by Social media has taken over marketing for business.
Now, that’s not to suggest that social media is the only method of marketing your company. But some of the latest data does suggest that social media dominates when compared to other digital marketing channels.
For context, one survey from Visual Objects in 2022 polled more than 1,000 small business owners and managers to see which digital marketing channels they valued most. Of those surveyed, 25% consider social media their the most successful digital marketing channel – tops among all other channels.
In addition to that stat, 67% of small businesses use social media tools regularly to promote their business.
With the majority of those businesses on social media, though, how do you plan to differentiate from the clutter on social media platforms? To help you answer that question, we’ve sorted through some of the best trends to follow and incorporate into your marketing strategy in 2023.
1. People will go to social media to learn.
Have you noticed the uptick in educational content on social media platforms, especially the likes of YouTube, TikTok and Instagram? You’re not alone.
In fact, people seem to crave this type of content, which Sprout Social calls “edutainment.” This content, Sprout Social predicts, will become even more popular in 2023.
The sweet spot for businesses will be to create content that is both educational (or informative) and entertaining. Boring will not cut it.
A good starting point? Try to answer common questions your customers have in video form.
2. Small businesses will partner with creators.
There’s a new name for influencers: creators. And Hootsuite predicts that more and more small businesses will partner with creators who are pushing out content to dedicated fans. This will take the form of sponsorships.
The reason creators should begin to work more with small businesses is because larger corporations are starting to rely on them less and less. This is more from a cost-cutting perspective than any reflection of the content quality of the creators.
For small businesses, though, creators can be quite affordable. According to Hootsuite, most creators make about $100 per post.
When looking for a creator to partner with, make sure their audience matches yours. You could even go the local creator approach. Think about any creators in your local area with loyal audiences. Work the #supportlocal angle.
3. Originality over copied content
If you are on TikTok, then you are likely aware that trending audio has been one of the most popular features on the platform. It’s definitely the video sharing app’s bread and butter.
But Later believes that trending audio, as well as other forms of copied content, will become less popular in 2023. Later predicts that businesses and marketers will need to inject much more originality into their content and strategy.
Brands won’t have to overproduce to stand out either with their original content. Off-the-cuff storytelling and other “no frills” videos will be popular in the coming year.
4. Video isn’t going away
Video is still king in 2023. If your business is not using videos on social media, then it’s safe to assume that you are missing out on valuable engagement from your followers.
Plus, as we stated above, you don’t need to practically employ a production studio to be successful with video. Authenticity is still the way to go.
Quick videos, such as Instagram’s Reels feature will also remain popular this year. One study indicated that Reels had an interaction count that was almost 40% higher compared to traditional videos posted on the app.
Need an easy video idea? Use Instagram or TikTok as a place to show off your products or answer customer questions related to specific products. Remember: educational content works well on social media.
5. Shoot short, vertical videos
Another strong consideration for video formats that your small business should use are short-form vertical videos. While horizontal video used to be the standard, that has long since changed.
Now, apps are designed with vertically shot videos in mind and horizontal videos often are not as effective as they don’t take up as much screen.
Just how much video consumption is vertical? On mobile devices, it’s 83% on video sites and 92% on all sites, according to the Social Media Strategies Summit blog.
6. Build community
Some marketing experts believe that 2023 is the year to start building community around your targeted audience.
This could occur on Facebook Groups, but there are many other newer apps popping up that provide small businesses a solution for creating and managing an engaged community of their customers. There are other community building platforms, such as Mighty Networks, that have been around for a while now and could have their moment this year.
Why the focus on community? Because that’s what people want from social media right now. They want healthy conversations with people who are interested in the same activities, hobbies and topics. It’s a call back to the early days of social media.
7. Social shopping will take off
Businesses with ecommerce platforms may have noticed that more and more social shopping options were either improved or introduced in 2022. Platforms have put a lot of work into making it easier for users to shop on their websites and apps without ever having to leave the platform itself.
As social shopping continues to improve and become more popular, looking into how you could incorporate it into your ecommerce strategy is well worth the effort.
Get social in 2023
For businesses on social media, 2023 could be a big year. But tackling social media and accomplishing goals that actually help your business grow – and make money – isn’t always as straightforward as one might think.
Need help managing your social media presence or establishing a strategy for increasing your reach and engagement with new and existing customers? We know a little something about that.
We would be happy to meet with you to discuss what a solid social media marketing strategy can accomplish for your business this year.
Schedule a free consultation to get the conversation started.
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