The Social Media Trends 2023 Report, highlights the social media trends that matter most for brands, marketers, and PR professionals to watch in the coming year. The report leveraged Talkwalker’s social listening and AI-enabled analytics capabilities to uncover the 10 most impactful social media trends to expect in 2023 and demonstrate how consumers are driving these trends. The insights behind each trend are further supported with industry-specific social engagement actions marketers can take from Khoros’s Strategic Services team. The report also features input from industry experts such as Daniel Nuss, Marketing Director at Aramex, Anja Petrovski, Marketing and PR Director at Volkswagen, Ali Matar, Head of Venture Markets across EMEA, LinkedIn, Tarek Amin, Directors across MENA, YouTube, and Antoine Caironi, Regional Director at Twitter.

Key trends identified in this report include:

Customer experience will get even more social – 75% of consumers say the pandemic has driven long-term changes in their behaviors and preferences, including a bigger focus on urgency. Brands must prioritize customer experience by providing support, information, or solutions as fast as possible. Daniel Nuss, Marketing Director at Aramex, said the ‘Workflows between customer support agents, social media managers, and CX experts need to be 100% defined and adhered to – otherwise unhappy users will pile up and make themselves heard, leading to deteriorating brand perception.’ On the other hand, Anja Petrovski, Marketing and PR Director at Volkswagen ME commented, Social media are a channel where our customers can engage with us as a brand – whether this includes making it easy to book a test drive through chat functionalities, highlighting existing customers through UGC or showcasing the potential lifestyle customers can unlock when they are behind the wheel of a Volkswagen.

Social media will operate at a new standard – The trend that struck most with the Middle East market is that social media platforms will need to adjust to a new standard, one that fosters trust and reliability with consumers. With the increasing proliferation of fake news, deep fakes, and AI-generated art, the borderline between what’s true and what’s not is becoming increasingly blurred. Ali Matar, Head of LinkedIn EMEA Venture Markets, commented that ‘authenticity has become the differentiating marker in the new age of social communication. Economic uncertainty and huge changes in the world of work have made it necessary for content creators to own their voice and demonstrate a deeper understanding of their audiences in order to build a resilient digital presence.’ Tarek Amin, Director of YouTube in the Middle East & Africa has said that ‘Transparency, which is a core value at Google & YouTube, is integral to our content moderation efforts. Our community demands it, and we see it as an important part of being trustworthy and accountable to them.’ Furthermore, Antoine Caironi, Interim Regional Director at Twitter, added: ‘Twitter has always been home to diverse voices, perspectives, and ideas and our purpose is to serve the public conversation. As a result, we continue to invest in our approach and educate audiences on available tools that help tackle platform abuse, misinformation, and spammy behaviors.’

Brands will place emphasis on communities rather than personas – 66% of branded communities say that their community has led to increased loyalty. Brands will focus on gaining a deeper knowledge of their consumer ecosystems to understand who is driving and sharing brand-focused conversations. Commenting on this trend is Janet Machuka, Founder of ATC Digital Academy and a Digital strategist, saying: ‘In 2023, brands will have to rethink strategies to not only build engaging communities but also to actively involve their communities by inviting them to share their experiences about the brand.’

“We all know the digital ecosphere has disrupted how marketers engage with consumers,” said David Low, Talkwalker CMO. “In this new environment, marketers must focus on forging symbiotic relationships through a better understanding of online conversations and taking quick action. It’s this new understanding that will help brands create meaningful experiences and become closer to their consumers.”

"As marketers, we know the value of data and the importance of listening to our customers. But, we need to be more action-oriented and use those insights more effectively,” said Dillon Nugent, Khoros CMO. “Consumers’ comfort level for doing things online—shopping, researching, socializing—is not slowing down as the world opens up. They also care more about their communities—global, local, IRL, and online. Marketers need to tap into these trends and behaviors more deeply to personalize customers’ experiences and create more impactful strategies that empower your brand to stay connected to customers and grow your presence in the market.”