There's no way around it Social media is difficult.
Today, social media marketers are bombarded daily with news about the latest trends, platforms that are either growing or waning in popularity, and new kinds of content.
It's not easy to keep track of. If you're a marketing professional You may be thinking:
- Which social network is likely to provide me with the greatest return on investment in 2023?
- What is the ideal moment to make a post on social networks?
- Do I need to invest money in microinfluencers? Should I employ creators? Do I have to hire creators or not?
- What's the fuss regarding social media community?
- Do my customers pay attention to the customer service via social media or not?
To help you understand the trends that are most relevant for your business and how you can develop your social strategy in line with them, HubSpot Blog Research conducted a survey of more than 1,000 social media professionals around the world to find out the top developments, challenges and opportunities in social in 2023.
Download Now the 2023 Status of Social Media Trends [Free Report[Free Report]
In addition, you'll hear from experts in social media at G2, Dropbox, Vimeo, Zoom, Aircall, Rakuten Advertising, HubSpot, and more, on how to create communities, engage with audiences and generate revenue through social media in 2023.
Continue reading or skip the section(s) which are relevant to you:
Key Takeaways and Findings from Social Media Marketers
For starters, let's look through the top trends that marketers of social media will observe in 2023. Then, we'll discuss how to adapt your strategy in line with them.
1. Social communities on the internet will be crucial to boost engagement.
The majority of social media marketers believe that the creation of a vibrant online community is vital for an effective social media strategy in 2023.
Social media communities let your fans to connect and share knowledge and help people see your brand as much more valuable.
Consider it this way Think about it this way: Do you have a friend who's an "connector"? That person whom you consider to be the most popular host at a party, and who goes beyond the call of duty to engage in fascinating conversations and build deep connections with the people around her?
Through the cultivation of groups on social networks, your company can become that personas the "connector" to your prospective customers and customers. That's an image worth investing in.
(Hear additional information from Mat Cruz and other experts by studying the ways these 6 social Media Marketers and Creators Created loyal brand communities.)
In 2020 HubSpot created a Facebook group, Marketinger to Marketer. With just 2,000 members, the group's followers are far smaller than HubSpot's official Facebook Page. But it allows for unique conversations.
The the former HubSpot Social Media manager Krystal Wu says, "The HubSpot Group provides us with a more direct method of communicating with a larger and more engaged audience. The content from the Group is given preferential place in the feeds. Our normal content on our pages is presented from different in content angle ... The bottom line is that we regard our followers on our Group as our VIPs."
Wu states, "The Facebook Group also offers our members a forum for more specialized conversations, offering the security and privacy needed to open to discuss any issues and opportunities, methods or information regarding their field."
(Hear additional information from Amy Porterfield and other experts by reading How these 6 social Media Creators and Marketers Created strong brand communities.)
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- Are brands Investing on Social Media Communities in 2022? We asked 1,000+ marketers.
- How 6 of these Social Media Creators and Marketers Built loyal brand communities
2023: The State of Social Media in 2023
Complete the form to obtain the report free of charge.
2. Amazon beware social media is fast growing into the top e-commerce site for customers.
What was the last time you purchased something from Instagram or TikTok? If you're like me, you've done it recently.
And you're not the only one. 25 percent of people who use social media between the ages of 18 and 44 have purchased an item through an app on social within the last three months while social has become the top platform to discover products for those between the ages of 18 and 44.
Perhaps the most shocking thing is the fact that 80 percent of social media marketers think that consumers will purchase products directly via social media more often than through sites owned by brands or websites from third parties, such as Amazon by 2023.
All of this is to say that if you're working in the B2C or online e-commerce area, you'll need make sure you've enabled shopping features on your social networks so that customers can buy your goods when and where they're most comfortable.
The most significant obstacle to shopping on social media is the lack of trustjust 42% of people trust their purchases made through social media just 21% of them say the products they buy on apps are of good quality.
To establish trust with your followers on social media To build trust with your social followers, you must:
- Write reviews for customers so they will hear from real customers about your services or products.
- Find trusted influencers who will confirm the quality of your products for their customers.
- Be sure that your social media channels aren't merely advertisements. Instead, you should provide value in the beginning by providing useful content and let your customers decide whether they're ready to purchase.
