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Social media is always changing, and the new year is no exception. After multiple changes last year where authenticity became super popular, will 2023 see the rise of more relatability? This blog will give you a list of the top social media trends that you could use this year!

Instagram’s Creator Benefits

Whilst Instagram might be seen as a slightly inferior platform it still has over 1 billion active users each month. 2023 should see Instagram give creators more specific and exclusive features, as they have throughout 2022 keep your eyes peeled to see when the next ones come out. These features usually get a boost in Insta’s algorithm too, so it’s worth jumping on these trends!

Mid-way Storytelling

A massive trend towards the end of 2022 was using social media to tell a story. However, in 2023 we think telling a story from part-way through will be the new trend to captivate your audience and make them want to catch up with what you’ve been up to. This trend can be used across a range of platforms and doesn’t have to be solely video, why not try it on the TikTok photos trend?

Gated Content

In 2023 gated content is expected to become more popular for a variety of reasons. Firstly gated content means you can connect more deeply with your audience, and this content can be owned by yourself along with the social platforms. It’s also a great way to monetise your work and stop your follower’s feeds from being plagued with ‘suggested content’ before seeing your work!

SEO

The power of SEO keywords and phrases should never be underestimated, especially in the social media space where just under 50% of Generation Z use Instagram and TikTok to search rather than Google. So, in 2023 to get your content discovered by as many people as possible you should use SEO keywords in your content.

LinkedIn

Although LinkedIn is an older and traditionally less popular and more formal platform, it is perfect for organic engagement and that’s why more creators will take on LinkedIn in 2023. It’s great to show personality, and show your expertise, knowledge and achievements.

Artificial Intelligence

You might have already noticed but this year, AI is everywhere and has become really accessible. Did you know that TikTok has a selection of effects that have been inspired by AI? For example, you can create a background through your text, we’ll definitely be seeing much more of this throughout the year.

Youtube Shorts

Did you know that Youtube Shorts can get up to 30 billion views every day? These short videos will help you gain more viewers that can also watch your longer-form content and grow your channel. In 2023 they’ll also be more monetisation for Youtube Shorts so it’s worth having a go.

User-generated Content

Particularly with brands, user-generated content is becoming increasingly popular, and this type of content can be made in-house. This content is made well and will impact people’s purchasing choices, are you going to give it a go?

Less Trend Copying

Throughout 2022, copying trends was definitely a top strategy, but in 2023 it’s going to take a backseat. To grow and stand out from the crowd in 2023, originality will be key. So whilst it’s tempting to jump on every single new trending audio, make sure you’re putting out your own ideas too so you stand out, storytelling is already becoming popular.

Have any of these trends surprised you? Which ones are you going to try out first? We can’t wait to see how social media evolves throughout 2023, just watch this space.

If you want to find out more about the latest social media trends click here to explore our other blog posts.

Spring is just around the corner, and so are so many more exciting key marketing dates! By reading this blog you’ll be able to note down some important tips for your business's marketing strategy, as well as find out how you can make your company look more attractive to prospective talent and customers. 

So get your notebook out and pay attention.

Women’s History Month:

1st-31st March

March is a big month for women throughout all societies. Women’s history month is an important one for the equality calendar. It is a month dedicated to recognising the achievements and struggles women have faced throughout history. This is a key marketing date to be aware of and bring attention to throughout your company. By celebrating this day you’ll show your customers and employees that you support this vital movement for equality. A movement that is still being fought today.

To learn more about Women’s History Month, click here.

Further carry on the celebration for International Women’s Day on the 8th of March.

World Wildlife Day

3rd March

It has become apparent that the way we live isn’t kind to our environment or the animals that we share the earth with. If we continue to live the way we do, it continues to threaten many species’ existence. This is an important topic to be discussed on World Wildlife Day. 

We should use World Wildlife Day to speak about how we can change our ways to save the world’s wildlife, it is also an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of each form wildlife comes in from animals to insects to plants. 

It really is time to step up. You can easily get involved in World Wildlife Day by bringing some important facts to your customers and employees' knowledge or speaking about ways that your business can be more sustainable.

To find out more ways to get involved, click here.

Hashtags: #WorldWildlifeDay #Nature

Mothers Day

19th March

Mother’s Day is celebrated throughout the world, and the important thing to remember is that it doesn’t always have to be your mum! This is your chance to show your appreciation, your love, acknowledgment, and thanks. Many countries celebrate this through different dates, so ensure you’ve got the right date depending on where you are, but for the UK it’s the 19th of March.

