As of January 2022, there were 4.2 billion social media users across all platforms, with an average person bouncing between seven platforms each month. It is no wonder that 93% of marketers worldwide use social media to reach out to new prospects and increase brand visibility in target markets. 2022 was an eventful year in the social media landscape, with Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter highlighting the year. We also saw increased engagement on short videos such as Instagram reels.
As we enter 2023, knowing all the new social media updates to expect helps you adjust your digital marketing strategies accordingly. Here are 5 of the most exciting social media digital marketing trends to expect in 2023.
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A surge in social audio
Social audio is the next thing in social media marketing after text, photos, and video. Social audio is a “social media platform tool” that leverages audio for communication. Digital marketers are increasingly using social audio to humanize their brands and talk directly and intimately to their audience. Studies reveal when we hear someone’s voice, the brain releases hormones of love, trust, and empathy. The main benefit that social audio platforms offer is the ability to interact with your audience in real-time. Social audio allows for stronger and more significant connections between engaged viewers and their favorite brands. It also allows you to invite comments and answer customer questions regarding products or services. The surging popularity of social audio has seen more social media platforms pivot towards this new trend. Twitter has Voice Tweets and Twitter Spaces, while Facebook features sound-bite reaction tools such as Facebook Audio. LinkedIn too has Audio Events. Integration of these tools into digital campaigns is likely to increase in 2023.
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Increased adoption of Augmented Reality (AR)
There is no doubt AR is the future of social interactions. The increasing popularity of AR triggered Facebook to change its name to Meta, which gave birth to the Metaverse. Metaverse is a new digital world that allows brands and people to interact and thrive. As users crave a new and engaging shopping experience, we will likely see better augmented reality and virtual reality (VR) adoption in 2023 and beyond. AR and VR in social media allow users to play games and interact with products and services from brands advertising on these platforms.
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The switch to full-screen content
TikTok introduced a new full-screen mode to make content on the platform more discoverable. Instagram has followed suit by offering a full-screen home feed that displays tweets in a full-screen, vertical-scrolling format. As a result of Tik Tok’s success, other platforms are now looking to follow its lead. Today Instagram’s Reels and Snapchat’s Spotlight takes on a full-screen, vertical scrolling that drives overall engagement. YouTube and Facebook are also offering full-screen content, with Facebook’s vertical video garnering a 90% higher completion rate compared to its horizontal videos. YouTube has been testing new features designed to reformat video ads to vertical playback. With more platforms supporting this new aspect ratio, digital marketers are repurposing their content to achieve extended reach. Making the switch will undoubtedly result in higher ROI.
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Nano-influencers to take center stage
In the recent past, nano-influencers have increasingly become popular with brands looking to optimize their digital campaigns, and this trend is likely to continue into the New Year. Unlike micro-influencers, nano-influencers are regarded by the audience as more credible and real, helping connect brands and niche audiences. More genuine interaction translates to higher engagement and trust from the audience. Apart from giving brands direct access to new markets, these nano-influencers are also cost-effective, meaning you don’t have to break the bank on one campaign.
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The rise and rise of reels
Nearly 92% of digital marketers consider video as an integral tool in digital marketing. Short videos are quite popular with the younger generation, especially Gen Z. They are cost-effective, easy to generate, and highly engaging, making them ideal tools for brands to reach out to their target audience. In the recent past, Youtube has led the charge, with users watching an impressive 1 billion hours of content daily on the platform. However, short video content like Facebook Live increasingly threatens Youtube’s dominance by setting the latest big trend in video content. Other big platforms such as Tik Tok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram are improving their video content with highly engaging reels. YouTube’s response has been the launch of YouTube Shorts. Experts believe we will see more brands in 2023 using short videos to attract and engage younger audiences.