When it comes to marketing, nothing offers ROI like social media. From Instagram to TikTok, digital platforms have reimagined how brands engage with their customers. The advertising landscape is continually evolving and in 2023, things have never looked more exciting.
So, what’s set to take socials by storm this year? Read on for a closer look at the top five social media marketing trends you need to know about in 2023.
1. A strong focus on short-form video
Filter-heavy Instagram snaps are so last year. In 2023, short-form video is shaping up to be a game changer. Even professional networking platforms like LinkedIn are starting to prioritise bite-sized videos.
The trend was pioneered by video platform TikTok, which gave a whole new meaning to user-generated content. Fast, fun and easy to digest, social media users fell hard for the short-form video content. Competitors quickly followed suit, with Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts now offering a similar experience.
While short-form videos should absolutely feature in your social media marketing strategy for 2023, it’s important not to blindly follow the crowd. Not every brand can pull off trending TikTok challenges. Instead, aim to create short-form videos that are educational, engaging and informal. Think about your target audience and keep them in mind when creating your content.
Yes, short-form videos are over in a flash. But that doesn’t mean you should prioritise quantity over quality. Post short-form videos when you have something to share with your audience, not simply for the sake of creating content.
As for where to allocate your social media marketing spend. TikTok and Instagram Reels are a worthwhile investment. But YouTube Shorts are starting to appear in search engine results pages, which makes the online video sharing platform our top pick for 2023. Tag your short-form videos strategically and you could unlock access to a huge audience.
2. TikTok steps up
2022 saw social media giants Twitter and Facebook tumble off their pedestals for a variety of reasons. While we’re by no means ruling them out in 2023, we will be ramping things up on TikTok. Excellent ROI, high engagement levels and newly discounted advertising rates are set to make TikTok a social media marketing darling in 2023.
The figures speak for themselves, with the latest stats from Capterra revealing 78% of retail and restaurant brands enjoy a positive ROI on TikTok ads. Of these, more than 50% reported positive ROI in six months or less.
It’s not just big-name brands with huge advertising spends that can benefit from TikTok. The nature of the short-form video platform means anyone can go viral, regardless of how deep your pockets. Create something TikTok users love, and they’ll start to share your content and tag their friends – for free.
This takes us back to the quality vs quantity point we touched on earlier. Don’t saturate your audience with lacklustre videos. Instead, create thoughtful and strategic ads that are far more likely to resonate with viewers.
3. Facebook Ads bolstered with AI and machine learning
While platforms like TikTok and Instagram like to market themselves as “younger” and “sexier” than Facebook, the social media veteran isn’t going down without a fight. In 2023, the platform is placing a big focus on improving ads using AI and machine learning. It’s all part of a strategy to help advertisers maximise their marketing budgets and get a better idea of ROI.
The improvements aren’t just about helping advertisers target the right users. AI will also step up to help brands create ads. This includes writing strategic content and selecting the right images.
4. Heavily targeted advertising
Connecting with the right audience is one of the biggest challenges of social media marketing. In 2023 we’re excited to see platforms like LinkedIn offering phenomenal retargeting strategies to advertisers. For example, advertisers can now retarget any user who has previously watched at least 25% of a video ad.
It’s also possible to retarget users who have visited the advertiser’s company page or interacted with a single-image ad. This new level of specificity is making it easier than ever to get your ad content in front of responsive users.
5. Value-packed YouTube ads
TikTok isn’t the only platform redirecting advertising budgets away from giants like Facebook and Instagram in 2023. This year, YouTube ads will make a big mark on advertisers. Many companies report major clients are now spending more on YouTube than on Facebook.
What makes YouTube such an enticing platform for advertisers? TikTok has enjoyed plenty of hype. But it’s left many people in the dust, especially older age groups. In comparison, YouTube remains popular with social media users of all ages, including over 65s. People of all ages and interests use the platform, something that other social platforms just can’t compete with.
Bonus trend: experimenting with new networks
It’s easy to develop tunnel vision when it comes to social media. But at Hoopla Marketing, we’re all about keeping our finger on the pulse of the latest social media marketing trends. That’s why as well as titans like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, we’ll also be exploring the value of social networks like Hive, Mastodon, Tumblr, Discord and Reddit in 2023.
Like crypto, there are plenty of players on the scene. Our job is to figure out where your audience is spending time and whether it’s worth targeting these new platforms.
Leverage the latest social media marketing trends
Want to elevate your social media marketing strategy in 2023?
Whether it’s TikTok, Instagram Reels or Facebook, we’re here to help you create fully trackable, paid social media advertising campaigns that deliver genuine results. Get in touch with the Hoopla Marketing team today to find out more.