Staff from full-service advertising agency The Hallway and creative advertising Thinkerbell shared their Social Media Marketing Trends 2023 in a report by global independent agencies network thenetworkone and creative agency Kurio.
Alongside 40 social media marketing experts from 25 award-winning independent agencies around the world the report offers a 360 view of social media marketing for the upcoming year.
Overall there was lots of talk around the flourishing of creator culture, including predictions that niche influencers will become mainstream and influencer marketing will be big in B2B.
According to Olivia Hussey junior planner at The Hallway, the most interesting trend for social media in B2B marketing is the rise of trusted influence.
"86% of B2B brands attributed improved brand performance to influencer marketing," said Hussey.
"72% reported improved brand reputation, while 56% said influencer marketing helped to generate new leads. What’s more, 33% said influencers were a direct revenue generator.
"There’s no denying it’s a lucrative market! Looking into the 2023 crystal ball, I suspect that the use of professionally credentialed influencers will pick up pace, and evolve into a common B2B marketing tactic.
"But, only time will tell."
Overall Hussey believes influencer marketing is headed toward greater intimacy in 2023.
"Consumers are fake-tigued," said Hussey.
"They’ve grown tired of curated, polished photo grids, and filters, and are chafing against the pressure to be perfect and performative. They’re looking for absolute honesty.
"Authenticity, based in digital intimacy, is fastly becoming the main currency in the influencer ecosystem."
Similarily Hannah Nickels head paid and owned media thinker at Thinkerbell said: "In 2023 it’ll continue to be about the creator over the influencer, with the industry really starting to mature and innovate."
"We’ll see more cross category collaboration with brands and creators, think an airline partnering with a graphic designer with a huge Twitch community or food creators stepping into fashion content.
"Creators will be a key way for brands to unlock creativity and lateral partnerships will be more impactful than the closed category ones.
"Creators are and will continue to be a really important component in the way brands tell stories, a creator has permission to play with authenticity in a way brands may not be comfortable doing themselves."
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.