing posting? No, you’re not making things up; the prevalence of “recommended content” from accounts you don’t actively follow is a real change to how the social media algorithms are populating your feeds.
It’s happening across a variety of platforms. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has spoken openly about increasing the percentage of “recommended content” in users’ Facebook feeds, with the goal of increasing engagement and satisfaction with the platform. Instagram continues to develop its Reels in the footsteps of current platform du jour TikTok, which prioritizes serving the best content from its entire user base over user-curated feeds. And even Twitter is giving an old experiment a new try by defaulting to the algorithmically generated “For You” display setting rather than showing tweets in chronological order.
As we move further into 2023, you can expect these experiments to continue unabated as the major social media platforms scramble to make their spaces the ones with the most engaging content that keeps users coming back for more. As a social media marketer, this can be a double-edged sword: on one hand, more recommended content means you’re fighting for an ever-smaller slice of your followers’ news feed pies on platforms that already suffocate organic reach. On the other hand, more recommendations placed in each feed means that those who can craft truly great content may be rewarded with an even wider follower base.
Twitter continues to be predictably unpredictable
Oh, Twitter–what’s going on? The original micro-blogging platform has always been a bit player in terms of raw user volume, but is perhaps the most influential of the social media platforms when it comes to directing the public conversation, making it hugely important. And ever since Elon Musk took over the platform in 2022, the changes have been coming at a fast and furious pace, with regular users struggling to keep up, let alone the businesses just trying to survive.
In 2023, there’s no telling what will happen to Twitter. Many advertisers fled the platform in the wake of Musk’s new moderation policies, the development team has been drastically (and publicly) downsized, and new features–from the edit button to removing character limits to the pay-to-play verification–have been promised, tried, canceled, delayed, etc, etc.
Fortunately, that unpredictability is, well, predictable. For a digital marketer, you likely already have an idea of how you’ll approach Twitter going forward: either you see a benefit from the platform and will continue to ride out the storm, or you’re put off by the unpredictability and have been pulling back–whatever new surprises Twitter has in store is unlikely to change that position. But of course, a smart marketer never closes a door completely–keep an eye on what’s happening just in case the platform strikes gold!
E-commerce takes center stage
Of course, some of these predictions are a bit more… predictable, and a major one is the continued rise of e-commerce integrated into social media platforms. We’re not just talking about the continued presence of advertisements in your social feed (although those will certainly remain); we’re talking about truly novel ways to shop from the platforms themselves.
Some of this is based around e-commerce technology, like more streamlined in-feed purchases that allow users to see a product in an ad on their social feed and make a purchase without ever leaving the app. This increases convenience and reduces the hurdles that keep a potential customer from becoming an actual customer, helping increase sales from social platforms.
However, some of this is entirely new to the social media space. Take live shopping, for instance. This allows social users to watch a livestream sales presentation from known and trusted creators, who offer easy ways to purchase the products being shown and often offer discounts and specials valid only during the streams.
If this sounds like social media’s version of QVC-style home shopping, you wouldn’t be wrong, but to dismiss it would be. After all, live shopping is already massively popular in Asia, with live shopping making up over 10% of the Chinese e-commerce market, and the trend is projected to continue growing in 2023 as well as start truly making inroads in the West.
Users will rally around authentic content
Social media users aren’t ignorant to the changes going on around them, far from it. As social feeds become more clogged with advertisements, suggested content, recommendations, and brands, users will continue to latch on to whatever they view as real and authentic–after all, that’s why they use social media.
Million-dollar, high-production Super Bowl commercials may not be the most effective on social platforms where users expect to see real people sharing their real feelings, and smart marketers are already adapting. Whether this means creating content that’s intentionally less polished or over-produced, partnering with content creators that have built significant trust and rapport with their audiences, or staying true to brand identity rather than hopping on every trend, authenticity will continue to go further than flash in 2023.
Social media marketing works smarter, not harder
While we aren’t in a recession just yet as of this writing, experts give about a ⅔’s chance of the US entering a recession in 2023. And while marketers know that a downturned economy is the best time to push your marketing, the c-suite often responds to a recession by cutting marketing budgets and forcing marketing professionals to work lean. Add to this more broad familiarity with social media marketing, which means executives and stakeholders have a better idea of what you’re doing and can focus on results with more accuracy and precision.
In 2023, expect to have to do more work with less budget and greater oversight when it comes to social media. Gone are the days of throwing money into social ads and hoping for the best. Expect to spend 2023 doing some hardcore data analysis, identifying your audience, and working on a social strategy that smartly micro-targets those who are actually open to your products or services rather than broad-based “spray and pray” advertising. Fortunately, learning to do this now will inevitably make your business stronger down the line!
2023 is looking to be a tough year for social media marketing, but full of opportunities for those who can approach the landscape with smarts and strategy. One of the best ways to do this is to work with a professional, and Skol Marketing’s team is here to help. To get started with a social media audit, one-on-one guidance, or even a complete social media management package, please don’t hesitate to contact the local social media experts at Skol Marketing.
