The HubSpot Blog's 2023 Social Media Marketing Report: Data from 1200+ Global Marketers

Let’s look it - societal media trading successful 2023 is harder than ever.

Making bully contented isn’t moreover half nan conflict for brands today. Marketers besides request to stock it crossed a bunch of different apps and tweak it to fresh nan artistic and reside of each platform. 

With societal media and nan marketers who usage it moving astatine nan velocity of light, keeping up pinch caller platforms, trends, and algorithm updates isn’t easy.

To thief you enactment up of nan game, we asked 1,283 societal media marketers astir nan globe astir nan biggest trends they’re seeing, their goals, challenges, and strategies going into 2023.

Not overmuch clip connected your hands? Click nan conception you’d for illustration to jump to here:

• Social Media Trends
• Top Social Media Platforms
• Social Media Content Trends
• Top Social Media Marketing Goals
• The Top Social Media Challenges
• Top Social Media Marketing Metrics
• The Best Times to Post connected Social Media
• Social Media Marketer Predictions

1. Brands pinch an engaged societal media organization will triumph audiences.

Community is cardinal to connecting and engaging pinch your assemblage connected social. 

The biggest alteration societal media marketers person seen successful nan past twelvemonth is nan increasing value of building progressive societal communities. In fact, 90% of them opportunity building an progressive online organization is important to a successful societal media strategy successful 2023.  

Our consumer trends study besides backs this up -- 20% of societal media users joined an online organization successful nan past 3 months, and 22% actively participated successful one.

So wherever should you beryllium building these communities? Facebook and Instagram are nan astir effective platforms for organization building overall, but TikTok would beryllium champion for a Gen Z audience. At nan extremity of nan day, it each depends connected nan demographic you’re targeting

2. Social media could beryllium nan early of e-commerce.

Over nan people of 2022, societal media apps evolved into e-commerce platforms that link users pinch products they tin bargain without leaving nan app. 

While some, for illustration Instagram, are further on successful this transformation, nan remainder are moving difficult to instrumentality caller features and devices that alteration societal shopping. 

So, how’s it going truthful far? Currently, 47% of societal media marketers opportunity their marque sells straight wrong societal media apps.

But what’s much important is that consumers are discovering caller products connected societal media much than anyplace else.

Social media takes nan lead for merchandise find among Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X, beating retired net search. Social is besides nan transmission consumers 18-54 astir for illustration to observe caller products on.

When it comes to really buying products connected societal media, complete 1 successful 5 Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X societal media users person made an in-app acquisition successful nan past 3 months.

This each sounds great, but societal trading still faces a superior situation -- trust.

Just 41% of societal media users consciousness comfortable making purchases connected societal media platforms and only 37% spot societal media platforms pinch their paper information.

The 3 biggest concerns societal media users person erstwhile it comes to making purchases connected societal platforms are that nan companies aren’t morganatic (54%), that they won’t beryllium capable to get a refund (48%), and concerns astir nan value of nan products being sold (44%).

If you’re fresh to dive into societal selling, marketers opportunity Instagram offers nan astir ROI and champion tools, while consumers opportunity it has nan champion in-app shopping acquisition of immoderate app - though that could alteration successful 2023.

With each app offering aggregate ways to sell, you whitethorn beryllium wondering which features are utilized most. The astir celebrated trading characteristic is Instagram Shops, utilized by 22% of societal media marketers, followed by Facebook Shops (21%), and Instagram Live Shopping (19%).

3. Consumers descent into brands’ DMs for customer service.

Since societal media is each astir shopping, it makes consciousness that customer work is moving into nan DMs.

Around 1 successful 5 Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X societal media users person contacted a marque done DMs for customer work successful nan past 3 months, and 76% of societal media marketers opportunity their institution already offers customer work connected social. 

But whose occupation is it to respond?

43% of companies offering customer work done DMs person a customer work rep responding to messages, while 41% time off it up to nan marketer successful complaint of managing that platform. Another 13% usage automated devices for illustration chatbots, which I expect to go much celebrated this year.