If you prefer, go here for a listen HubSpot Podcast Networks' 2023 Social Media Trends playlist or save for the future.
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- How 3 Businesses Increased Revenue Using Social Media Shopping Tools [New Data and Case Studies[New Data + Case Studies]
3. Sharing similar content over multiple multiple platforms isn't going to work in 2023.
In the past it's been tempting to just publish a message or a video to one social media platform, then copy and paste it onto another. However, social media platforms do not encourage re-posting content -- and your audience aren't going to like it.
However, this doesn't mean you must create new content for every platform. It's possible to use the same basic content for each platform so long as you customize your tone of voice, the language and imagery for each channel.
In a statement, Alison Coleman, Zoom's Social Media Manager explained to I, "We're excited to focus more on each social network that has its own strategy for creating content that can interact directly with the feed. It is not a matter of reinventing the wheel. not over yet, but adapting the way we present the same story across different platforms, with various audiences, using an entirely different approach is something we're excited to put in place for our posts."
She goes on to say, "Product tips are a essential part in our calendar for editorial, and the topics our audience members are most interested in however the way we communicate this varies based on the type of platform."
A sample of Coleman's approach to repurposing is as follows:
- Twitter: a thread that explains every step to take in using the feature. It also includes a GIF that shows the UI that concludes with a poll that will begin an exchange with our community.
- TikTok is a short-form video that was shot using an iPhone and cut into rapid transitions that are aligned with current audio. Each step is displayed using a copy-to-screen and also using the TikTok text-to-speech reader, or AI voiceover filters. They also include humorous captions about the stereotypes of being an employee in a company.
- Instagram An animated Reel which is cleaner that the TikTok version. It features an animated introduction to the series. Then, it goes on to UI that has VO explaining every step.
- LinkedIn: A carousel that displays every step being an static or mp4 image, with a copy for explanation of the function and a comment that links to a related blog or training.
- Always adding subtitles and alt-text whenever appropriate!
Coleman says, "Taking a per-platform approach allows us to create and test more non-click content using native features on platforms so that our users can access the full picture without having to go away from the feed. We're thrilled to think about what our users visit each platform for and be there for them how and when they'd like to be seen!"
48 percent of social media marketing use the same method of sharing the same content across different platforms with minor adjustments. A further 34% create unique content on each platform while only 17% post the same content across different platforms.
Play the video above, or follow the link below to gain access HubSpot YouTube channel's complete social media strategy playlist.
Mat Cruz, HubSpot Social Team's Community Management & Growth Specialist believes that reposting is an excellent idea however, only if it is done correctly.
According to him, "When creating content, particularly with scarce resources, it's crucial that we use our time and energy efficiently. However, being a company in today's social media world typically means having a presence on several platforms that reach different audience segments. If you want to provide the best content for all of them and content, reposting is an acceptable option, however like any business decision making the "right" decision for you is determined by taking a look at your team's goals in relation to the pros and pros and."
He continues, "In short, reposting content across channels is an excellent way to share important information and also ease the production burden, but it is a process that requires careful planning to be effective and bring value."
If you're thinking of publishing content Cruz would suggest you look at some of the following issues to help guide your choice:
- Do the articles you'd like to share be compatible with the different platforms you're using?
- Simple copy and paste, although an efficiency saver, could leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth of an audience in the event that the content appears odd. Tweets can also be appropriate for LinkedIn however, it's not Instagram. It is important to be aware of your position and askyourself "Does this message work in this context?"
- Is reposting a piece content add value or noise? Brands follow their customers to get satisfaction from the content they share. If the content isn't providing worth to their audience do not repost it. Social media is a noisy space. Don't join in simply for the sake of posting.
- Could reposting be used for production, not only publishing?
Cruz states, "If reposting content is likely to be something you're incorporating into your plan, you must decide on that from the beginning. The more thought is given in the process of conceiving and producing to meet the needs of different platforms as well as the less 'tweaks' you'll have to do. Consider it similar to the concept of'measure twice take a cut twice'. A piece of copy that you want to be posted on LinkedIn shared on Twitter might require only a few adjustments if it is done correctly."
