Social media trends to expect in 2023

Social media trends are always changing. There’s no standing still. Social media is juggling the needs and expectations of its users and people and companies looking to stand out from an immensely crowded marketplace. While businesses are trying to stay above the curve, the curve is never still. 

The good news is that as users we can spot and recognize the patterns social media platforms are creating and work them in our favor. We can get inspired and innovative with our efforts to stand out by simply being on the platform and engaging with like-minded people and businesses. Also, recognizing trends and the direction of social media platforms will help us crystallize what kind of social media strategy will work in 2023 and what we should leave behind in 2022.

Let’s explore the primary social media trends for 2023 and why they’re important to follow. 

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Social media trends 2022
Social media trends 2023
1. A new level of authenticity
2. More power and privacy for users
3. Social commerce at new heights
4. Predictive analytics
5. More entertainment, less advertising
6. Interactivity
7. The rise of communities
8. Video is not going anywhere

Social media trends 2022

Before diving into social media trends in 2023, we need to take a minute to discuss what went down in 2022. We all can agree that social media in 2022 was a rollercoaster. Emerging short-form video and interest-based content took over our feeds whether we liked it or not. With TikTok’s popularity rising, other social media platforms started to follow similar tactics. YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels… it’s no secret that video was the most talked about content format in 2022. 

Besides video, social commerce skyrocketed. With a 4.4% increase in online shopping compared to 2020/2021, brands were motivated to create omnipresence on social media platforms. Social commerce trends became an integral part of e-commerce brands’ strategies and are likely to continue their evolution in 2023. 

Another current social media trend platforms were pushing in 2022 was engagement. The engagement metric was gold. Creating sharable and likable content was an absolute must, and so was creating videos that got more replays, keeping the users longer on the platform. In 2023, engagement will still be important but not trending – interactivity will start to play a much greater role. Let’s talk more about interactivity, social commerce, and other emerging trends we can expect to take center stage in 2023. 

Social media trends 2023

1. A new level of authenticity

For a while now, social media users have been wanting and expecting brands to become more authentic and transparent on social media. While many brands have started to embrace authenticity with more behind-the-scenes imagery, there’s still a lot of heavily-curated content on socials. With the rise of disinformation and deepening echo chambers, users demand more transparent content to develop trust for brands. 

With the popularity of TikTok and now BeReal (a social media app where users post unfiltered photos), social media users are expressing their interest in unaltered content that’s capturing in-the-moment situations and unfiltered faces. Instagram is widely known for its perfected lifestyle images, but photo dumps with everyday life images are even gaining popularity on this polished platform. 

It’s no surprise that more and more users (especially Gen Zs) are shifting towards unfiltered content – we’ve been saturated with curated content from left and right since Instagram first appeared. Brand-endorsed advertisements make up a huge chunk of our social media feeds, so there’s a natural need for more authentic, transparent, and unfiltered content. Brands that’ll respond to the demand will thrive in 2023. Whether behind-the-scenes, community-focused, or live content, it will help elevate your presence on social media platforms in 2023. 

2. More power and privacy for users

Facebook, Instagram, and other well-known social media platforms are strongly focused on generating more business. While business is still going to be a top priority, a lot more effort will go into creating a privacy-first place for users. 

The talk around third-party cookies will come to a close. With consumers increased frustration around the lack of privacy, third-party cookies will finally get debunked. Safari and Firefox web browsers will start to block these cookies, while Google Chrome will stop using them by the end of 2023. 

For social media users, it means less-invasive advertisements and more privacy. For advertisers, it means taking a step back and rethinking their digital marketing strategies in a privacy-first online world. 

Also, with the rise of issues around censorship and free speech in the past years due to numerous world events, social media platforms will tackle these issues more in-depth, perhaps giving more power to the users.  

3. Social commerce at new heights

Social commerce has grown exponentially in the last few years. More brands are creating their presence on social media and connecting with their consumers to sell their products or services.

Also, more and more consumers are shopping on their social feeds and turning to their platforms for inspiration and shopping activities. According to JungleScout’s consumer trend report, 48% of users are willing to purchase directly from TikTok, and 62% of consumers are likely to shop from YouTube, and the numbers keep growing each year. 

