Author: Andrew Trotman, CEO and Founder of award-winning social media marketing agency KOMI Group

2022 saw many new social media trends with companies both soaring and failing at trying to harness them. As we move into a new year, social media will continue to be an even more widely used communication channel for businesses to engage with customers and prospects, and marketers should take notice and consider ways to better their social media habits in 2023.

This year is going to be a very different social media space and we’ve compiled some top social media resolutions for businesses to consider upholding in the New Year!

• Live Life (or Social) To the Fullest: Social will become the new go-to search function. In 2022, 40% of consumers have taken to social media to search for purchase recommendations, travel inspiration, and help with decision-making. It is predicted this will increase to 50% in 2023 as people search for personal recommendations from other users. TikTok has recently produced ads that show how beneficial it is to use as a search function. Therefore, harness your social channels to ensure your business lives life to its fullest.
• Get Digitally Organised: E-commerce via social platforms is set to skyrocket in 2023 with an increased trust in shopping on TikTok. From what we have seen at KOMI, the click-through rates and user success placing purchases via TikTok is the lowest of all social media platforms, but as communities grow, the trust in the shopping function will build. We expect TikTok will become the number one e-commerce platform and businesses need to get organised to capitalise upon this ASAP!
• Explore a New (Social) Hobby: BeReal, the hit new social platform allowing users to share unfiltered snapshots of their day at any time, is set to die out in 2023. To keep a social media platform alive and thriving, the developers need to ensure consistent changes and an engaging community. This is something BeReal lacks, and soon consumer fatigue will set in –so it is worth exploring new hobbies and channels to maximise engagement levels as we enter 2023.
• Exercise (YouTube) More: YouTube will focus more on community and interaction between users. The statistics show the average monthly active users on YouTube is among the highest of all platforms. 2023 will see a real shift as people use it as a social platform to build a community more. As it is starting to get into ‘YouTube Shorts’, TikTok and YouTube will continue to steal ideas from each other and soar as a result. TikTok supplies short-form, bite-sized content to watch in little time. YouTube is still considered a destination platform but will start to bring in a more news-type feed approach for users. Consider exercising your YouTube channels to better effect and reap the benefits!
• Lose The (Influencer) Weight: Micro-influencers will surge in utilisation in 2023 as brands will better reap the advantages of authentic partnerships with loyal followings. By using a micro-influencer, the credibility of a brand increases versus if they used a macro influencer with millions of followers. Micro-influencers are on the rise with a growing community that drives engagement and businesses need to lose the macro-influencer ‘weight’ and instead focus their efforts on the micros to truly benefit!
• Quit One-Offs: Brands will seek long-term partnerships with social publishers and creators. One-off influencer campaigns will become outdated, and the leveraging of creators and publishers will be increasingly beneficial. Therefore, quit the one-off partnerships and focus on the longer-term wins!
• Save Money: Instagram will struggle as we get into 2023 and creators will find the benefits of using other platforms to build a presence. This means businesses will begin to move their advertising to YouTube, rather than Instagram. If a user is committed to watch a 4-minute video, they are more likely to watch a 15-second advert to continue their video, whereas they will scroll past a ‘Sponsored Post’ on Instagram because they wish to view short-form content. Viewer rates of adverts is much higher on YouTube than any other platform, which is where advertisers will start to put their money. Save money and invest more efficiently!
• Increase Time with Friends (& Your Community): Businesses will start to look at YouTube vs. TikTok in 2023. Linking back to social being the new search, now is the best time for businesses to launch on YouTube as it will be easier to gain engagement and build awareness from Gen Z consumers. Businesses need to continually think: How do we make sure we are at the top of social? And the answer, my friends, is community!

In summary, 2023 will offer bigger and better opportunities for businesses, especially if they take note of some of these pithy social media resolutions.  Altering social media habits in line with the upcoming trends is imperative and with YouTube building traction within the Gen-Z community, advertisers reviewing other platforms and the utilisation of micro influencers, you truly can jump into 2023 in a leaner, fitter and happier social media presence that is ready to take on the world!