As brands build their marketing strategies for the upcoming year, Emplifi reveals which social media trends will drive the biggest outcomes.

Emplifi, the leading unified customer experience (CX) platform, announced its top social media marketing predictions for 2023. According to Emplifi, 2023 will be the year of authenticity, with brands turning to “customer influencers,” user-generated content (UGC), and tapping into the power of TikTok for product discovery.

UGC and the Rise of the “Customer Influencer”

Authenticity will be key going into 2023, and what could be more authentic than shining the spotlight on your very own customers? Expect brands to encourage customers to share their content and experiences. Using social media to source user-generated content from customers is a scalable and powerful solution for brands.

With 84% of millennials reporting that UGC on a company’s website had an influence on what they buy, brands will tap into it to meet content demands in 2023, boosting business while galvanizing customer participation.

Short-form Video Will (Still) Dominate

TikTok’s massive growth is proof that customers are demanding short-form video content. Whether for TikTok, Instagram Reels or Snapchat, marketers will face the challenge of adapting to the evolving trends and investing more of their budget in video.

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According to Emplifi data, Instagram Reels have outperformed all other post types since the start of the year, with 80% of brands on the platform publishing at least one reel in Q3 2022.

Customers Will Turn to Social for Support

In 2023, we will see more customers turning to social media platforms to connect with brands about service-related issues. Whether it’s via direct message or live video straight from social media apps, brands will offer more support touch points via social media. Brands like Orbit Baby and Currys have already implemented live video into their social media care strategy, so customers can receive the same expert advice they would get in-store from the comfort of wherever they are.

Brands will invest more in TikTok advertising 

Boasting nearly 30 million daily active users globally, brands will tap into TikTok not only for brand awareness but for its contribution to sales.

Brands will get more creative on TikTok, looking to influencers to generate original sounds to increase the visibility of their advertising campaigns. TikTok will also emerge as a key platform for product discovery. The hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt gained nearly 31 billion views, demonstrating just how effective the platform has become for influencers and users to share their experiences in an engaging way.

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