4. Consumers are turning to societal successful spot of Google.

There’s a batch of hype correct now astir really AI and societal hunt will make Google and different hunt engines obsolete. While it’s a spot soon to make that claim, societal hunt is decidedly taking disconnected successful 2023. 

24% of consumers 18-54 already hunt for brands connected societal media much often than done a hunt motor - and this jumps up to 36% among Gen Z. 

55% of societal media users successful our study usage societal hunt truthful let’s return a look astatine what they’re searching for. People, content, brands, inspiration, and products/services to bargain are nan apical uses of societal hunt - beautiful overmuch each nan aforesaid worldly we usage hunt engines for. 

So, really tin you optimize your societal media accounts for societal search? According to societal media marketers who do it, nan apical strategies are including applicable keywords and hashtags successful your posts and bio, making judge your username is easy to hunt for, and making judge your username is accordant crossed accounts.

89% of societal media marketers opportunity societal hunt is important to their wide societal strategy, and they complaint Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are nan platforms pinch nan champion hunt capabilities.

5. Brands switch retired celebrities for micro-influencers.

Influencer trading continues to beryllium 1 of nan astir effective strategies for societal media marketers successful 2023, but we’ve seen a caller attack summation popularity.

80% of influencer marketers activity pinch smaller creators/influencers pinch nether 100K followers and conscionable 16% activity pinch celebrities who person complete a cardinal followers.

Compared to celebrities, moving pinch mini influencers is little expensive, makes it easier to found semipermanent partnerships, and offers entree to tight-knit, engaged, and loyal communities.

And erstwhile it comes to really influencer marketers determine which influencers/creators to partner with, they opportunity value of nan contented is much important than really galore followers influencers have. Alignment pinch marque values besides plays a awesome role. 

Regardless of really large aliases mini nan influencer is, influencer trading is simply a highly effective trading transmission that drives user acquisition decisions.

Our user trends study shows that 31% of societal media users for illustration to observe caller products connected societal media done an influencer they travel complete immoderate different societal format aliases channel. This shoots up to 43% for Gen Z - making influencer trading their preferred merchandise find channel.

On apical of that, 21% of societal media users 18-54 person made a acquisition based connected an influencer’s proposal successful nan past 3 months. This besides rises to 32% among Gen Z.

Social media marketers are besides betting large connected influencer trading successful 2023. 81% foretell that astir companies will person a creator/influencer arsenic nan look of their marque successful 2023, and 47% are expanding their investment, while different 41% will support it nan same.

Influencer marketers activity pinch influencers/creators successful manner (41%) nan most, followed by lifestyle/vlog (40%), fitness/health (37%), nutrient (34%), recreation (33%), and family (33%).

As acold arsenic platforms, influencer marketers spot nan highest ROI done Instagram, pinch YouTube and Facebook tied for #2. These are besides nan 3 astir celebrated platforms for influencer marketing.

The main goals influencer marketers group erstwhile moving campaigns halfway astir expanding marque awareness, increasing their audience, and of course, boosting sales.

Brand consciousness and income are besides nan apical 2 metrics influencer marketers way to measurement nan effectiveness of their campaigns, followed by views and engagement.

While influencer trading is powerful, it besides has a fewer cardinal challenges. The biggest challenges see keeping up pinch trends, nan costs of moving pinch influencers, building a imaginative strategy, measuring ROI, and uncovering clip to negociate campaigns.

Influencer marketers besides struggle pinch uncovering and vetting influencers who are aligned pinch their brand.

That makes consciousness considering 55% of influencer marketers find creators by search them down themselves connected societal media. 47% usage an agency to lucifer them pinch nan correct influencers while 44% make usage of an online platform. 

Now that we’ve gone complete nan apical 5 trends, let’s return a deeper dive into nan remainder starting pinch nan platforms marketers are utilizing nan most, which connection nan champion ROI, and nan societal apps you tin expect to turn nan astir successful 2023.

6. Brands will flock to Instagram for ROI and assemblage growth.

Instagram is utilized by 65% of societal media marketers, coming successful conscionable down Facebook astatine 67%.

The bully news for Instagram marketers is nan level takes nan apical spot for ROI, engagement, and biggest imaginable maturation successful 2023. 

