From the Blog

Hannah runs all our social media channels here at Clearbox, supported by her colleagues.

Hannah loves social media.

ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT.

She’s always on top of what’s hot and what’s not in the world of social media, and not being one to keep her thoughts to herself (jokes, Hannah!), she’s written this great blog post about the trends you should be looking for in social media this year.

Fire away, Hannah…

As we all know, social media is quite the minefield. Can you actually stay on top of the ever-evolving world of social media? Probably not…but I am going to give you my top four predictions for social media trends for the coming months, so that you can at least try.

1. Video is the way forward

Everyone and their granny’s dog have TikTok, and if you don’t have it, you have definitely heard of it and watched videos originating from it.

Originally launched in 2016, TikTok really only ‘popped off’ four years later in 2020 – was this due to lockdown and people’s boredom? Or was it just the app’s time to finally shine? Who knows… but what I do know is that TikTok has shifted social media content into a new era, introducing short form video as the new form of content that generates consumer interest and increases engagement on social media platforms.

Following TikTok’s extreme success, other social platforms decided to follow suit by introducing user-friendly methods to create video content on their platform. A prime example of this is Instagram Reels. Instagram has adopted the use of Reels for users to show their content in video form. In fact, Insta has altered itd algorithm to allow for better engagement by use of video in an attempt to give TikTok a run for its money – therefore encouraging users to utilise this method in order to reach more people and increase the success of their page.

In the next few months, I predict that the use of video content will only increase further for both creators and businesses on their social media profiles. Video content is easy to gather, quick to create and also allows users to gain insight further into your business. What you need to remember is that people are nosey – so if you second guess if anyone would actually watch the video… the answer is yes, they most definitely will (and this is coming from the girl who watches what strangers have for their breakfast on the daily).

2. Interactive tools will allow brands to soar

A huge interest for users on social media platforms is the ability to interact with other profiles and create a two-way dialogue between brands and consumers. Traditional interactive tools such as comments, likes and saves simply aren’t enough anymore and to be frank, require too much time for brands to monitor and respond to promptly. New tools such as Instagram’s reaction stickers in reels, or video stitching on TikTok present a perfect opportunity to build relationships with consumers at a lower investment level.

During a time when social media users are hungry for authenticity and connection with the brands that they love – interactivity is key. Therefore, I predict that more and more interactive tools will be developed and made available for users across social media platforms in order for companies to utilise and capitalise on.

3. Authenticity is key

Ask yourself what YOU like to see on your social media timelines? I bet it’s not perfectly polished, unrealistic pictures and videos.

With the introduction of apps such as ‘BeReal’, where the sole focus is to promote realness and spontaneity, it is evident that users don’t care so much about the once popular ‘aesthetically pleasing’, structured posting process. Instagram has seen an increase in users posting ‘dumps’, whether this be of their weekend, of a holiday or of a special occasion, featuring random photos with little to no editing and increased focused on sharing the actual experience rather than how it appears on their profile.

The need for authenticity applies for both creators and businesses on social media. Customers do not want to be fed promotional content where they can’t generate a connection to the brand, but instead want to interact and understand their values to trust it. Brands can show their authenticity by utilising social platforms to their full potential, for example joining in on TikTok trends – this does not have to promote their business every time, jumping on a quick trend will show that there is personality behind your brand, which immediately grabs user attention and generates interest (a prime example of this is Ryanair and Duolingo on TikTok – if you don’t know, get to know).

Essentially, people want REALISTIC, people want FUN and people want AUTHENTIC. Therefore, I predict that the desire for authenticity and impromptu posting across social media profiles will only soar further and every business should evaluate their brand to ensure that what they are doing is representative of their company values in order for consumers to feel confident in their business.

4. Audio will take over social media

Who doesn’t love a good podcast? Because I know I do. Podcasts are a great way to shut out the real world and zone in on a chosen topic for a little while, whether this is to simply listen to a bit of goss about your fave celebrities or to learn about something you are interested in – audio has become increasingly popular, and it shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Whilst podcasts have soared in popularity and will likely remain, I predict that in 2023 social media platforms will jump on the bandwagon to introduce a podcast-style feature for users to listen to their favourite creators and businesses in a more casual and shorter fashion. Introducing this feature will open many doors for brands to reach even more of their target audience and ensure that their brand voice is heard… pun not intended.

So, as I’m sure you could have guessed, social media really is the way forward for both creators and brands and therefore it is essential to stay on top of trends in order to successfully reach your audience. I personally can’t wait to see what this year brings for social media and learning new ways to connect with our audience here at Clearbox… Let’s reconvene next year to see whether my predictions were correct (pre-warning – I’m always right).