Social media presents a perpetual challenge for businesses as they need to stay proactive and quickly respond to trends and changing consumer behavior. With a seemingly overwhelming number of platforms, it’s increasingly difficult to determine which apps and content will resonate with your target audience. The rate of change in the digital landscape complicates matters even more and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. However, amidst all this uncertainty, we’ve filtered out the noise and highlighted five social media trends we believe are worth following in 2023.
Paid Social Media Advertising Is More Important Than Ever
According to a recent study, more than 55% of marketers reported a significant decrease in organic social media reach and need for more paid advertising. At Baer Performance Marketing, we, too, have noticed an increase in prospective clients struggling to drive engagement on their social media pages. The reality is that relying solely on organic reach will no longer cut it on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. With the average organic reach of a Facebook post at a mere 5%, paid advertising has become crucial to the success of social media marketing strategies.
Social Media Is a Key Customer Support Channel
COVID-19 brought lasting change in the way consumers engage with businesses on Facebook and other social media platforms. One of the bigger shifts is the growing number of people using business’ social media accounts for faster customer service. This trend has held over the past three years, with a survey revealing that 33% of consumers prefer social media customer care services to telephone or email. These findings underscore the critical importance for businesses to align how their customer service and digital marketing teams interact with customers to deliver more efficient and personalized experiences.
Short-Form Video Is Grabbing Audiences’ Attention
Launched in 2005, YouTube has been the dominant platform for sharing videos. However, it’s in danger of losing its crown, with more people watching and developing Reels, TikToks, and other “short-form” video content. All the major social media platforms have been updating and improving their video tools to keep up with this trend, attributed to users’ ever-shortening attention spans. In response, YouTube released YouTube Shorts—enabling users to easily upload and share quick video content (60 seconds or less) from their phones. The good news for businesses trying to play catch-up: with a bit of creativity, short-form videos can be more affordable to produce than traditional video campaigns.
TikTok Is Driving Social Commerce Growth
Boasting more than 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok is the fastest-growing social media network ever. And the success of the platform isn’t limited to user-generated content. Research shows the app’s ads are more likely to generate action than the average social media platform’s ads. Additionally, TikTok Shop has become hugely popular among retailers, enabling them to highlight products for users to purchase directly through in-feed videos, LIVEs, and a product showcase tab. TikTok users have also proven to be active shoppers, with 2 out of 3 users likely to buy something while on the platform.
Consumers Are Trusting Micro-Influencers Over Celebrities
While the concept of “influencers” has been around for a while in marketing, the type of influencers brands now want has changed. Rather than working with A-list celebrities, many business-to-consumer brands are seeking out micro-influencers who have smaller but highly engaged audiences of 10,000 – 100,000 followers on social media. These micro-influencers can offer more authenticity and substance if the brand they are promoting is a good fit. They’re also more likely to interact with prospective customers and answer questions.
With the constantly evolving landscape of social media, it’s crucial for businesses to stay on top of the latest trends to remain competitive. The Baer Performance Marketing team is made up of experts in social media marketing with a deep understanding of the nuances of each platform. We help businesses develop effective strategies that align with their goals and target audience and provide the guidance needed to stay ahead of the curve. Contact Baer Performance Marketing today to learn how to make social media marketing your next success story!
