Meta has released a new study, giving us an overview of what the year has looked like in terms of consumption, communication, and satisfaction across social media. Whether we realize it or not, social media represents our culture, and how we interact with each other in today’s world. 

Understanding these trends and patterns isn’t just crucial for your business, but also on an interpersonal level, to understand how humans feel, communicate, and express themselves across social media. 

So, let’s dive into the top digital marketing trends of 2023, and what this means for businesses and brands moving forward.  

About The Report 

After a few years of economic hardships from COVID-19, wars in Europe, inflation, and raised gas prices, consumer doubt has risen and people are being more frugal in their purchases. 

In this 22-page report, Kantar and Nielsen joined Meta to research how this market has shifted, and what new tools and strategies are emerging. Although this report focused mainly on the Asia-Pacific market, many of these findings reflect global consumer shifts.

This report found four main shifts, and how marketers and brands can take these suggestions to better grasp their audience. In this infographic, we can see the main shifts outlined. 

Meta explains that the reason for these shifts has been due to “an era of multiplicity”, meaning that there are more platforms than ever before, and thus new shopping options and buying processes. 

Let’s see the four digital marketing trends in 2023, and how these are shaping the digital sphere and buyer experience.

An Influx of Content Creators

As consumer uncertainty rises, people, especially Gen Z consumers, want a second opinion before buying a product. Therefore, many look towards trusted individuals and content creators that have tested products, and provide reviews to their audience. This creates a more “authentic” shopping experience since viewers can directly engage with the creator. 

All types of creators and influencers have emerged from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Amazon, and more. Marketers and businesses can benefit from influencer collaborations, to strengthen customer relationships and brand trust. 

If you want to learn more about influencer marketing, and how you can collaborate with influencers to promote your product or services, read this guide below.

Short-Form Videos Dominate Content 

This one probably doesn’t come as a surprise. With Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, it’s easier than ever to gather new information, be up-to-date with pop culture, and stay entertained. Of course, nothing else can do this but video. 

Looking at the numbers, short-form video is the most successful content type, and according to the report, “Short-form videos are 76% more effective in terms of share of impressions compared to long-form video…” 

Our 2023 Instagram study matches this trend, as we found that Reels are the top-performing content type on the app in terms of reach and interactions. From our data alone, Reels grew 282%, meaning that more and more brands are jumping on short-form videos. Read our full 2023 Instagram study below. 

We also saw a huge increase in TikTok usage, specifically 241% from business accounts, according to the data from our 2023 TikTok Study. We found that videos longer than 54 seconds receive the most views, which is an increase of 12.2 seconds compared to our 2022 study. And lastly, visits from TikTok’s search engine have doubled. Read the full 2023 TikTok Study below. 

If your brand isn’t already using short-form video, you may be falling behind. This is a huge indication that traditional marketing efforts need to be adjusted towards online video. 

Messaging for Brand Trust 

Just as individuals message their friends, or creators they follow, customers are now turning to private messaging as part of their consumer journey. The report found that “70% of respondents in a recent survey said they feel more connected with businesses they can message.” 

This means that businesses are now expected to stay on top of their messages and help support their clients via messaging. As a brand or business, having an inbox management system is crucial to making sure all messages are accounted for and replied to. 

With Metricool, you can manage all your social media messages, comments, and replies in one place. This will save your brand time and eliminate having to go to each individual network. Learn more about how to manage your social media messages, replies, and comments with Metricool. 

Artificial Intelligence for ROI 

The last digital marketing trend in 2023 is well-expected. Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, AI tools have emerged from all corners of the world.

However, as we grow into this era of multiplicity, it’s true that we can’t show up everyone at once. Therefore, many brands are turning to AI for things like chat automation and personalized ads, while saving time and energy. 

AI is helping find more solutions and avenues for businesses than ever before. Plus, brands can do this in a very cost-effective way, while still seeing great results. The report found that “advertisers using Meta platforms saw over 20% more conversions and higher returns on ad spend.” 

Conclusions  

Using this report, and Metricool’s 2023 Instagram and TikTok studies, the data is clear. In order for your brand to stick out, you need to be consistent on digital platforms. With this, mixing up the media and topics is essential to keeping your audience engaged. 

Although we are in a consumer world, having your only message be “selling” won’t work. Before buying, users want to be able to trust, communicate, and relate to a brand. So test out short-form videos, stay connected with your audience via direct messaging, try collaborating with influencers, and test AI in your ad campaigns. 

Arguably one of the most important steps in measuring success is analyzing your downfalls. That’s why having a tool to keep track of your data can help you easily benchmark your efforts and improve your strategies. 

Metricool is an all-in-one social media management tool that helps you do just that. Plan your social media content automatically, manage social media messages in one place, run social media ads, and analyze your data across the board. Plus, you can create an account completely for FREE! So, what are you waiting for? 

Anniston Ward , 10 October 2023