5 Bold Predictions for Social Media in '23

Happy New Year!

It's 2023 and the marketing world isn't slowing down. If we've learned anything in the last three years, it is definitely to expect the unexpected. From market changes due to the pandemic to iOS14 surprises to a looming recession, marketers have pivoted and then pivoted again. But with those changes it has kept us on our feet, creative, eager to make magic with what we have. I don't expect 2023 to be any different as we embark on some unknown. With a cup of glass half full coffee, I present you five predictions for our industry as we tackle 2023.

1. Content Creators are no Longer Just a B2C Play

Influencers, creators, content wizards, I'll let you name them as you wish. Regardless of how influencers are defined, it's hardly a debate in 2023 that influencer marketing is here to stay. Valued at $16.4 billion in 2022, it was another record year for this industry. Influencers originated in the B2C, ecommerce, beauty and tourism sectors. With LinkedIn, we've seen these experts expand in both B2B, tech and EDU worlds. I expect the growth of influencers to cross over more and more verticals in 2023, with smart marketers knowing they can monopolize untapped niche marketplaces with their expertise.

2. Short-Form Video Rules Content Marketing

When I consult LinkedIn customers, video is always at the top of our minds. Long-form video, short-form video, animated video, television spots... so much video! But where do we go with it? As the timelines get more crowded, we've found that there is a general aesthetic that users gravitate towards. That is short-form video. With 47% of marketers agreeing that short-form video is more likely to go viral, I expect this statistic to reach closer to 60%+ by years end. Why is this? The entire social media ecosystem has now adopted the TikTok style video. From TikTok to Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, there are expanded placements for this type of video. But is this new? Not really. We have seen user attention span go from 60 second videos to 30 second videos to 15 seconds or less gradually over the last 5 years. This puts the pressure on businesses to be quicker with their video, supplying meat and potatoes, while still showing creativity.

The businesses that will win in video in 2023 will be those who plan social media cuts around their video productions without going net new each time. Are you producing a 60-second TV spot? Have you distilled how this spot could be recreated into three or four 15 second social media spots?

3. Brand Creates Stability in B2B

B2B marketers may have had the largest whirlwinds in recent years. Unlike their B2C counterparts, there is no singular ad that can translate to an immediate purchase. Stability in the market creates stable budgets and the ability for B2B buyers add third party tools or partnerships. As budgets flex up and down, it creates longer lag time to complete a B2B deal. So what do we do in the interim? Keeping your brand lights on could be the easiest and best longterm play.

Statistics show us that 13% of MQLs mature into SQLs in the B2B world. However, that maturity can work at all different speeds. In my presentations I try to speak to real life situations as much as possible when discussing B2B. It takes one person leaving a company, a budget shift or simply being too busy for a deal to fall through. Mixing the psychology with the X's and O's plays into B2B. The importance of brand before a lead, after a lead and during the sales process keeps your B2B product at the top of mind. The problem with running brand? KPIs and attribution become a major talking point with marketers. If you are a company that needs more bought into brand with attribution, it's recommended to adapt your attribution modeling beyond last click with assisted conversions, or deeper analysis. Or how about we take this old school? The classic "where did you first see us" questionnaire at a purchase is never a bad idea!

But the important truth is that while companies figure out brand vs. demand and attribution, they will lose to companies who already have. The B2B companies who are bought into brand will be playing chess and staying at the top of mind of their leads, while others are dropping the baton at an eBook download.

4. The Swiss Army Knife Social Media Manager Makes a Comeback

We would be remiss if we didn't talk about the industry changes in this piece. During 2022 91,000+ workers were laid off in tech with companies shrinking departments and freezing hiring budgets. My heart goes out to those who have been affected. From personal experience, the four months that I spent unemployed in my career were four of the hardest. As social media jobs became more specialized in the last few years, I think we might be due for a renaissance of what social media was in the earlier 2010s. Can you find the Swiss Army Knife Social Media Manager to handle a wide variety of skills and precent outsourcing?

When I began as a social media professional I handled copywriting, creative, marketing strategy, photography, videography, budgeting, PR, influencer marketing... okay I'll stop there because I could keep going. Social media professionals do A LOT and they are at the front lines of your brand. As companies downsize departments they will look for dual positions. A social media person who can do organic AND paid media? Check. A creative wizard with a background in social? Check. It's going to be more important than ever for those in the social media game to deepen their skills and be able to cover more than they were in 2022.

5. Empathy is ROI

In response to the fourth entry, it's important that we emphasize empathy for marketers in 2023. Telling someone they need to cover more ground this year shouldn't be grounds for an overworked culture. Social media professionals are pressed, management is pressed, companies running with smaller budgets are pressed! When people press they run the risk of not producing their best work. 48% of workers said their wellbeing declined in 2022, with the number likely to climb as layoffs continue into the recession.

My message to social media professionals is to remember that social media is supposed to be fun. I remind myself at least once a day how lucky I am to call what I do work. We work in an a developing industry that's bigger, more profitable and growing faster than any of us could have predicted a decade ago. Despite recent developments, there's still a ton of positive signals that this growth won't stop. Weathering storms is part of the game we play. But with that storm your mental health should always come first. Forget the social media KPIs here. How are YOU feeling going into 2023?

To the managers out there. Empathy is your greatest ROI. With the great reshuffle, job hopping and departmental changes, many marketing rooms look different than they did just six months ago. Are you able to identify burnout cues? Do you listen to your social media employees when they talk about professional growth or empower them to be their best? Regardless of the situation, leading with empathy results in higher employee retainment. If you are unable to retain your best staff, every strategy after this falls apart. More employee retainment = higher ROI as we play chess through the 2023.

I'm sure I could keep going but five bold predictions is enough for this entry! What do you see becoming a trend in 2023? What did I miss? Here's to another year in this crazy industry!