As of October 2022, 59.3% of the world’s population were social media users. Every year we’re seeing more and more social media users, as well as new trends coming out too. Staying on top of all the changes that happen every year, or even every month, on social media can be challenging, but that’s why we’re here to help!

Here are 5 social media trends you should be following in 2023:

The Rise of VR and AR

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been around for a bit now, but 2023 might be the year we see it becoming as popular as regular social media platforms. One of the most popular VR devices is the Meta Quest (previously known as the Oculus). With the Meta Quest you can enter the Metaverse, a virtual space to “share experiences and do more together”.

With VR and AR, people can play games, chat with others, and make creations of their own. This might sound like things you can do on a lot of other social media platforms, but the difference is how immersive VR and AR are. As it becomes more popular, we’ll see more and more people joining the Metaverse and spending their time in there as a form of social media. With that, we’ll begin seeing lots of businesses break into it with promotional content and experiences.

Social Commerce

While we know online shopping is a must, we also see shopping on social media becoming just as popular. A study from 2021 predicts that about 8 out of 10 U.S. businesses will be selling on social media in the next three years. Facebook was the number one social commerce platform for all ages, while Instagram came second thanks to its popularity among young shoppers. So while you may already be promoting your products on social media, be sure to set up shop on your social media accounts so people can easily shop without having to go to your website.

AI Assistance

Whether we like it or not, AI assistance will become even stronger in 2023. We’re all using AI everyday without even knowing it, like getting directions to avoid traffic or asking Siri a question. But for social media, AI will become even more important in the coming years.

AI will be useful in helping optimize social media posting. It will be able to help us write great captions and choose the best date and time to post. After trending on Twitter in 2022, ChatGPT has become widely popular for its usefulness and funny mistakes it makes. It still has a long way to go, but the starting point we’re at proves just how helpful AI will be in the future.

Facebook Remains the Top Dog

Many may think Facebook is a dying social media platform and they would be completely wrong. As of January 2022, Facebook was ranked the most popular social media platform worldwide based on the number of monthly active users. While it’s smart to focus on many social media platforms including Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, don’t leave out Facebook in your social media plan because you feel it might not be as important. Many people still use Facebook as a way to learn about what’s going on in their community, read the most important headlines, and search information on businesses and interact with them online.

Customer Service & Crisis Management

Just like in 2022, we’re continuing to see many people use social media for customer service. Instead of calling or emailing a business, people will direct message or comment on their posts when they have a problem, have questions, or need help with something. It’s very important that businesses stay active on their social media to be sure people are answered in a timely manner. Also it’s important how you handle your customer service on social media, as you’ll be handling customers or clients publicly at times.

Not only do you need to worry about customer service on social media, but also crisis management. Everyday we see businesses go through some kind of crisis on social media. Maybe they tweeted something that people thought was out of line or a customer posted something wrong with one of their products that went viral. No matter what it is, make sure you have a crisis management plan in place. This can include a social media policy for your company with guidelines and rules to follow to make sure your business stays in line or a process of pre-approving everything that goes out. Whatever you choose, make sure you have a plan in place in case something goes wrong.

Follow these 5 trends and you won’t fall behind on your social media game this year!

Need help keeping up with social media trends? Quantifi Media can help you with that, as well as with other digital marketing solutions. Contact us at (570) 620-6350 to schedule a free consultation today!