The top social media trends for 2023

Nearly 60% of the world’s population is active on social media now. For charities it’s a place to share news and impact, thank fundraisers, support service-users, and much more. Of course, its importance to your charity depends on who you’re trying to reach.

We’re going through a massive generational shift right now. By 2024, the youngest of the post-war baby boomer generation will be 60. While this generation didn’t grow up or become exposed to social media at a young age, many have become more reliant on it as the pandemic transformed the way we use digital.

The generations that follow (Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z) tend to have an increasing expectation that they can conduct their lives online and often this means via social.

What to expect from social media platforms in 2023

2022 has been a testing year for charity social media managers as all the social platforms made lots of tweaks and changes. We can’t be sure of what the platforms have in store for 2023, but expect…

More Twitter drama

If you thought Musk was done with shaking things up, think again. 2022 is nearly over and he’s still making regular significant tweaks to the way Twitter operates. Be prepared for more of the same in 2023.

The most important thing to have a plan for is the total collapse of the platform. Make sure you have a presence on one of the alternatives and are ready to make the shift.

The continued rise of Mastodon

As Twitter’s influence declines, Mastodon’s continues to rise. It’s designed to be an ideal version of Twitter with less hate and more community. If it feels like the best alternative for your charity, take some time to reserve your handle, set up your profile, and start thinking about strategy.

Strong growth for TikTok and YouTube

TikTok’s rise to prominence in the world of social media has been nothing short of phenomenal. In 2022 it hit one billion users making it bigger than Twitter, Snapchat, and Pinterest. It’s most popular with younger audiences, but 20% of users are aged 40–49 so it’s by no means exclusive to Gen Z.

YouTube is already massive with 2.5 billion monthly active users, but it’s rarely prioritised by charities. Maybe 2023 will be YouTube’s year in the sector.

Less testing (please!)

Pretty much all the social platforms have experimented with new functions in 2022. Trends for live audio, ephemeral conten,t and short-form video have seen platforms clamouring to copy each other’s most successful features. Does any charity social media manager want to see another new feature video from Adam Mosseri in 2023? Probably not.

The financial downturn affecting much of the world is causing most social platforms to cut their resources and turn their attention to survival. If you’ve spent 2022 testing the new stuff, spend 2023 focussing on what worked and ditching what didn’t.

2023 social media trends

Creators

The creator economy isn’t going anywhere. It has doubled in size since 2019 and creators still offer one of the best opportunities for charities to reach and engage with new audiences organically.

A focus on developing your influencer and partner strategy in 2023 could be one way to make the most of your limited resources. Commercial brands are reportedly pulling budget for creator collaborations in 2023 leaving influencers with more time to collaborate with the causes they care about.

Social search

If you’re not thinking about social search yet, 2023 is the year to start. While Gen X and Millennials routinely use search engines to find the info they need, Gen Z turns to social media. Social platforms weren’t designed as search engines, but they all have search bars. Increasingly, users are looking to social media to answer their questions.

This is really important for charities for a couple of reasons. Firstly, as experts on a particular issue, charities can act as credible sources of information for their communities and the broader user base. Secondly, social search can help people who might need charities’ support to find them.

Supporter and service user care

As people use social media for more stuff – from socialising to shopping – they will inevitably come across problems and have questions that they expect to be answered within the platform. Prepare for an ongoing uptick in the use of social media for supporter and service user care in 2023.

Doing it with less

The financial climate is already affecting charities, and many will be faced with difficult decisions to make around budget cuts. Be prepared to think strategically about your social presence in 2023 – doing less platforms well, repurposing and adopting a campaign mentality will all help you to manage with reduced resources.