New Trends To Look For In 2023

2022 has been a year that has changed the face of the internet. One can agree that it isn’t the same as it was two years ago. Maybe it’s the aftermath of the pandemic that we all are still trying to cope with, but 2022 has been the year when a lot of trends emerged and a lot of them took the back seat as well. While everyone is gearing up for the last weekend of 2022, we are here to give you a prediction of what are the trends to look for in 2023. 

Trends to look for in 2023 

Ephemeral Content 

Even though the term may sound new, you are definitely aware of this type of content. Ephemeral content is a short form of video content or GIFS that disappear after their expiration date. Simply put the stories that you’d put on Instagram or Snapchat. Snapchat was the first to come up with this idea. With social media fanatics having FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), stories tend to be more engaging. Not only it gives your audiences a little glimpse into what their brand or favorite celebrity has been up to, it also is a good way of interacting with your audiences. As for Instagram, since it enables the user to save their stories in the “Highlights” feature, the stories are not really gone. But that is only when someone is on your profile and is checking your profile. Ephemeral content has more chances of grasping attention and engaging them in stories like Behind The Scenes, Pop Quizzes or even just This or That stories. 

Chatbots 

The best technology that humans have probably created that has helped in sales and marketing are Chatbots! (That is of course after the invention of the internet!) Instagram and Facebook now have the feature of having Chatbots answer your DMs. With human assistance not possible 24x7, having chatbots answer the most asked questions or even the ones which can be ignored helps save both time and energy. It also makes it possible to have assistance available to anyone who drops by your page and makes them feel heard. 

Influencer Marketing

It is definitely one of those trends that is here to stay! Influencers today have risen to celebrity status and have a huge impact on their audiences. Not only does it help the brand with sales,  but it also helps in building a community. Whether the influencer is a micro influencer with a mere following of 2000 or a macro influencer with a following of 200K, their niche audience is what helps the brand become talk of the internet and even have this talk be converted into sales. 

Geo-tagging your Social Media posts

Instagram now enables you to have your location added on your posts. This is called geo-tagging. The advantage of geo-tagging is that it helps you target local audiences, especially in your specific geographical area. Big brands sometimes fail to reach the audiences at the local level. Geo-tagging allows you to reach local audiences and target them. It is the best way for small brands to reach audiences often untapped by big labels. 

Content views over likes

Blame it on the algorithm or not, Instagram isn’t all about likes anymore. The validation that people were searching for in the number of likes has faded away and soon will change altogether. With updates like hiding the number of likes, and being able to boost posts for likes has changed the number game. In 2023, all can expect that the only scale on which your page will be judged would be the quality of your content and the kind of content you are posting. Content has always been the king, and 2023 won’t be changing that either. The algorithm changes in this year did prove the same thing, it’s just about a pretty picture anymore. It’s more about what you are portraying and how much the audience is able to connect with it! 

User Generated Content 

Following on the topic content, UGC is here to stay and not just stay but grow in amplitudes in the next year! Any brand that has been doing Influencer Marketing (at this point one may agree that almost every brand is on influencer hunt), would know that having user-generated content increases their credibility. A common user who is aware about the trends doing the rounds on the internet would be able to differentiate between an influencer speaking for a brand as opposed to a post that is made by a user giving their genuine review. 2023 will see brands focusing more on content from their genuine users!

Video Content

We saw an increase in the number of videos this year. This form of content was not just in terms of reels about dancing to the trending audio or lip-syncing to a meme; they came in an array of things from product videos to how to use to guides to educational to everything that can come in your mind reading this line. 2023 will surely be the year when there will be an exponential amount of growth in video content. Static posts and images don’t make the cut anymore. Users now want more than just a well edited image. They look for things that will engage them like a tutorial on how to use a product or even a small 10 second reel on why they need to have this sunscreen! If you can convert your static images into GIFS or have the same image done in the form of a video, you have content that will work for you! 

Social Commerce 

Facebook and Instagram aren’t just social media applications anymore. Over the last two years, they have grown and become marketplaces. This gave rise to what we today call “Social Commerce”. Having simplified the buyer and seller process on the app, where you do not have to leave the app in order to complete your transaction has helped in increasing the industry to an estimate of $80 billion by 2025! Whether your business is big or you are a small startup just finding your ground in the industry, having your shop setup on social media sites not only is cost effective, but helps target a much larger audience. 2023 will surely see a rise in businesses setting up their shops on social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram! 

The inclusivity of the internet 

2020 may have been a year that broke our physical contact, but it did connect everyone virtually. Over the last two years, one major change that took place on the internet is that it came together as one on all matters good and bad. The geographical borders have blurred online, and when one brand/ business or anyone finds itself in a controversy, it has a domino effect and everything comes crumbling down on everyone in the industry. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is a great example portraying this inclusivity. The movement was so intense and everyone around the globe became a part of this. Following this, a huge brand like Pepsi found itself in a controversy over a Kendall Jenner ad, whereas on the other side, Fair & Lovely decided to go Glow & Lovely! A movement that began online, took the world by storm, and everyone had to face the wrath of netizens at some point in time. 2023 will be no different in terms of this. Everything that takes place on the internet, irrespective of the geographical location, will not only be scrutinized by everyone having an internet connection and an account on social media, but everyone belonging to the same industry will be held accountable for one’s mess up! 

Memes

A source of entertainment that cuts through the competition and adds fun and humor to the internet. From being random to funny to relatable, memes are a great way to connect with your audience! 2023 will see more memes, maybe in videos or in reels or just plain static images, but memes are that one trend that will never go out of style! 

Which of the above trends are you aware of and which of them are you following in the coming year? Comment down below that one trend you look forward to.