Here we are! As we say goodbye to 2022, and head into a new year, it’s time to look towards the future and wonder what the world of social medias has in store.
Since their creation, social platforms have grown exponentially and have radically changed the way we communicate and keep up to date.
But what will be the social media trends to follow in 2023? What will be the new technologies and features? What strategic changes will companies have to make to reach their audience?
In this article, find our five social media predictions for the upcoming year.
1️⃣📲 Small creators are taking the spotlight
The rise of small creators on social media is an interesting phenomenon, reflecting the deep transformations taking place in our society.
While large corporations and traditional luxury brands continue to dominate the consumer landscape, we are more and more looking for authentic and sincere experiences when we shop.
This trend is especially visible on social media, where small creators are exploding in number year after year. Through their personal engagement and proximity to their community, these creators are able to create unique and authentic consumer experiences that meet the needs and preferences of their customers.
🤔 What explains this surge of small creators on social media?
In some ways, it’s a reaction to the overabundance of mass-market products and increasingly impersonal brands flooding the market. Consumers are looking to stand out and connect with craftsmanship and quality, and that’s where small creators come in.
By offering unique and inherently high quality content, these creators are meeting a growing demand for authentic and genuine consumer experiences. Plus, by being in direct contact with their community, they can create strong bonds with their customers and offer them a personalized shopping experience.
It is important to note that the rise of small creators on social networks is not limited to physical products only. Many creators are also offering services, such as online courses, training workshops or live events, feedback that allows consumers to engage in immersive and rewarding consumer experiences.
It is important to note that the rise of small creators on social networks is not limited to physical products only. Many creators are also offering services, such as online courses, training workshops or live events, feedback that allows consumers to engage in immersive and rewarding consumer experiences.
In summary, the rise of small creators on social networks reflects a fundamental trend towards more authentic and sincere consumerism away from mass market consumption. Consumers are looking for high quality products and services that meet their needs and preferences, and small creators are able to offer them a unique and personalized consumer experience.
For brands, using these small creators is an opportunity to benefit from higher engagement and to be “better received” by consumers looking for sincerity.
For marketers, developing a network of so-called nano (<10k) and micro (>10k) influencers will therefore become essential. The implementation of this long tail approach can be facilitated by Advocacy Marketing tools that allow to mobilize collaborators, partners, resellers and consumers to spread brand content while adapting it to their own audience.
2️⃣ 🎥 Live video on the rise
The growing popularity of live video has disrupted the way we communicate and share content online. With the emergence of live streaming platforms like Twitch, Instagram/Facebook Live, more and more people are able to broadcast live content to an online audience in real time.
Twitch, in particular, has experienced explosive growth in recent years as a live streaming platform for gamers and video game enthusiasts. With millions of active users and billions of views each month, it has become one of the industry’s leading players. So much so that it has managed to grow and break away from its “gamer” niche and offers a wide range of topics.
But it’s not the only live streaming platform that’s experiencing growing success. LinkedIn, the leading professional social network, recently launched LinkedIn Lives, a live streaming feature that allows users to share live content with their network. Since its launch, LinkedIn Lives has grown rapidly and has become a popular way for professionals to share their expertise and connect with their community. This feature allows them to stay connected and share their expertise with their network while taking advantage of viral features to reach an even wider audience.
It’s easy to see why live videos are so successful. They offer an immersive and interactive viewing experience that is difficult to match with recorded content. Plus, they allow users to connect with their audience in a more personal and authentic way, which is especially important in a world where online communication is increasingly prevalent.
3️⃣👩🏻🤝👨🏽 Communities will come back in a big way
While social networks have long been considered mass broadcasting platforms, more and more people are looking for ways to connect in a deeper and more engaged way with their community.
One of the most interesting trends that has contributed to this resurgence of communities on social networks is the emergence of vertical listings. Vertical listings are communities on social networks segmented by specific interests or common characteristics. They allow users to connect with people who share the same passions or concerns, creating more focused and connected communities.
Vertical listings have become particularly popular on social networks in recent years (hello TikTok!) and are an effective way for creators and businesses to find and create closer connections with their audiences, who are then offered content they supposedly like. By offering users the opportunity to connect with people who share the same interests, vertical listings allow for the creation of stronger and more engaged communities. An opportunity for brands!
4️⃣ 👩🏻💻 The Web vs. Social: The rivalry goes on
It is undeniable that Google has been the reference search engine on the web for a long time, offering users easy access to the information they are looking for. However, in recent years, the American giant has seen its position as the “reference for information on the web” threatened by the emergence of social networks.
More and more people are turning to social networks to find out about brands or news, rather than traditional search engines like Google.
There are several reasons why social networks will continue to grow as sources of information about brands and news. First, they allow users to connect in a more personal way with the brands and people they follow. This allows users to get first-hand information and to get a better idea of a brand’s reputation or news, with subjective opinions that match their own (still in the logic of vertical listings and community segmentation).
5️⃣ 🪺 Twitter: Will the bird lose its feathers?
“The bird is free”, said Elon Musk on October 28, 2022 following the takeover of Twitter. This pictorial tweet, advocating freedom of expression, which he previously considered too restricted on the platform, announced a first major shake-up at the heart of the platform.
The bird may be free but it doesn’t seem to be able to fly.
Since this acquisition by the richest man in the world, Twitter has shown a rarely seen instability.
The first step was the relaxation of Twitter’s moderation policy.
Elon Musk decided to make real-time polls available, to let his subscribers participate (recently) in the platform’s modifications via these polls, to reinstate previously banned people… Decisions that finally seem coherent when you think of a released bird.
But this freedom of expression that he proclaims is full of pitfalls and Musk’s intentions remain rather unclear.
Whether he’s a megalomaniac or a genius, one doesn’t know what to do with Musk and his unpredictability.
Rules are created, then buried, features disappear and are reborn from their ashes, while others emerge constantly.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of changes at Twitter since he became CEO:
- Firing most of the management team and a large part of the employees deemed non-productive
- A subscription costing between $8 and $11 and called “Twitter Blue” has been introduced. It allows access to some new features in advance and to have the famous blue dot, previously reserved for public and corporate users.
- New stickers (golden for companies, grey for institutions, and blue for old certified accounts or new subscribers to Twitter Blue)
- Prohibition to mention other social networks (this rule will only last a few hours)
- The banning of some accounts stating in public their disagreement with Musk’s decisions
- Modification of the interface: Appearance of the number of impressions of a tweet, change of place for the likes/retweet/reply buttons under a tweet
- Disappearance and reappearance of Spaces
- (…)
In short, it is therefore complicated to assert anything for sure for the coming year. Users continue to be skeptical about the decisions taken by the new CEO, and so are we. However, users are not “quitting” massively (yet?) as Twitter is the social media of reference for governments, politicians and the so-called upper classes.
The only thing we can be sure of, without taking too much risk, is that the Twitter of late 2023 will be very different from the one of today.
In conclusion, 2023 promises to be an exciting year for social networks. We’ve seen many trends emerge this year, such as the growth of video, the creation of quality content, and a commitment to authenticity.
It’s clear that social networks will continue to play an equally important role in our lives, and we expect new platforms and features to be launched to meet users’ expectations, to adapt to the transformations of our society, and to offer new ways to stay connected to each other.
So we’re looking forward to what the future holds, and also to the developments that are coming up in the distance. All that’s left is to wait and see if we hit the bull’s eye or completely missed the mark! See you next year 😃
And if you don’t want to wait a whole year to hear from us, find our other articles here!
Anais Tajan