Skip to main content

Marketers trying to keep up with social media trends may feel like knowing where to invest their efforts and budget is a guessing game. With new platforms like BeReal gaining traction and old platforms like Twitter losing users, charging for subscriptions and scrambling to sort out impersonations to verify accounts, it’s harder than ever to predict trends online.

To help you cut through the clutter, check out some stats and expert insights on everything from podcasts and social startups to augmented reality product content and social searches.

Now isn’t the best time to start a new podcast

For a while, it seemed as though podcasts were destined for endless growth. But with 80% fewer podcasts launched in 2022 than just two years prior, the trend seems to have slowed significantly for independent creators and those backed by large studios.

That’s not to say that existing podcasts are suffering. More than 26 million new episodes were published last year, and U.S. listeners increased by 5 percent, according to Insider Intelligence. Although the percentage of internet users who listen to a podcast at least once per week is predicted to decline slightly over the next few years, the industry is still strong. 

Key takeaway: If you don’t already have a podcast up and running, it might not be the best time to start one.

TikTok gets some competition

Still holding the title of “favorite app” among Gen Z, with 70% of the cohort predicted to use it monthly in 2023, according to Insider Intelligence, TikTok is facing competition from some social startups, including:

  • Gas: Launched in August 2022, the app encourages teens to share uplifting responses to polls about friends and classmates anonymously. By January 2023, it was the top free social media platform in Apple’s app store. While 95% of users opt for the free version of the app, there is a premium version that offers bonus features for $6.99/week.
  • Fizz: Only available to college students through their Fizz community at their own college, this app lets students publish text, photos and polls without a username or identifier. Created in 2020 by two Stanford University students, the app requires a valid university email address. 
  • Geneva: This free messaging app for groups or clubs is primarily used by Gen Z and creators to engage in conversations with members of like-minded communities. Users can join or create a home and set up a chat, post, audio, video, and broadcast rooms for specific topics. 

TikTok’s growth is expected to slow considerably to 43% in 2023 (compared to 155% in 2022, per Insider Intelligence), so experts predict that the platform will soon lean into other non-advertising revenue streams. 

For now, the app is trying out commerce ad formats (such as Catalog Listing ads) and TikTok Shop. In addition, subscriptions to the service aren’t off the table, and the launch of TikTok’s fulfillment centers will provide warehousing and logistics services to take users from discovery to delivery.

Key takeaway: Marketers should watch TikTok’s popularity and ad effectiveness as other competitors join the market.

BeReal focuses on positivity

Initially released in 2020, the French social media app BeReal has picked up steam lately. The app asks users to post an unfiltered photo of themselves at a random time each day during a two-minute window. With an emphasis on authenticity rather than filtered photos, likes, or follower counts, the hope is that teens struggling with anxiety or self-esteem issues will feel empowered by more realistic views of their peers’ lives. 

Already, the app can boast that one-third of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 use the app monthly. 

Key takeaway: Watch for opportunities through BeReal, but make uplifting campaigns a theme in your marketing strategy this year.

Meta invests big in VR

Formerly known as Facebook, Meta is the tech conglomerate that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among other products and services. If your target audience includes 18- to 24-year-olds, it’s worth noting that nearly 40% of Americans in the age group start their searches on Instagram and TikTok. 

But the real trend to watch in 2023 is the integration of metaverse experiences into users’ daily social media consumption. Despite a $13.7B loss in 2022, Meta’s 3D virtual world division Facebook Reality Labs is still a pet project for CEO Mark Zuckerberg. 

With falling user growth numbers and reduced ad spending, Meta’s investors want the company to cut spending on the project. But Zuckerberg is willing to put up with operating losses—even as they’re intended to grow significantly in 2023 — in order to fund the augmented and virtual reality operations for later success.  

To be fair, Meta’s ecosystem now offers more than 200 virtual reality apps with more than $1 million in revenue and avatars created by more than 100 million WhatsApp users. 

If you’re still on the fence about implementing augmented reality into your social media marketing strategy, consider this stat from Shopify: augmented reality and 3D product content has been getting a 94% higher conversion rate than traditional product content. 

Key takeaway: If you’re not already incorporating VR into your marketing strategy, 2023 is the time to explore it. 

Twitter will struggle

After buying Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk revealed that he planned to turn the platform into a “super app” called X. Unlike true super apps like China’s WeChat, which offers everything from payments and messaging to e-commerce in a single application, Twitter isn’t likely to transform into a super app anytime soon.

The app is already on a downward spiral after losing users, employees, and trust among the general public. Combined with technical glitches, a lackluster interest in monthly subscriptions, impersonations of “verified” accounts, and increased App Store fees, the social media giant has its hands full trying to recoup ad revenue and user losses before it can integrate new services into the app.

Key takeaway: Make guarded investments with Twitter, ensuring metrics prove ROI. 

Keep an eye on these social media trends in 2023 to help you determine where to spend — or pull back — your marketing budget.

Influencers:

Looking to partner with industry-leading brands? Create your free profile today.

Marketers:

The world’s biggest brands trust IZEA. Find which of our influencer marketing software or managed service solutions are right for you.

 IZEA MANAGED SERVICES 

Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

Request a proposal

Learn more about our Managed Services offerings

influencer marketing software Managed Services

 IZEA MANAGED SERVICES 

Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

Request a proposal

Learn more about our
Managed Services offerings

influencer marketing software Managed Services

 IZEA MANAGED SERVICES 

Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

Request a proposal

Learn more about our Managed Services offerings

 IZEA MANAGED SERVICES 

Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

Request a proposal

Learn more about our Managed Services offerings