Let’s start off with breaking down what a trend is. By definition (thank you Google), a trend is the ‘general direction in which something is developing or changing’. In conjunction, trending means ‘currently popular or widely discussed online, especially on social media websites’. Trending is the gateway to virality. When a business becomes viral, it exposes their brand to a vast audience, which can positively or negatively affect performance.
This decade has rapidly shifted the way trends perform. Now, a trend could last for a few days, maybe even a few minutes. It’s hard to keep up with the trends since they’re constantly changing. The lifecycle of a trend has exponentially decreased with the rise of social media. Consumers want info fast and easy. A brand must stay on top of all trends, while still keeping longevity. It’s important for every business to keep in mind that being ‘trendy’ only lasts so long. If you’re constantly latching on to ‘trends’, nothing is going to stick. It’s not original.
I think the key takeaway from my whole blog post really comes down to be authentic. The best thing you can do for your business is to stay true to your brand. Authenticity is the biggest ‘trend’ I’m predicting for 2023. Let’s dissect what being authentic as a brand on social media really means.
1. UGC (User-Generated Content)
The average consumer can spot a stock photo. It’s best to use your own content on posts. Pictures taken on a phone can do just the trick. Chase is the photo master, but some quick tips to taking a good pic include; using good natural light, cleaning your camera lens beforehand, and framing your subject in the center of your photo. Using your own content shows your business in action. Consumers can get a better grasp on your business this way and feel more involved in the process. A great way to outsource UGC is by using influencer marketing.
It seems since quarantine, there’s been a major influx of ‘influencers’. An influencer on social media is someone who persuades the opinion of a consumer within their audience. A lot of brands have used influencers as an outlet for promotion. Rather than celebrity endorsement, influencers bring a sense of relatability & trust. A consumer is more likely to trust someone they feel they’ve connected with than a stranger. If your best friend swears by an eye cream and you can truly see the results from your own perspective, you’re more likely to buy it than a 30 second commercial of Jennifer Anniston using it. Jenny is probably getting paid a big check to give you this information, which begs the question of authenticity.
According to the B2B House “61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations, compared to 38% who trust brand-produced content’.
When it comes to influencer marketing, micro is the way to go. A micro influencer falls in between 1k-10k followers. They have a big enough audience to bring in customers and they still have a sense of reliability with their followers.
Consumers want to feel connected to their products, even if it’s not a conscious choice. Our subconscious mind stores so much information that we seem to forget. The daily choices we make, including the brands we purchase, go so much deeper than a surface level commitment. That’s why customer service is so important for a business to upkeep. When a customer feels valued by a brand, they’re more likely to return for more. To further build this relationship between the two, I think behind the scenes content is going to continue to increase in popularity. When you get a glimpse of BTS, it makes you feel exclusive. Like when someone tells you a secret, you feel closer to them. You feel like they trust you.
There’s such a wide range of BTS a brand can produce. It could be a live video of you fulfilling orders, a day in the life, photoshoot sneak peeks, etc. Get people excited about your brand and feel like they’re on the journey with you. Brand loyalty = more sales.
4. Quality over Quantity
The past few years, social media platforms have favored overactive accounts in their algorithm. Rewarding users who spend more time on the platform. This makes sense, and I don’t think it’s necessarily going to change. But, I think consumers are getting bored by excessive postings. The internet is so vast, I could order a garment steamer, find out someone is engaged, respond to a friend, and donate to a fundraiser in the span of minutes. That being said, as a consumer, my time could be better served doing something else than being bombarded by all your posts. All that makes me want to do is unfollow you. Suddenly, you’ve lost my business.
Social media chases the consumer. Meta may be able to push ideas on us, but we decide how it performs. I still think frequent posting and daily engagement is the way to go, but I think brands will start taking on a quality over quantity posts. This saves everyone involved some time. Instead of posting three posts a week about an upcoming event, pin a short video to your profile promoting the event. Talk about the passion behind the event & behind the scenes. Short form content is here to stay.
5. Feature Overload
I think with the rise of TikTok, other platforms are feeling threatened. The market share of social media is rapidly being taken over by TikTok and Zuckerberg is shaking in his Sweet Baby Ray’s. I think in 2023, we’ll see more features on social apps than we’ve ever seen before. It’s honestly ridiculous the amount of features on social media platforms, especially considering they’ve all been stolen by each other. I think in the long run, this won’t perform well. It’s so easy to do everything on the Internet, complicating it will only damage us. Our mind’s have been so overstimulated, it’s exhausting.
I digress, we still have to use these features to stay relevant online. As a business, staying on top of all of this will have the algorithm rewarding you. But, don’t overwhelm yourself. Pick a few features and be consistent with them. Remember to start small with your social presence. Build your audience first.
Loyalty has been the number one money maker for long-lasting businesses since the beginning of time. Being authentic online & in-person is the best way to ensure brand loyalty. It’s important to remember that everyone, including yourself, is a consumer. Think about things as a consumer before taking it online. It also never hurts to get a second opinion. In summary, the main trend consumers want this upcoming year is seeing the truth behind brands.
Ready to bring genuine authenticity to your brand’s online presence? Connect with us to build trust and loyalty with your audience.
