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With 2023 fast approaching, it’s time to turn our attention to the year ahead and all the new updates from the world of social media that it will bring. From new platforms to a focus on authentic, multi-sensory content, things will soon feel real (even in the virtual world) as consumers push for authenticity, community, and immersive experiences.

We all know how quickly the landscape changes, so we’re here to keep you up to date. We break down six of the most exciting social media trends that we think will be big news for brands and businesses in 2023.

Want to keep your finger on the pulse? Read on for everything you need to know for the year ahead.

1. Booming Social Audio: With more and more social media platforms migrating to video content and a boom in the number of gamers around the world, the role of audio in social media is changing rapidly.

Facebook has Soundbite reaction tools and Twitter has voice tweets and Twitter spaces. LinkedIn has audio events. It’s time to create a social media strategy that harnesses the power of social audio in 2022!

Are you feeling brave? Dive into the metaverse and experiment with audio marketing for your brand. start small? Enhance your Instagram Reels strategy with trending audio to ensure higher engagement and wider reach.

2. Gaming is the New Social Media Play ground: If you’ve ever played Candy Crush or Wordle on your daily commute, you’re officially a gamer. While social media platforms are tried and tested advertising platforms, games in 2023 offer a range of exciting new opportunities for brands and businesses. And number of tech companies and brands are also doubling down on gaming investments. Netflix plans to expand its reach by building its first in-house video game studio in Helsinki.

Additionally, luxury fashion houses continue to use gaming as a vehicle for community engagement and bridging the gap between virtual reality and the IRL. The gaming industry is projected to be worth an estimated $200.8 billion, with in-game advertising expected to reach $17.6 million by 2023. This is a world that thrives on social interaction and has remained relatively unused when it comes to marketing. Could 2023 be the year your brand commits to harnessing the power of gaming?

3. Content is displayed in Full Screen: While TikTok’s astronomical growth is nothing new, its influence on the way other social media platforms operate will continue. Expect more 9:16 content (i.e. full screen vertically) to come.

While it’s no surprise that Instagram has followed TikTok’s lead in this, now YouTube and Facebook have too. On Facebook, vertical videos have a 90% higher completion rate than horizontal videos, and YouTube is testing a new feature that reformats vertical video ads.

Since more platforms support these aspect ratios, the same content can be repurposed for greater reach. If you change, you get more for your money.

4. BeReal and Instagram Candid Challenges stand for Authenticity: BeReal changed the game in 2022 with a greater focus on authenticity. While the app launched in 2020, it’s really taken off in the last year, already ushering in a new era of aesthetics that favor up-to-date, realistic documentation over polished, curated content.

The unlaunched Instagram Candid will soon notify users at random times asking for a dual camera photo. And it seems Instagram isn’t the only police cat here. TikTok Now sends a similar notification, but naturally also supports videos.

What does this mean to you? Think back to the unfiltered photo dumps of Instagram’s early days. Content will continue to be increasingly personalized and organic. Cut down on the big studio photo shoots and go for something more authentic.

5. The rise of Nano-Influencers and UGC: Speaking of shrinking, the rise of nano-influencers (those with less than 10,000 followers) and user-generated content (UGC) isn’t slowing.

In fact, nano-influencers already account for 90% of successful influencer marketing campaigns. Considered more credible, they connect your brand to niche audiences and provide direct access to your target market. It also means you don’t have to spend a ton of money on a campaign.

User-generated content is also becoming a must. This organic marketing tool creates a direct connection with real consumers that cultivates strong brand-customer relationships, which helps build a sense of credibility.

Go even further in 2023 by creating dedicated UGC campaigns that inspire and reward your customers for creating content about your brand.

6. AI is taking over Content Creation and Analytics Tracking: Let’s be clear what AI is referring to here. It is simply software that automates certain tasks, e.g. B. Effectively design social media posts or discover new advertising channels – which improve over time with exposure to more data. As a market, AI is expected to grow 120% per year. You probably already use it, but you may not have a defined implementation strategy. One way to incorporate AI into your game plan is to help with copywriting. You can type in a few prompts and the AI ​​software will come back with copy suggestions.

But remember: AI will never replace the power of personalized and authentic content. While these tools can help you come up with new ideas and captions, they can never capture your brand’s unique voice and personality the way you will!

Instead, we recommend using tools (like Plann’s social launchers) to get the best content recommendations, with the ability to customize each post and caption to match your brand and audience.