Cruz says "Overall reposting is an opportunity to be smarter rather than making it harder. However, it is important to be aware that it must be considered an instrument and not an excuse. At the end of the day, good content is produced with solid strategy and proper care."
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4. SEO transforms into social search.
If I hear of an interesting new brand, I don't begin with Google now: I start with Instagram.
The social media profiles of their companies help me gain a clearer and more accurate understanding of their mission and the products they offer. And I'm not the only one 36 percent of Gen Z and 22% of millennials are more likely to look up brands on social media more frequently rather than using search engines.
That means that, even though SEO is still an essential element of any marketing strategy that having a social presence is becoming increasingly important also. Nowadays, people use social media to find articles that are interesting and inspiring, as well for finding brands, people, and products. brands.
Three strategies are that are used by social media marketing to maximize your social media presence for search on social media:
- Incorporate relevant hashtags, keywords and key words into your social media posts.
- Use relevant words and hashtags within your bio. Include relevant keywords and hashtags in your
- Be sure your username is searchable
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- 8 Data-Backed Guidelines for Social Media Marketers by 2023 (insights from more than 1,000 professionals»
5. Funny and relatable gets the top spot in terms of'most memorable' kind of content.
Think about this: the most recent time you browsed your social media feeds What made you take a break?
For a lot of people those, the answer is easy when something was funny or caused them to smile.
In 2023, a lot of social media marketers may be unable to determine what type(s) of posts that is most popular with their audience that's why we asked more than one thousand social media marketers around the world what kind of content they share most frequently.
45percent of social media marketing professionals often share content that is reflective of their values as a brand; this is followed by content that's relatable (42 percent) as well as educational (39 percent) fashionable (39 percent) funny and fun content (36 percent).
When asked which kind of content is the most efficient 66 percent of social media marketers said that funny content was one of the best choices for their business which was followed by content that is relatable (63 percent) and fashionable content (59 percent).).
This is confirmed by the Consumer Trends report as well that 49% of respondents identified funny content as their most memorable. with the most relatable content in #2 (36 percent).
Take, for example brands such as Chipotle that currently have more than 2 million followers in Chipotle's TikTok due to its dedication to delivering the kind of content TikTok users want: short entertaining, humorous, and engaging clips like the below clip:
Naturally, you don't wish to create the tone or character that isn't in line with your brand's voice. If your brand's voice tends to be more formal, you shouldn't intend to begin telling random jokes that aren't in line with your other content. But, you may be able find some subtle ways to add humor or lightness into your social media content.
However is that you stay true to the tone you're using and the audience you're creating content.
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- Social Media Platforms Marketers Should Follow in 2023
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6. 6 pm to 9 pm from 6 PM to 9 pm, as well as 12PM until 3 PM are the ideal times to share content on social networks.
Every year, we poll social media marketing professionals to find out the time(s) they have found most effective to post on each social media platformand every year, their answers vary little.
The best times to publish on social media, in general across all platforms and industries between 6 pm and 9 PM, and 12 PM until 3 5 PM. Also, Friday is the ideal time to share.
This is logical. Between 6 and 9 pm, many social media users have finished working and are looking for an opportunity to recharge or relax by consuming interesting and captivating content.
From noon until 3 pm is the time when you experience a slowdown in your day-to-day routine. Some might take advantage of that as a time to take the dog for a walk or enjoy lunch, others could take a few minutes to scroll on social media before going back to work.
We also gathered the most effective times to post on each channel:
- Instagram: Mid-to-late evening, and mid to late afternoon, specifically between 6 PM - 9 pm 12 PM to 3 PM and 3 PM - 6 midnight. The most popular day to use Instagram is on a Saturday.
- Facebook: Evening and mid-to late afternoon, particularly between 6 and 9 pm and between 12PM and 3 5. The best days to visit Facebook are Friday and Saturday.
- Twitter: 9 AM to 12 PM is the ideal time to tweet on the platform. Followed by 12 pm until 3 PM, and 3 5 - 6 PM. The best day to post is on Friday, and Wednesday.
- LinkedIn 9 - 12 pm 9 - 12 PM, 12 - 3 pm and 3 - 6 pm. The best day to work is Monday, then Wednesday.