29% of societal media marketers scheme to put nan astir successful Instagram complete immoderate different level and 52% scheme to summation their finance successful nan level successful 2023, while different 39% will support it nan same.

Instagram will turn from first-time users too, pinch 36% of societal media marketers not utilizing it yet readying to effort it retired successful 2023. 

If that isn’t enough, Instagram is nan app societal media marketers expect to turn nan astir successful 2023, has nan astir meticulous algorithm, and offers brands nan champion imaginable to turn their audience.

It’s besides important to statement that societal media apps are transitioning into e-commerce platforms, and Instagram is starring nan charge. We’ll return a heavy dive nan societal trading inclination later, but portion of Instagram’s advantage correct now could beryllium owed to nan truth that it has nan astir developed in-app trading devices of immoderate platform.

Before moving connected to inclination #7, let's return a look astatine a fewer much societal media platforms and spot really they stack up against each other.

Facebook will support growing, but TikTok’s closing in.

Facebook mightiness beryllium nan level utilized by astir societal media marketers astatine 67%, but it takes nan #2 spot down Instagram for engagement and ROI.

Facebook will besides spot important maturation successful 2023, pinch 23% of societal media marketers readying to put much successful it than immoderate different platform, and 43% scheme to summation their finance successful Facebook, while 41% will proceed investing nan aforesaid amount.

Despite that, societal media marketers spot Facebook successful 3rd down some Instagram and TikTok erstwhile it comes to nan level pinch nan highest imaginable to turn successful 2023. They besides deliberation TikTok is simply a amended stake for brands to turn their audience.

TikTok Usage Lags Despite Popularity Among Gen Z, and Growth Potential

With each nan hype astir TikTok, you’d deliberation societal media marketers are flocking to it en masse, but nan reality is that conscionable 36% usage it. 

That isn’t excessively astonishing arsenic it's 1 of nan newest platforms connected nan block, but it begs nan mobility of whether marketers are sleeping connected a awesome opportunity.

The cardinal facet is who your trading efforts target - 73% of Gen Z uses TikTok according to our consumer trends survey. While it's existent a higher percent of Gen Z (85%) usage Instagram, TikTok is nan level Gen Z spends nan astir clip on. 

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The societal media marketers utilizing TikTok are doubling down connected their finance successful 2023 - much than marketers connected immoderate different platform. 53% of them will summation their finance successful trading connected TikTok successful 2023 and different 36% will support investing nan aforesaid amount. 

20% of societal media marketers besides deliberation TikTok arsenic a level has much imaginable for maturation than immoderate other, only down Instagram astatine 22%. 1 successful 4 besides opportunity TikTok offers brands nan biggest imaginable to turn their assemblage of immoderate platform, erstwhile again down Instagram which takes nan apical spot.

So will societal media marketers yet make nan leap to TikTok successful 2023? 16% scheme to effort it for nan first clip this year, nan highest of immoderate platform. If you waste to Gen Z aliases moreover Millennials, it's decidedly worthy a shot!

Want to study really to get nan astir ROI from your engaged Instagram audience? Check retired this Academy Course connected Instagram Advertising.

YouTube Comes successful 3rd for Usage & ROI, but Will Continue Growing successful 2023

YouTube is nan 3rd astir celebrated platform among societal media marketers, utilized by 55% of them. 

14% of them opportunity it offers nan highest ROI of immoderate level they use, and 47% scheme to summation their finance successful 2023, while different 38% will support it nan same.

YouTube will support increasing successful 2023 pinch 14% of societal media marketers readying to put much successful it than immoderate different platform, and 15% readying to effort it retired for nan first clip this year.

If you’re reasoning of trying retired a caller societal media platform, you mightiness beryllium funny astir really to find which ones are worthy nan investment. Social media marketers prioritize nan imaginable for lead generation, assemblage reach, web traffic, and building an progressive community. 

The platform’s assemblage targeting tools, societal trading tools, and algorithm are besides cardinal considerations.

Next, let’s return a look astatine which formats will predominate societal media successful 2023.

