5 Social Media Advertising Trends for 2023

Short-Form Video Content Will Dominate

No one can argue that video is the most engaging digital content. Short-form video content is the subset that’s dominating users’ attention. Look to the rise of TikTok as the perfect example. It was the top downloaded app in 2022, reaching 50.3% of the U.S. population. Users spend an average of 95 minutes per day on the app.

As a result of shorter attention spans and increased competition for that attention, your local advertisers can experiment with short-form content on TikTok and other sites like Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Because the videos are short, they’re not expensive to produce. However, quality matters here in terms of visuals, lighting and audio. They can reuse these videos across social media and other channels. With TikTok, you can deliver campaigns that target their ideal buyers by demographics, interests and behaviors, and devices.

These campaigns will work great for businesses with visually exciting products, from fashion and beauty to dining. Even if they’ve never tested out these newer platforms, 2023 is a great time to do so. They can deliver substantial reach and engagement, and results are easy to track. Some fun campaigns could include:

• Reveals of new merchandise for the spring fashion season
• A quick behind-the-scenes look at how a restaurant makes a signature sauce
• Before and after pictures for spas and salons

Micro-Influencer Partnerships Build Rapport

Influencer marketing has been a hallmark of social media for years. In most scenarios, influencers are well-known celebrities or personalities. They often have no expertise or experience in the industry, so it’s simply name recognition.

Micro-influencers are a different approach. These individuals have fewer followers but are content creators focusing on niche audiences. They have the ear of an audience that trusts their recommendations. These partnerships are a social media advertising trend to recommend to your clients.

The first step is starting with a local influencer who has industry credibility. Your advertisers may already have relationships in place to build a campaign. You may have similar connections and can facilitate an introduction that becomes a win-win.

Get more ideas for these in our post on creating local influencer social media campaigns.

2023 Is the Time to Go Niche

The major players in social media advertising — Facebook, YouTube and Instagram — have the highest ad revenues. However, TikTok, Snapchat and Pinterest are gaining ground. One key issue is Apple’s new privacy rules, which impeded Facebook from targeting segments of users. As a result, these ads may no longer be as effective. The platform is also saturated and noisy.

Your advertisers can target better with niche platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and Pinterest. All three demonstrate results for advertisers, and their unique formats allow for more creativity and engagement. Depending on whom your customer wants to target and their industry, you can suggest a niche site.

For example, a company that hosts local cooking classes would be an excellent fit for Pinterest, as foodies love the site.

Organic Reach Is Declining; Paid Ads Can Fill the Gap

Your clients may have healthy social media profiles and post regularly. They may have noticed that organic reach is declining. For example, organic posts on Facebook have an average reach of 8.6% or less, which is a small portion of your followers!

There are ways to expand this, such as using hashtags, publishing consistently and getting employees to share posts. However, it’s hard to beat the algorithms or game them.

With organic reach at an impasse, paid ads on networks can be an excellent solution. Paid ads can target existing fans as well as other demographics. If advertisers have a time-limited offer or promotion, getting an ad in a consumer’s queue can drive more clicks.

Authenticity and Storytelling Become the Standard for Selling

The hard sale that was prevalent in advertising for years has faded away. This trend is especially true in social media advertising. No one wants to watch a “commercial.” Rather, they want ads to educate, inform and entertain. They seek authenticity and stories from brands to make a connection.

Your local advertisers are prime for this pivot. They are part of the community, and many have a history with audiences. Others that are new have an opportunity to tell prospective customers what makes them unique.

When this happens, 57% of customers are willing to increase their spending with a company, and 76% will buy from them over a competitor.

Take this knowledge to your local advertisers, and give them ideas about how they can display authenticity, including:

• Using customer testimonials in their spots
• Spotlighting community ties (e.g., nonprofit support)
• Telling stories about why they started the business and how they want to serve customers