Thinking about your social media strategy for 2023? Wondering what platforms to get onboard with? It might help to know what’s hot and what’s not for the year ahead.
We’ve had a look at some of the trends and developments of the various social media platforms out there and the types of posts most popular and put together a quick guide to help you choose where to best direct your social efforts.
Short-form video and live-streaming are still big
It won’t surprise you – video posting and live-streaming are still on the up. No more hiding behind static images – your audience wants more than that.
Having said that, there are rumours that Instagram will start to address the disparity in the algorithm that currently favours reels and live-streaming compared to static posts.
And, if you really want to get into the nuts and bolts of the Instagram algorithm, there are plenty of guidelines published for creators.
For now, short-form video continues to be the format favoured by the majority of social media marketers and offers the highest ROI (return on investment) when it comes to sales. And testament to this, TikTok only continues to grow in popularity.
From 2021 to 2022, the use of Instagram in the US grew by 35% and is the platform most tipped for audience growth in 2023. Developers are constantly improving the in-app buying experience for consumers and it has the best reviews for in-app shopping.
Investment in Instagram continues an upward trajectory meaning the constant improvements are tipped to continue, in algorithm development as well as consumer experience.
For businesses not yet on Instagram, many are looking to now have a presence as it is almost expected not only by consumers, but B2B organisations.
TikTok
Given how popular short-form video is, particularly among Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 - TikTok is tipped heavily to be the second largest growing platform this year. Marketers predict it as a significant platform for growing audiences in 2023 with at least 62% of Generation Zs spending most of their social media time on it.
Despite what you might think of Facebook, its usage increased over 2021 – 2022 by 12% and is still the best place for marketers to create communities in 2023.
Creating groups and communities is favoured by those businesses looking to deliver and sell courses, membership services and coaching, with Facebook offering the secure and relatively easy tech platform to do this on. Plus, Facebook Live Audio is the most popular live audio platform for marketers.
LinkedIn for professionals and content creators
There are 875 million users in 200 countries of LinkedIn, and it continues to grow and be the place for establishing and developing thought leadership profiles. With ‘creator’ mode and LinkedIn newsletters giving content creators even more flexible, portable ways to create and develop content.
Platforms losing in the popularity stakes
Twitter is the platform experiencing the most significant fall in usage, and a fall in investment from marketers. With a name for being a controversial, negative platform, social media markers are thinking twice about the image it portrays for them to associate their brand/s with.
During the pandemic, certain platforms surged in popularity, only to fall again. Clubhouse, most notably, and Twitter Spaces among these.
How to choose a social media platform to invest in
Consider the goals of your business and your audience demographic. Growing a community and audience, lead generation, increasing audience reach and driving traffic to your website are all possible through social media.
But you should consider where your audience is hanging out. If you’re not targeting Generation Z consumers, TikTok might not be your ideal choice, for example.
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