COMING FEBRUARY 15] The State of Social Media successful 2023: Click Here to Set a Google Calendar Reminder 

Top Content Types Social Media Marketers Will Lean Into successful 2023

7. Short-form Video Continues Its Takeover

Get fresh to property record, because video is nan astir popular, highest ROI format erstwhile it comes to societal media marketing, and it will spot nan astir maturation successful 2023. 

Short-form video will proceed its winning streak arsenic nan highest ROI format, pinch long-form successful 2nd place, though it isn’t close. Interviews and podcasts besides connection precocious ROI, pinch prize points if they person video to spell pinch them. Live streaming and user-generated contented are besides highly effective.

Short-form video will spot nan astir maturation successful 2023 by far, pinch 33% of societal media marketers readying to put much successful it than immoderate different format. 58% of those utilizing it are besides readying to summation their finance successful 2023, while 32% will support investing nan aforesaid amount. 

Other Top Social Media Content Formats

The apical format gaining steam successful 2023 is unrecorded audio chat rooms, pinch 23% of societal media marketers readying to effort it retired this year. Interviews and/or podcasts, and VR/AR are besides going to spot immoderate proceedings runs arsenic marketers research connected societal media successful 2023.

On nan user side, short-form video is Gen Z and Millennials’ preferred format to study astir caller products. 57% of Gen Z and 42% of Millennials for illustration to study astir products and their features done short-form video complete immoderate different format. 

Short-form is undeniably nan format of nan year, but what type of contented should you beryllium posting? Let’s return a look.

8. Funny, trendy, and relatable contented will guidelines out.

Social media marketers station contented non-stop; 20% station daily, 22% station a fewer times a day, and 34% do it respective times a week. 

But what kind of contented are they posting? 45% station contented that reflects their brand’s values, followed by relatable (42%), acquisition (39%), trendy (39%) and funny contented (36%).

Of nan formats they use, 66% of societal media marketers opportunity funny contented is nan astir effective, followed by relatable contented (63%) and trendy contented (59%).

But don’t conscionable return their connection for it - erstwhile it comes to brands posting connected societal media, 49% of consumers opportunity funny contented is nan astir memorable, followed by relatable contented astatine #2 (36%).  

Relatable and trendy content besides connection societal media marketers nan biggest ROI, and marketers will put much successful these contented types successful 2023. Unsurprisingly, this contented type will turn importantly successful 2023 arsenic 26% of societal media marketers scheme to springiness it a effort for nan first time, nan highest of immoderate contented type. Among those already utilizing it, 49% scheme to summation their finance and 43% support investing nan aforesaid amount.

Funny contented will spot nan second-most finance of immoderate contented type successful 2023 and 21% of societal media marketers scheme to usage it for nan first clip adjacent year. Among those already making funny content, 50% scheme to summation their finance while 41% will support it nan same.

Social Media Challenges

9. Creating engaging content.

Each year, 1 of nan apical challenges societal media marketers look involves creating engaging content. So, it's nary astonishment that 17% of those we polled said it was their apical hurdle. 

And, it makes sense. In societal media, contented is captious for driving engagement, traffic, and conversions that boost your business. However, societal media, its trends, and what group want to spot connected each level alteration daily. It's beautiful reliable to support up.

In fact, our study shows keeping up pinch these changes is simply a occupation successful itself. Over 20% of societal media marketers hunt for caller aliases emerging trends each day.

10. Re-sharing nan aforesaid contented crossed platforms won’t alert successful 2023. 

Once you do people a portion of contented that's ace engaging, you can't conscionable republish it connected immoderate different level these days.

We get why you'd want to repurpose societal contented - making caller posts isn't easy, and pinch nan mean societal media marketer juggling 4 platforms astatine once, re-posting is inevitable.

But, for illustration immoderate community, each level has unsocial norms, and they don’t look fondly connected brands going connected blatant cross-posting sprees.

The bully news is that you don’t person to make contented from scratch. Instead, tailor it to nan unsocial tone, aesthetic, and demographic of each societal app.

48% of societal media marketers do conscionable that - sharing akin contented crossed platforms pinch immoderate tweaks. Another 34% make unsocial contented from scratch for each platform, and conscionable 17% proceed to stock nan nonstop aforesaid contented crossed platforms.

