Social media is hard to stay on top of in an ever-changing industry. Trends morph fast, and new platforms pop up overnight. These changes can be fun when you use the apps recreationally. But change is exhausting for businesses whose social media strategy relies on staying current.

While you can’t predict precisely what will happen in social media, market research and predictions can at least help you see what might be coming. Below are a few of the 2023 social media trends you can expect and how to upgrade your strategy for success. 

Top Social Platforms for 2023 

Facebook and Twitter remain essential platforms in the social media world. That said, Facebook and Twitter shouldn’t be the only platforms publishers participate in, even if they drive most of your traffic. 

Diversifying your social media activity in 2023 will help build brand stability and grow a committed audience. As always, platforms will ebb and flow in popularity depending on what new social media trends we see rolling out this year. But as of now, here’s where we see the highest value in opportunities on current platforms:

LinkedIn may not be one of the top platforms of 2023, but it should certainly be considered for publishers who haven’t engaged with it in the past. LinkedIn requires a different strategy for posting than Facebook because of the platform’s focus on businesses and professionals. Publishers will want to take advantage of creating content that highlights employee experiences in addition to quality photos and videos to interest their audience. True Anthem can help automate these posts to make it easier for your business to identify the best content for each platform. 

Pinterest may also add value to your business regarding evergreen content. Pinterest posts, or Pins, can last years compared to the lifespan of other social platforms. Plus, the visual aspect of this platform is eye-catching, and Pinterest users are very loyal compared to users on other apps.

TikTok is scary for some publishers. Success requires bandwidth and creativity, but don’t be discouraged.TikTok has become a key platform for reaching a younger demographic and providing older generations with a new way to consume news. Check out our Best Practices Guide (link?) for publishers on TikTok, and look for future support from us in 2023!

Explore Emerging Platforms 

It’s best to experiment with emerging platforms instead of prioritizing them for one reason: they don’t always last. 

Many upcoming social media platforms skyrocket in popularity quickly, only to fall flat just as fast from failure to keep user interest. Naturally, when this occurs, users will return to core platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) until something else comes along to try. 

Still, publishers should pay attention to new platforms that could help them grow engagement. You never know which new platform will become the next core platform. TikTok was an emerging platform until 2019 when it became a core platform that users continually return. 

Some of the current emerging platforms to keep an eye on include the following: 

• BeReal– photo-sharing app popular with GenZ
• Po.st– alternative to Twitter
• Mastodon– software to put followed accounts in chronological order
• Polywork– similar to LinkedIn, focused on professionals 

If publishers only pick one new platform to experiment with this year, BeReal is showing some promise. BeReal is a photo-sharing app that prompts users to post unfiltered, raw photos with select friends and groups. You can only have 500 friends, so it’s not perfect for traditional social marketing strategies. However, BeReal was the top social networking app on Apple’s App Store as of October 2022 and could continue to see growth with the demand for more authentic content. 

Short Form Video 

You guessed it; short form videos are still popular in 2023. TikTok continues to show tremendous user growth with short videos, recently exceeding the time kids and teens spend on YouTube. Facebook and Instagram have already seen continued success with Reels and videos on user feeds.

In 2023, publishers should produce various video content to keep their audiences engaged. True Anthem’s most successful publishers post a mix of videos, photos, and memes to increase engagement. Short form videos show a stronger impression and engagement rate than link posts this year, something to keep in mind. 

Original Content 

TikTok and Instagram trends exploded in 2022, but 2023 users want a little less scripted and original. This year, seeing everyone online doing the same things will not be as popular. Businesses can thrive with the drop-off of trends by producing original content to help them stand out.

Creating original audio will be especially important to help drive effective storytelling and brand awareness. YouTube Shorts has seen success with pushing authentic and original content. Ditch the trending sounds and create your own that your audience will love to connect with. 

AI Solutions 

AI will become increasingly vital in 2023, both for users and creators. 

For users, we already see an increase in AI recommending more content on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. This is expected to continue on other platforms to increase user engagement. AI will make it easier for users to find the content they are interested in and new accounts that offer what they enjoy. 

For creators, AI systems are helping businesses stay on top of content creation by saving time and boosting quality to meet the growing demands of the algorithms. These are just a few areas where AI can help:

• Content Creation (Jasper, Copy.Ai)
• Image Creating and Editing (Lensa AI, Dall-e)
• Headline and Post Message Creating (Jasper.AI, Anyword) 
• Content Distribution (True Anthem) 

As the 2023 social media trends steadily roll out, True Anthem will continue to adapt to provide more support to publishers and businesses. Stay tuned!