- Pinterest: From 3 pm between 3 PM and 6 pm. The best day to be on is Friday.
- YouTube 6 PM and 9 PM 3 to 6 PM and noon until 3 pm. The days of Friday and Saturday are most popular days to upload videos.
- TikTok 7 to 9 PM from 6 to 9 PM, 3 to 6 pm and 12 to 3 5. For B2B brands Saturdays and Thursdays are the ideal times to post. For B2C the best days are Sundays and Saturdays.
To explore the full range of this information as well as the most ineffective times to publish for each channel, take a an look at the entire article here.
In general, you want to make the right choices for your followers. You can utilize your own social analytics to determine the days and times that have the highest amount of engagement on your site. It is important to test and refine your strategy in relation to your personal audience.
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Key Takeaways and Findings for Brands
The next step is to look at the social media platforms where executives in marketing can have the best return on investment, and some bigger-picture strategies (like whether it is advisable to employ the creators of content) to assist marketing executives succeed in leading a social team.
1. The investment in micro-influencers is much more efficient than using celebrities.
If you're a marketer looking to determine where you should invest your time, budget and resources for 2023, it's crucial to take into consideration influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing has been proven to become an extremely effective strategies available to marketers using social media. But, in the last year, we've observed significant shifts among social media professionals to micro-influencers.
In fact, the majority of influencer marketers work with creators and influencers who have less than 100K followers. Only 16% collaborate with celebs with more than 1 million followers.
Micro-influencers cost less which makes it simpler to maintain relationships with them over time. In addition, they have small, intimate, committed communities and can be viewed as more reliable in comparison to the celebrities. Furthermore 37 percent of marketers on social media claim that micro-influencers get more engagement in their content.
Social Media marketers are placing huge bets in 2023 on the influencer marketing. In fact, 81% of respondents believe that the majority of companies will employ a creator or an influencer as their primary spokesperson for their brand by 2023. 47 percent are planning to increase their investments in the field of influencer marketing by 2023.
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2. Instagram can help you earn the most ROI from any platform.
If you're a marketing or social media leader wondering where to invest most of your time or energy to get the highest return-on-investment, Instagram is a strong contender to consider.
Of all social media platform, Instagram takes the winner's position in terms of ROI and engagement Social media experts believe that it will experience the greatest growth in 2023. Social media marketers believe that Instagram is the most precise algorithm and has the highest chance for brands to increase their followings.
In fact 29 percent of marketers on social media are planning to invest more on Instagram over any other platform, and 52% of them plan to invest more on the platform in 2023 while 39% plan to continue to invest the same way.
When asked what platform social media marketers would like to invest the largest amount in 2023, most of them said Instagram which is then followed by Facebook (23 percent), YouTube (14%) and TikTok (14 percent).
If you're unsure of how to determine the social media ROI then you're in luckI talked to experts in social media from G2 as well as Dropbox to find the most effective ways for brands to evaluate return on investment in this article.
(Hear additional information on from Jenny Gardynski and other experts by reading How to Determine The Social Media Marketing ROI [with Expert Tips[with Expert Advice].)
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3. It's an excellent idea to design a customer service plan via social.
With 76 percent of social media marketers providing customer service on social media, it's an excellent idea to think about this option for your own plan in 2023.
Many social users are already hoping to be able to interact with brands through social in regards to inquiries regarding customer service. One out of five Gen Z, millennial, and Gen X users have contacted the brand via DM to get customer service over the last three months.
It is possible to create a separate channel specifically for customer support, just like Wix created with the Wix Help Twitter account, so that users know where to have their questions answered or issues addressed.
Making use of social media for customer service is a great way to connect with your customers right where they are at in their preferred channels. It will also allow you to reduce the number of inquiries you receive regarding a specific subject If you're able to provide an answer to a common question asked by the entire population via social media, customers don't have to contact an agent.
That brings our next concern: Who's responding to these DMs? 43% of the companies which provide customer support via DMs have representatives from their customer service department respond to messageshowever 41 percent leave the decision to the marketing manager who controls this platform. A further 13% utilize automated tools such as chatbots.
I spoke to Julie Fernandez, Aircall's Global Senior Communications Manager to find out how Aircall's team uses using social media to serve as a service channel.