For companies, this is your chance to make some sales. Use this day for discounts or putting on a special event for mothers. On your social media, wish everyone a happy mother’s day and ask your employees to share their appreciation for a special woman in their life. 

However, something that has come to our attention is being able to opt out of email content. Not everyone will want to celebrate mother’s day, so give them the option to skip the mother’s day emails. This will show your understanding, and keep ALL your customers happy.

To learn about the history of Mother’s Day, click here.

Hashtags: #Mother’sDay #MotheringSunday #appreciation

International Transgender Day of Visibility 

31st March

As well as Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, there is another date to be aware of for your equality calendar. International Transgender Day of Visibility, is an important day for Transgender and Non-binary people. This is a chance to highlight their struggles and strength through the years, as well as the discrimination this community is still facing, worldwide.

This is a day to show the Trans and Non-Binary community that they are enough, and that they don’t need to conform to one certain gender or identity. 

So let’s empower this community together!

Your business can share its support through social media by getting involved in the ‘I am Enough’ campaign. Getting involved is great! Just make sure you are using the right content, click here to find which content you should be posting, this all depends on whether you are Trans, Non-Binary, or a supporter.

To learn more about the history of this empowering day, click here.

Hashtags: #IAmEnough #YouAreEnough #TransDay #InternationalTransgenderDayofVisibility 

To learn more about social media and what’s new,click here and read our most recent blog! Or if you’d like to catch up on the marketing dates you might have missed, head to ourblog page now.

The year is flying by and we’re almost in March! 2022 had many interesting social media updates and 2023 is no different. From new TikTok insights to a new Instagram feature, this blog will talk about all things new and exciting in social media this February so you know what to expect!

TweetDeck Exclusivity 

It looks like TweetDeck will eventually become an exclusive feature for Twitter Blue users, so you’ll only have access to the management app if you’re a paying user. This would make Twitter Blue a more appealing option for many social media users, would you want to subscribe to it? With Twitter Blue currently having only 300,000 subscribers, Twitter will be looking to really sell the service and its benefits over the coming months, starting with its TweetDeck Exclusivity.

TikTok’s Data Insights

This month, TikTok has added an impressive 70,000 insights to its TikTok insights tool; this app can be used to find trends and what’s popular with users. This tool was created in May and features a range of stats, so you might need to filter it to find what you’re specifically looking for but it can your understanding of the platform and ensure you’re staying relevant to your audience.

Instagram Memories

Instagram has got a new feature to encourage users to share their old posts, through a section called ‘Memory’. Have you seen this pop up on your feed? It’s basically Instagram’s archive but is now in a more convenient place to prompt you to use it. You’ll be able to find stories that you’ve posted previously and you’ll have the option to reshare them with your followers. Will you be using this feature?

Snapchat Hits 750 Million Users

During Snapchat’s 2023 Investor Day, they announced that they have now hit 750 million monthly active users, how impressive! They previously announced they had hit 600 million last April, what a big jump! The platform still continues to grow across the globe, and we wonder what new features they’ll introduce in the future, they certainly have room to do, especially with their latest AR tools.

TikTok’s In-Stream Shopping Tests

TikTok is carrying on trying to push in-stream shopping, having launched a purchasing initiative with some retailers. Some US retailers have an in-stream shopping section on their profiles, which consists of an overview and a direct purchase section. This all happens as part of the app, as opposed to a website that only retailers use. Have you noticed any retailers with this feature? We wonder when this will be rolled out to UK retailers. Keep your eyes peeled!

That’s all the updates for February! Which ones surprised you the most? For more social media information like this, visit our blog page today!

A quarter of the year is almost over! How quickly has it flown by? Like every month, there’s been an abundance of social media updates and news, from changes with Twitter’s two-factor authentication to TikTok allowing you to refresh your algorithm, there is certainly a lot going on in the social media space! This blog as always will give you a list of what’s happening in social media right now!

Instagram’s Top 3 Stories Sticker

Instagram is definitely on the lookout for more engagement as social platforms are getting more and more competitive every day. They’re currently testing a Top 3 sticker for stories that will allow users to choose their three favourites, from accounts to places, the options are endless. Have you seen this pop up on your feed yet? It’ll be interesting to see if this trend takes off, or if it’ll become a feature that is rarely used.