According to Statista, social commerce sales will reach a mindblowing 1.298 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023 and 2.9 trillion in 2026. There’s no better time than now to start thinking about creating a strong presence on social media channels to reap the benefits of social commerce in 2023. 

4. Predictive analytics

Wouldn’t you like to know about the change in market trends on social media ahead of time? Predictive analytics can help brands improve their social media campaigns and consumer targeting.

Predictive analytic models analyze customer patterns from factual data to spot risks and opportunities. These models examine data that ultimately rank customers by their preferences, predicting their behavior. With predictive analytics, you can identify what content type will impact your audience’s purchasing decisions the most or what ad type has a better potential to engage your audience. 

With more discussions about predictive analytics emerging online, we expect it to be a topical subject and hear more about it in 2023.  

5. More entertainment, less advertising

From 2020 onwards, TikTok has been the most talked-about social media platform on the rise. In 2023, the platform’s user base will grow even more. While Gen Zs are the most prevalent and active audience on TikTok, more and more brands and other users are joining the platform as well. 

TikTok got insanely popular because of its entertainment-like content while other social media platforms are highly populated by advertisements. Understanding this dynamic means that brands will embrace social media as a space for entertainment content rather than advertising in 2023. 

For inspiration, take a look at some successful brands that have fully embraced TikTok for what it is.

• Gymshark reaches 3.8 million followers by posting regularly daily. They engage their audience with motivational and entertaining content. The content is inspired by what’s trending on the platform and they’re adapting it to their brand style and voice. 

• Washington post is another great example. The newspaper reaches its 1.5 million followers not with short-form news content as we’d expect but with funny, entertaining videos. The channel features behind-the-scenes videos and different skits that correspond to trendy topics and themes on TikTok. 

Find more examples on TikTok and get inspired to create entertaining content in 2023. 

6. Interactivity

The engagement was the buzzword for the last few years – now interactivity is taking center stage. Interactivity puts back the social aspect of social media platforms that’s been missing as we’ve been consuming more content than creating.

Now platforms are introducing ways for users to have two-way interactions on social media. Instagram introduced Reel reactions, TikTok is giving more power to video stitching, comments are becoming more valuable than likes on Instagram, and so on. 

Brands will take part in the conversation and interact with their audiences in 2023. Sharing more Stories or Reels is an easy way to start a conversation with your audience. Also, having Q&A sessions creates an engaging dialogue for both sides and nurtures social media relationships. On top of that, using interactive formats like interactive charts and maps can significantly boost engagement on social. 

By creating interactive content on social media platforms, your brand will appear more authentic, acquiring more trust from your audience.

7. The rise of communities

Influencer marketing is a powerful tool that allows brands to reach and engage their audiences. However, with time, social media has become a highly-competitive influencer space, with more #sponsored content than ever. That’s why brands will shift their focus toward their broader brand communities. Instead of using digital personas to represent a brand, wider communities will create a unified representation of a company.

With the rise of interactivity, brands will focus on creating a sense of community, generating conversation between all community members. User-generated content and peer-to-peer communication will provide users with authentic and interactive content, which will positively reflect on the brand.  

8. Video is not going anywhere

Video, animations, and other motion-based content are still in high demand. Since TikTok blew up, other social media platforms have followed their video-first tactics to satisfy the demand for video content.

In 2023, short-form video content will still be growing in popularity, and social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and even LinkedIn, will push toward more video content.

Social media in 2023

2022 was a massive year of change for many social media platforms. TikTok took center stage, personalized ads dominated our feeds, and AR became more mainstream. Social media in 2023 will give more power to its users and online communities with more interactive content and a privacy-first approach. Also, businesses will take a massive step towards authentic content and focus on better targeting with predictive analytics and extensive social commerce opportunities. To make sure you’re prepared to engage your audience with well-targeted content, start creating with Infogram. Explore animated data visualizations, engaging social media templates, interactive infographics, and other project types to share on your social media channels.

Interested in discovering how Infogram can enhance your team’s work? Join a brief Zoom session with our Infogram representative to explore key features, get answers to your questions, and understand how we can assist. It’s quick, informative, and just like a coffee break chat. Schedule your call now!