Fernandez explained to me "When it concerns support for customers, we view social media as an enormous chance to communicate with both customers and potential customers regardless of whether it's Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram as well as Facebook."
For best practices in regards to support for customers through social channels, Fernandez advises, "We take care to monitor our mentions and if we find that anyone who needs assistance or is experiencing an issue We respond as fast as we can and get them connected to our support team immediately. We want to ensure they get the best service, and we've discovered that when our support team is able to discuss the issue on via phone it's more beneficial than navigating between social media or an online chat channel, such as emails or chat."
She says, "We also monitor relevant feeds to identify opportunities to use Aircall to communicate information about the product, respond to product questions, join discussions in the industry, and to honor Aircall's partners."
She also advises companies to look into whether forming an online community could help create conversations that can assist your customers and prospects develop. She says, "Would it make sense to establish your own community? If you see the opportunity to establish a community and it pays dividends in a positive manner for your business and your entire product."
If you're looking to make the investment in using the power of social media to become a service platform, it's important to ensure that you have the time, resources and the tools needed to build a smooth and efficient process for your customers as well as your employees.
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The most important findings and takeaways to Content Creators and Influencers
1. Your quality content is more than the number that you've got followers to being employed.
If you're a creative looking to join an established brand in 2023, you'll need to look at the elements that are most important to those seeking to recruit.
The most important thing is that influencer marketers would like to see proof that you create quality social content. In addition, influencer marketing is interested in your followers/subscribers count and if you are aligned with the company's values.
HubSpot's Creator programme was launched in 2022 in 2022, and HubSpot creator Erica Santiago spoke with HubSpot's Chief of Creators Partnerships Alanah Joseph, as well as Brandon Huang, Partnerships Lead for the Creators Program, to find out what they each look for when they hire creators.
One of the main aspects is your credibility as creator.
As Joseph said to Santiago, "Authenticity is essential. Trust is built through authenticity, so when a creator puts their entire self to their work the audience is more likely to trust them. This is essential when a company wants to promote ads within the content of the creator. If the audience is confident in the creator, they'll be more likely to follow the advice of the creator."
Furthermore in working with companies and organizations, you'll have to be a leader in the business and be prepared with an approach that is results-driven. Huang states, "I take a closer look at every quantitative indicators I can find about a creator's reach as well as their engagement level and how consistent they are with their posts and what the outcomes are for the content they make."
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2. The most sought-after influencer niches are lifestyle, fashion and health and fitness.
If you're looking to become an influential person, it might be helpful to know what industries are the most sought-after for hiring influencers.
Influencer marketers collaborate with creators and influencers in the fashion industry (41 percent) the most. This is followed by lifestyle/vlog (40 percent) and health/fitness (37 percent) food (34 percent) as well as travel (33 percent) and families (33 percent).
Naturally, you'll want to pick a subject that is exciting to you. If you're not interested in the subject matter It won't connect with your target audience. Furthermore, it's difficult to write material over the long term on a subject that you don't like.
3. Marketers are more comfortable working with influential people on Instagram as opposed to other platforms.
It is important to determine what platform(s) are the most popular by influencer marketing professionals if you plan to collaborate with companies in 2023.
When it comes to platforms are concerned, influencer marketing has the greatest ROI from Instagram while YouTube and Facebook closely tied for the second spot. They are also among the three most used websites for marketing influencers.
If you're considering working with brands, it's crucial to show that you are successful through Instagram specifically. Being able to create high-quality content that works well in the Instagram algorithm is essential.
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Social Life is always changing
Understanding the latest trends in social is essential to the effectiveness of your social strategy due to the fact that the preferences of social media users and expectations shift quickly.
This page should give you an advantage over your competitors and allows you to find the best potential for growth in your social profiles in 2023.
In the end, social media is among the most effective chances to directly connect with your customers and prospects. It can also help you create strong communities, and to increase the value of your brand and increase loyalty.
However, there isn't any quick fix to social media. The process takes time, effort and a desire to connect and connect with the people. For a fuller listing of the information we gathered for this report, please read the HubSpot 2023 Social Media Marketing Report [Data from more than 1000 global marketersand 1000+ Global Marketers.