And just like that, we’re wrapping up another year as marketers in the social space. We saw countless pics of Marky Z. in Metaverse Paris, we logged into new platforms (looking at you, BeReal), sang along to the “It’s corn!” song, and likely lost count of how many times we heard the word “authenticity.” Not to mention the wild ride we’ve been on with Twitter—who had that on their 2022 bingo card?!
We’ve certainly been on a wild ride this year, so much so it’s difficult to know what could even come next precisely, but here are some things we’re tracking at Likeable:
No one wants to talk about Twitter, but it’s also all anyone is talking about. The start of the Elon Musk era has been eventful, from reinstating previously-banned users (including former President Trump) to removing their COVID misinformation policy. Brand safety is at the top of concerns for brands large and small, irrespective of industry.
Based on these concerns, we don’t suggest heavily investing your time or resources into a Twitter profile for at least the first half of the year.
TikTok
If brands aren’t staying on Twitter, where should they go? TikTok.
Active users in the US are expected to grow from 86.9 million active users in 2021 (already more than Twitter) to a projected 103.3 million by 2025. Coupled with new research, US adults are turning to TikTok for their daily news, and with the announcement that TikTok is starting to overtake Google as the main search engine for Gen Z, you have a strong case to take this platform more seriously than before.
Of course, dedicated video resources are still expensive (*ahem* we can help), and if you simply can’t invest, consider beefing up your community management on the platform. Your audience is already there—and possibly already talking about you—so make sure you respond to them.
Influencers
Here at Likeable, we love an opportunity to debate social trends, and the health of influencer culture ignited a rigorous discussion with team members on both sides. The overall consensus? Influencer culture is not dying but rather moving in a new direction. Social users crave authenticity and turn to accounts that they trust to provide meaningful recommendations.
This is proven by the success of BeReal, which is all about in-the-moment content that isn’t sugar-coated or filtered (SNL even did a parody of it). The big caveat here is that while these new platforms are making a big splash now, we don’t know how long they will last. A recent report indicates 53 million people have downloaded the app, but only 9% of its users jump on daily to look at or post content. For comparison, Instagram sees 39% of users accessing the app daily.
Our take? Brands should leverage influencers as part of their upper funnel strategy to build awareness and reach more eyeballs. That is, after all, what influencers are best at—renting out their influence over their large followings to brands looking to build name recognition.
Part two of this suggestion involves activating content creators with smaller, more niche, but highly engaged audiences to convert consumers lower in the funnel. These accounts are small but mighty since the owners of the account only work with brands they know, trust, and would recommend. That word-of-mouth among their devoted followers can typically lead to direct sales and a positive ROI. We’re predicting a shift towards content creators taking up a larger portion of many marketing wallets in the new year.
Notable Mentions
Tumblr has seen a massive resurgence, with a reported 48% of its 135 million monthly users falling into the Gen Z audience. It might be worth digging up those old logins. Though brands currently can’t run ads on the platform, it’s a great place to show up organically.
We’re also keeping an eye on Mastodon, which is not quite an app, but also not, not an app. This community with software built around it is the anti-social yet social-focused place to be. The main appeals: no ads, no tracking, and no monetization. Pure content and community building. Intrigued? So are we, which is why it’s a notable platform for 2023, especially as we track users seeking more control of how their data is stored/shared.
And not to start a rumor, but can we bring back Vine?!
Ready to hop on these 2023 trends? Reach out to us here so we can help.