Twitter Blue’s Two-factor Authentication Exclusivity

Twitter has recently added another perk to its Twitter Blue status, exclusivity to two-factor authentication. This important security feature until now has been available for all accounts, however, Twitter users have been receiving notifications that the feature is now only for Twitter Blue subscribers. This means that people who don’t subscribe can be at risk of losing access to Twitter if they don’t remove this feature. I wonder if Twitter will see an increase in Twitter Blue subscribers because of this exclusive security feature.

TikTok Feed Afresh

TikTok is releasing a new option that will let you refresh your algorithmic recommendations, your FYP! So, if you no longer like the videos being recommended to you, you’ll have the option to refresh it, simply go into content preferences in settings and click the refresh you For You feed. Fancy giving it a go? This gives users more freedom, showing how advanced and fast-paced TikTok’s algorithm is.

LinkedIn’s AI-Generated Summaries

LinkedIn is the latest platform to add more AI features, now introducing AI profile summaries and job listings, alongside educational benefits in AI tech in LinkedIn Learning features. This is due to a new GPT tool that will give its users custom suggestions when writing in their profiles. Do you think this is a good thing? Are you worried that everyone’s summaries might start looking impersonal, or even the same? Only time will tell.

UK TikTok Ban On Government Devices

Hitting the news recently, TikTok will be banned on government devices in the UK. This comes after the US has pushed the app to separate from its Chinese ownership, do you think this is a coincidence? The EU carried out this ban last month too, after worries about it being used as a potential spying device. This of course creates concerns that this ban could be carried out to all users, not just those on government devices. What do you think will happen?

You’re all caught up for March! Are you surprised at any? If you’ve enjoyed this blog and want more social media tips and advice, visit our blog page now!

Like any month, March has numerous new trends entering the TikTok world, would you like to find out what they are? At Gather, we’ve made a list of the top trends that are taking over TikTok this month, so you can give them a go for your business. Take a look at this list to find some TikTok inspiration for you to use!

Boy’s a liar

You’ve probably heard this sound on your FYP, this trend has completely taken off again over the last few weeks! Whilst the lyrics of the sound are about a boy being a liar, the content that is being made to this sound is much more varied. From days in life to lip-syncs and more, you can certainly get creative and create a TikTok that is unique to you and your business.

One of our favourite examples is from the Retirement House. This TikTok is engaging, making the sound fit their brand, including multiple different people being in it. This sound is a great one to get the whole team involved in!

Ancestors

Can you think about something that your ancestors might not be too happy with? Use this audio to show this off! Think modern-day things, something that might seem normal for you, but definitely wouldn’t have been 50 or even 100 years ago.

You can make this TikTok as creative as you like, from dancing, or even turning into a little bit of a story, for any of you who love a bit of acting! We did this trend at Gather, click here to give it a watch.

Racking my brain

Got a red flag you’d like to speak about? Or maybe you’ve got an ick? This sound could be the key to showcasing it successfully on TikTok. Best done as a lip sync, with some text providing the all-important context, this can be turned into a viral video in seconds.

Whether you want it to be relatable or shocking, this audio is versatile and has plenty of potential. Here’s an example from Ricotaquito that we love, making a point about people who watch reels over TikToks, we can relate!

Boy Be In My DMs

Have you seen this trend pop up on your FYP? This audio is the perfect sound to use if you’re looking to flaunt or show something off. It’s short and sweet so will require minimum effort to create, you could even do a simple lip sync. Similarly, if you want to show off some self-love this sound would also be a great pairing.

Click here to see Carson Roney’s take on this trend, she even puts a transition into it if you want to make it a bit more complex!

Baby Boy

Has your FYP been inundated with videos of a baby giving a thumbs-up to the camera? This sound is the culprit! Maybe you want to share a guilty pleasure or an embarrassing moment, this audio would be a great option to use.

We’ve done this trend ourselves, sharing a photo of us saying ‘Wanna go for an iced coffee at lunch?’, then added the clip of the baby putting his thumb up at the camera. Take a look at it here. It’s easy, simple and quick to make. 

Ready to use some of these sounds? We can’t wait to see what you’ll create. For more TikTok tips, ideas and inspiration, visit ourblogs page!