It’s no secret that social media trends & presence have become a necessity for businesses. To really step up your social media game, keeping up with current trends can provide many benefits. It can help you create content that will reach a wider audience and your target customers, all while growing your business.
Trends can appear and disappear in a matter of weeks, so we have narrowed down the top 3 trends that are going to last throughout 2023.
Social Media Trends For Businesses: Long-Form Content
TikTok burst onto the social media scene in 2018 and gained incredible popularity in 2019. With that came the rise of 15-second videos. In the past few years, TikTok’s growth has continued to increase, with over 1 billion active users as of the last quarter of 2022. Although quick and short videos have essentially taken over the social media space, TikTok has introduced the ability to upload 10-minute videos. YouTube has also seen an increase in uploads of 20+ minute videos in the past few months with no signs of slowing down.
There has been a small but rapidly growing shift in users preferring to watch longer content rather than scroll through hundreds of 15-second videos. No matter the industry you’re in, there are plenty of long-form videos you can create. From explaining common topics to how-to videos and discussing new developments, the sky is your limit.
If you’re not sold on the idea of being on camera, podcasts are also a great option. You can start your very own podcasts discussing a variety of topics you’re familiar with, or you can start off by being a guest on another podcast. However, all of this doesn’t mean you should stop creating short video content! It is still highly effective and relatively simple to create.
Social Media Trends For Businesses: Authenticity & Transparency
The days of posting your business’ win, high sales, and perfectly staged high-definition photos may be over. Users have shifted their focus to content that feels more authentic. Content with minimal to no editing as well as real people, such as employees or customers, featured in photos is getting much more engagement. User-generated content, which will be further explained in the next section, is also a great way to bring more authenticity to your social media. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t post any professionally shot content, it just shouldn’t be the main focus of your business’s social media.
Transparency is another big thing that users have been paying additional attention to. If an issue arises within your industry, staying silent and not speaking out can be seen in a negative light. If your business makes a mistake, whether it be a faulty product or incorrect prices, speaking out and correcting the mistake can only benefit you. Your audience will see that you are taking accountability rather than hiding and ignoring it.
Both authenticity and transparency are very important not only as a social media trend for 2023 but also for the foreseeable future. It will help build trust with your audience as well as build a trustworthy reputation for your business.
Social Media Trends For Businesses: UGC & Nano-Influencers
The third social media trend that will be seen more throughout social media is user-generated content (UGC) and nano-influencers. User-generated content is exactly as it sounds, content created by customers and posted on their social media. It can be made in the form of photos, videos, reviews, or anything that is authentic to that particular customer. The reason that UGC is a great tool for your business is that it can showcase your business or product in a real and authentic way.
Incorporating real customer photos or reviews throughout your social media will provide an authentic and trustworthy feel to your overall brand image. If your social media has a specific look to it you can browse through the tagged photos and choose the ones that best align with your current content. Over time, your customers will catch on to what you are looking for and create content that fits with your socials.
Nano-influencers are users with less than 10,000 followers. These types of influencers have a smaller community that tends to be more supportive and trusting, allowing you to reach your niche target audience. Working with nano-influencers typically only involves sending them a free product in exchange for content on their social media in their own authentic way. What makes working with nano-influencers so great is that the majority of them will provide content in a timely manner and create posts that align with your business’ socials as they want the opportunity to build a relationship and work with you again.
Let Us Help With Your Social Media Game
Keeping up with all the ever-changing social media trends can be overwhelming, especially when running your own business. That’s why CM2 Media can help! We are a full-service marketing agency specializing in social media. Chat with us and we can get started on creating a custom strategy for your social media.
We are located in Burlington, Ontario, serving businesses big and small to help with your social media game. Contact us today about your social media marketing!
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