10. Turning engagements into leads.

Like each marketers, societal media pros are ever asking themselves, "How tin my activity use nan bigger business?" And, 1 measurable measurement to warrant business effect is by driving leads aliases conversions.

Yet, that's still beautiful hard. After all, astir societal media scrollers don't conscionable want to time off their provender to go a lead aliases a customer and travel correct back. To triumph them over, you'll person to create contented that energizes them beyond nan constituent of simply commenting aliases clicking a guidance emoji. That's why we perfectly aren't shocked that 15% of societal media marketers database lead procreation arsenic 1 of their apical challenges.

Other Social Media Challenges

It's nary astonishment that nan apical societal media trading challenges mostly reflector nan goals we'll talk below. Creating engaging contented tops nan list, followed by reaching your target audience, gaining and keeping followers, and making contented that generates leads. 

These challenges make consciousness - our investigation shows that galore marketers are missing cardinal accusation connected their audience, from basal demographic info to nan challenges they look and their hobbies. Having that accusation is cardinal to making relevant, engaging contented that resonates pinch your target audience.

Another group of challenges revolves astir keeping up pinch nan latest trends, societal level updates, and uncovering caller ideas.

Top Social Media Marketing Goals

Social media marketers are laser-focused connected their assemblage successful 2023. Connecting pinch their organization is their apical goal, and raising marque consciousness by increasing their assemblage will besides beryllium a priority. 

Despite nan emergence of in-app societal shopping, driving postulation to an outer website is still a apical extremity for societal media marketers. But that whitethorn alteration drastically this twelvemonth arsenic platforms proceed processing autochthonal shopping tools.

Another apical extremity is advertising their products aliases services, on pinch a attraction connected improving customers’ knowing of their offering. 

20% of societal media marketers besides database improving customer work and retention arsenic a cardinal privilege for 2023 - particularly arsenic consumers get much utilized to reaching retired for customer work complete DMs.

The Top Social Media Marketing Metrics

How are societal media marketers search success? Let’s spot what metrics they’re looking astatine erstwhile posting integrated and paid content.

For some integrated and paid content, web traffic, sales, lead generation, impressions/views, and engagement likes and comments are nan apical metrics.

Unsurprisingly, erstwhile posting paid contented marketers prioritize web traffic, sales, and leads, while views and engagement are somewhat much important for integrated content.

The Best Times to Post connected Social Media

As a societal media marketer, you apt want to beryllium posting astatine nan champion times for highest engagement. So, while we had our societal media study participants, we sewage their thoughts connected nan champion times to station crossed societal media platforms successful nan U.S. specifically.

• Facebook: 9 AM to 12 AM
• YouTube: 3 PM to 6 PM
• Instagram: 12 PM to 6 PM
• TikTok: 3 PM to 9 PM
• Twitter: 9 AM to 3 PM
• LinkedIn: 9 AM to 3 PM

For tips connected what different times to station aliases what to station during nan times above, cheque retired this societal scheduling guide. 

7 Social Media Predictions for 2023

Among those we surveyed:

• 87% opportunity consumers will hunt for brands connected societal media much often than pinch hunt engines.

• 84% opportunity societal media will go consumers' preferred transmission for customer service.
• Over 80% opportunity consumers will bargain products from brands straight successful societal media apps much often than from a brand's website/third-party websites.
• 90% opportunity building an progressive online organization is important to a successful societal media strategy
• 88% opportunity astir brands will person an progressive societal media organization astir their brand
• 87% opportunity astir brands will connection customer work done societal media.
• 82% opportunity astir brands will waste products straight wrong societal media apps.

What’s Next for Social Media Marketing?

Ultimately, it’s up to you and your institution to find and scheme retired your early occurrence strategies! But, our information and insights are ever present to help. 

To get started successful building, refining, aliases researching much opportunities for your societal media strategy: 

• Take our free societal media certification course.
• Visit our State of Social Media Hub page wherever you'll find much data, videos, and exclusive master insights.
• Download nan free study beneath for saveable PDF pinch cardinal information and isnights.

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