5 Top Social Media Trends to Expect In 2023

There is no way around it, social media is vital to businesses. It is particularly important to small businesses and startups since it helps them build a brand and cultivate and engage followers who will potentially stick with them throughout their journey. Therefore, understanding and utilizing the top social media trends is well worth the effort. To make that easier, this list contains some of the expected trends for 2023.

AI Content Creation

AI has been used for a long time in various industries, but it is now more accessible than ever. Think about ChatGPT. ChatGPT can write an advertisement, something demonstrated by one of the viral Mint Mobile commercials shot by Ryan Reynolds. But there are other AI tools that can, say, make an entire video with a simple script.

Some social media platforms have even started to integrate AI tools for content creators to use, and with all that power within reach, it is certainly going to make an impact in 2023. Few of the other top social media trends for this year come even close. That is especially so since it allows startups and small businesses to do a lot with less funding.

Short-Form Content

People like watching videos, and they like short, digestible chunks of information. Given that many businesses already use videos as a marketing tool, they will certainly create short-form content to match the trend. For many, it might be possible to simply extract clips from content they already make to double the results. Moreover, multiple platforms are focusing on short-form videos, including:

• TikTok
• YouTube Shorts
• Facebook (Instagram) Reels

Beyond repurposing old content in the form of clips, many brands will push to create unique, thoughtful content that captures the short attention spans of the modern viewer. 

Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital, says, “you need to post engaging content consistently if you want to succeed in business online. And if you’re serious about success, I’d recommend building out a team devoted to creating this content alone. If you continue to produce engaging content with consistency, you’re bound to see success.”

It is an important method to drive engagement, which is precisely why it is one of the top social media trends for anyone looking to gain or maintain an edge in 2023.

Augmented Reality

Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) are being integrated into social media, allowing deeper interactions and better engagement with customers. VR adoption is still slow, but AR already sees use on platforms like Instagram in the filters. But it offers more than that, with multiple applications that include:

• Allowing people to virtually try on clothing items and accessories
• Interactive ads that improve viewing time
• Gaming, which is becoming an alternative to social media due to AR and VR

Interactive ads will be a major use case for AR technology. People pay the most attention to something when they are engaged, and there is no easier way to engage someone than to get them involved. It will be a powerful tool, especially if used in combination with the next top social media trends on the horizon.

Social Commerce

Social commerce has entered the conversation before, standing out as one of the top social media trends expected in 2020 and 2021. However, fears of an uncertain economic future caused people to flee in the opposite direction. But people kept shopping, and people will continue to shop.

Social platforms are now in the retail game, and many customers plan on making a purchase via social media. It is even more promising, considering AR technology makes it possible for users to try on clothing and accessories before making a purchase.

Video Content

Video content is already one of the top social media trends, and it has been for years. People prefer videos, and those who do not utilize that to some extent are missing out on a massive audience. Moreover, it is only becoming more important with things like AI content creation and short-form video picking up steam.

However, AI-generated content and short videos are not all there is to it. People also want long videos used to entertain or inform. They even want them together, with “Edutainment” on the rise after a successful couple of years.