The latest on-trend ‘need to know’ when it comes to social media. Information in this blog post was obtained from the Social Media Examiner, Social Media Today, Sprout Social.
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The latest trends that are positively impacting social media marketers today. In this blog post, we will learn about Facebook changes that affect marketers, 3 important social media trends to note for 2023, and 23 social media best practices for success in 2023.
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Facebook Changes That Affect Marketers
Are you aware of all the latest regarding Facebook? Let's look at Facebook changes that affect your marketing!
#1: Facebook Q2 User Stats
Based on Meta’s Q2 2023 earnings, further growth for users and ad impressions on Facebook even as ad prices are decreasing. It reported 2.06 billion daily active users in June 2023, a 5% increase from where they were this time last year. Facebook reached 3.03 billion monthly active users by the end of Q2, which is a 3% increase year after year. While there was an average price drop per ad by 16%, ad impressions delivered across Meta’s apps grew 34% compared to what they were in Q2 2022.
#2 Facebook Groups
In early August, numerous Facebook group admins had reported several notifications implying Meta would assign Admin status to one or more group members unless they were showing more activity in the group. Even though the issue was evident over a year ago, it is still a persistent concern amongst group admins who have willingly invested much time and effort towards establishing and growing their groups. There seems to be a target toward inactive or less active groups. Facebook prefers active engagement and inactive groups as a ‘waste of resources.’ There have been instances where admins are given 6 days' notice before the switch is enforced. In efforts to avoid situations like this, it is recommended that group admins take three initiative steps: 1) Assign at least one backup admin to step in if needed. 2) Archive any old, unused groups yourself versus letting Facebook prompt removal for you. 3) Re-engage any inactive groups to show activity is still occurring. Taking needed steps to keep groups active and engaged will help avoid automated admin changes.
#3 Facebook Ads
According to Social Media Examiner, Meta is implementing a search function for branded content campaigns within its Ads Library. What does this mean? This enables businesses to look up which rival brands may be collaborating with on sponsored social media posts. Viewing competitors' partnerships inspired potential influencer marketing strategies. Tracking collaborations can also help indicate investment levels of sponsored content across the industry.
3 Important Social Media Trends to Note for 2023
Social media is constantly evolving. Sometimes it undergoes significant changes that are nearly impossible to miss and other times they are smaller and more subtle changes that are easier to accept.
Take short-form videos, when TikTok integrated into the social media world short-form videos rapidly became the key trend in social media engagement. Now it is the fastest-growing content format in most apps. That also encouraged more significant changes, in social media platforms for entertainment and connections. In the past, it has shown people to be excited to share their updates via Facebook and Instagram, but the increase in its varied nature of social apps has made people more hesitant to share their thoughts publicly, which has led to users creating more intimate DM groups while shifting the use of the social media feed to discover and consume content. Social Media Today ran polls of their audience among different social media platforms to gauge how they feel about key updates and changes in the social media world.
1. More People are using LinkedIn, More often
This visual shows how many people are using the LinkedIn app in 2023.
The results show that a lot more people are using LinkedIn this year. While there could be some bias because this poll was performed on the LinkedIn app, of course, the participants who were active users of LinkedIn were seeing this. However, this result does along with LinkedIn’s data insights. LinkedIn has reported that the sharing of original content within the app has increased by 41% year over year in 2022. It has continued to rise in engagement this year.
2. X’s name change remains unpopular, while advertisers remain wary
What is formerly known as Twitter, X has taken its place and a poll was performed on users to determine their in-app experience since the change has taken place.
One of the highest responses of the poll showed that users responded that their experience was “worse”, however, the majority of respondents chose that their experience was either better or remained the same from when it was called ‘Twitter’ to now being known as ‘X’. With only 184 responses, it was a very small poll of casted votes. Which could determine the results to be very helpful in determining the answer to the posed question of the poll. It does allow for a small measure of users' reaction to the rebranding of the app. It was evident that people still view the app as “Twitter”, even with the name change. With time it is expected to shift and that seems to be more encouraged by the rebranding process that will continue.
3. Instagram remains hugely popular, despite relocating other app features
Based upon a LinkedIn poll that received 3,200 responses, Instagram is the platform that people are still using more frequently than any other app.
