In an ever-changing social media landscape, staying ahead of emerging trends is crucial for brands to remain competitive.
Recognizing this, Hootsuite has released its seventh annual Social Trends Report, providing valuable insights into the behaviors and strategies shaping the industry in 2023.
Last year, as pandemic restrictions eased and markets thrived, there was a sense of optimism for the future. However, looking ahead to 2023, businesses now face challenges such as a looming recession, rising inflation, declining consumer spending, and workforce reductions. Despite these uncertainties, the Social Trends Report by Hootsuite reveals positive news on the horizon.
Social marketers find themselves in a defining moment in the history of their industry. After years of advocating for social media to have a seat at the boardroom table, it is finally happening. Social marketers are gaining more agency over their work, and social media marketing is evolving into a mature profession.
Maggie Lower, the Chief Marketing Officer at Hootsuite, highlights the increasing importance of social media for businesses: “In 2023, businesses that take a social-first approach to their brand and customer care strategy will be the ones to reap the benefits. Stronger brand reputation, greater customer interaction, trust, and loyalty – now and in the future – depends on it.”
To compile the report, Hootsuite leveraged surveys from over 10,600 marketers and conducted primary interviews with industry practitioners, leaders, observers, and partners. The report encompasses various aspects of the social ecosystem, including social marketing, social care, and social commerce.
Here are some of the key insights for marketers to consider in the upcoming year:
- Big brands are reducing their investments in influencer marketing, opening doors for small businesses to engage top creators at lower prices.
- Social media’s increased exposure in the C-suite means it faces new levels of scrutiny, with differing opinions on what constitutes a return on investment (ROI) among social marketers and senior leaders.
- Marketers are moving away from recycling content and focusing on creating more unique, strategic, and creative content for fewer platforms.
- Social commerce may experience some setbacks due to platform pullbacks, but marketers who remain patient can find new opportunities to gain a competitive edge.
- Social search optimization becomes crucial for marketers, surpassing the importance of Google search optimization.
- With the return of brick-and-mortar shopping, many businesses are diverting their focus from digital customer service. This opens up opportunities for those who adopt chatbots to gain a significant advantage.
- Marketers feel ill-equipped to handle digital customer service, and unanswered direct messages (DMs) have far-reaching implications.
Social media has become an integral part of people’s lives, work, operations, and shopping habits, with over 4.7 billion users worldwide. Keeping up with the evolving trends can be daunting, but Hootsuite’s Social Trends Report serves as a guide to navigate the dynamic world of social media. The report provides specific recommendations to help marketers gain an edge in their social strategy, build community and connection with customers.
As Tom Keiser, the Chief Executive Officer of Hootsuite, explains, “With the launch of our 2023 Trends Report, we’re proud to provide our insights, recommendations, and tangible resources to help organizations successfully navigate the digital landscape, adapt to buyer trends, support customers, and identify paths for growth.”
To support the implementation of these top social trends in real-time, Hootsuite has created accompanying resources for social media marketers. These resources include templates and guides tailored to different aspects of social marketing, social commerce, and social customer care. They aim to assist marketers in aligning goals, measuring success, evaluating current efforts, and enhancing the customer care experience.
In conclusion, Hootsuite’s Social Trends Report empowers brands and organizations to understand and leverage the emerging trends in social media for the year ahead. By embracing these trends and utilizing the provided resources, businesses can successfully navigate the digital landscape, connect with customers, and thrive in an ever-evolving social media world.
Get the complete analysis, brand examples, and strategies for 2023 in the full report. To learn more, visit www.hootsuite.com.
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