This poll is based on audience relativity. Other poll studies have shown that TikTok is the most popular app among the younger audience demographic. With using a LinkedIn poll there is a limited set of options of what can be included in a LinkedIn poll, which leaves a margin of other options that could have resulted in carrying alternative results.
23 Social Media Best Practices for Success in 2023
At the beginning of 2023, Sprout Social came out with “23 social media best practices to succeed in 2023”. Aubree Smith shares those 23 tips with us.
1. Aspire for Authenticity
This encourages more genuine, unfiltered content, as opposed to the aesthetically composed content that stood before. BeReal emerged from this approach.
2. Research your Ideal Customer
Social media isn't just about reaching people, it's reaching the right people for your message. Define your target audience, then understand your target audience.
3. Use your Community’s Favorite Networks
Utilize social media demographic data to help determine which networks are most utilized in your community.
4. Keep your Audience at the Forefront
Center your strategy towards aspects you can help your audience overcome.
5. Post at the Right Time
Finding the best time to publish is a great tool to further your audience engagement.
6. Post Regularly
Consistency is key. Maintaining a regular posting appearance on social platforms positively impacts your business goals.
7. Reduce your response time
Make sure you are connecting with those who reach out to you promptly. A delayed response could be a missed opportunity or a lost sale.
8. Up-level your Customer Care
This is non-negotiable. Your customers should high priority.
9. Go for engagement
The best way to keep your audiences is to make sure you are putting out engaging material that will keep them intrigued and remind them why they chose your company in the first place.
10. Take Videos Seriously
Short films are quickly emerging as a popular form of social media sharing. This has opened doors to entirely different content-sharing platforms than before.
11. Highlight your Product in Action
Consumers like to see brands highlighting their product services in their posts. Keep in mind that your product or service shouldn't become the ‘hero’ of your posts. Instead, show how your product/service can improve your client's lives.
12. Showcase Real Testimonials and Demos
Reviews, real customer testimonials, and actual product demonstrations are essential to consumer growth and retention.
13. Infuse your Content with Personality
Consumers enjoy authenticity, so making sure that is consistent in your posting is very important.
14. Take a Stand
Voicing your support on sensitive subjects that align with your values and make sense for your brand sends a message to consumers. This goes a step further than just taking a stand on social media and applying brand activism that is impacting the entire business.
15. Partner with Creators
This is a great opportunity to boost your company and reach a whole new following.
16. Tap into Employees
Look to your employees as often they can be your most influential brand advocates, as they stand behind the brand. Employee advocacy is a great thing to lean into that will also benefit your social media strategy effectively, generating intentional, genuine, and humanized content for your brand to deliver to your audience.
17. Experiment with Emerging Technology
Artificial intelligence is making a big splash in the technology world currently.
18. Test New Platforms
Fixating on only a specific set of social media platforms is not a sufficient way to sustain your social media presence. Intertwining other social media platforms is a more proficient way to stay present in the current uses of social media. Apps that might have been forgotten often resurface and become popular among users again, even if it is just a fad.
19. Iron Out your Approval Process
This is crucial, make sure you and your team are on the same page to avoid any unnecessary complications.
20. Optimize for Social Commerce
Social/online shopping is on track to continuously grow over the next several years. So, intertwining that into your business strategy is essential to further growth and success.
21. Prove the Value of Social
Reinforce buy-in by building a sophisticated social media presence.
22. Bring Social Data to your Entire Business
“More departments understand the value social media brings to the table. The Sprout Social Index™ found that 53% of customer service teams, 48% of corporate communications teams, and 43% of product teams all contribute to their company’s social strategy and use social findings to influence their direction.”
23. Invest in Social
Truly investing in social media and incorporating it as an essential part of your marketing strategy will result in long-term gains.
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This blog will help you build the foundation for your success by helping you stay on top of the latest social media marketing trends. These tips will help you optimize your content and best utilize your social media platforms.
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Resources
Don’t miss Tomorrow’s Social Media Industry News. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Smith, A. (2023). Retrieved from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-best-practices/
Your guide to the marketing jungle. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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