Summary: How to create a killer content strategy in 2023
- Shifts in algorithms, user behaviour and evolving trends mean that businesses will need to adjust their content strategy in 2023
- Our content expert Hollie dissects how you can create a killer content strategy in 2023 taking into account these key changes
- Top tips include using video, reels and eye-catching ads as well as leveraging micro influencers and considering TikTok for your business
Developing a content strategy for social media gets more complex every year. In 2022 alone there were many shifts that nobody could have predicted.
Some of the most notable changes and updates in the social sphere in 2022 include the continued popularity of TikTok and moves to monetise the platform, the reports of a revenue decline of 4% year over year hitting $27.7 billion for Meta and Twitter’s frequent appearance in the news headlines since Elon Musk took over. On top of these changes, there are many new trends and buzzwords such as the Metaverse and Web3 that are simmering in the background for digital marketers.
To help you navigate the changing landscape of social media marketing, we have identified the important algorithms and user behaviour shifts that will impact your strategy in 2023 and how you can be ready for them.
Use our guide to create a killer content strategy that will help you to connect with your audience and drive the best results.
Optimise your content strategy for the new Facebook algorithm
Facebook will be following in TikTok’s footsteps as Mark Zuckerberg himself has stated:
“Right now, about 15 percent of content in a person’s Facebook feed and a little more than that of their Instagram feed is recommended by our AI… We expect these numbers to more than double by the end of next year.”
Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook will be showing more and more recommended content in your feed, meaning you will begin to see less posts from your family and friends. The content that will show up will be from pages and creators recommended by AI, based on your profile interactions and engagements.
This poses huge opportunities for brands to reach new audiences as the algorithm will be looking to show your best performing posts to even more people & potential customers. Taking all of this into account, our suggestion would be to focus on creating content that is going to generate more engagement such as memes, engaging videos, polls etc.
This will boost your brand awareness resulting in more interactions which may land you a better spot on Facebook's algorithm.
Focus your content strategy on Instagram reels
Instagram is a huge platform to focus on for your 2023 content strategy. It has recently been reported that Instagram now has up to 2 billion monthly active users.
Similar to Facebook, Instagram is also playing the ‘keep up with TikTok’ game, meaning there will be even more emphasis on reels creation in 2023. This was confirmed by Instagram’s announcement that reels are their fastest growing content format, so it will be a big one to include in your strategy.
Here are some tips on how to get started on taking advantage of reels:
Start by selecting your topic
Make sure this is something your current audience will be likely to engage with such as:
- Behind the scenes video of your store
- Meet the owner
- Announcing a new product launch
- Answering common questions from your audience
- How to content such as styling day-to night outfits, recipes, etc.
- ‘Try on haul’
- Product explainer
Don’t dwell on the equipment
A smartphone that can produce a high quality video is all you need. Try to combine with a suitable background, good lighting and proper spacing.
Make sure you are shooting your video content in the correct format for the platform you intend to post it on. For example always shoot in the vertical if you are posting the video to your Instagram story.
Write a script before shooting
Ensure the best outcome for your work with a little forward planning by writing a script for your video before shooting.
Remember to use your brand’s tone of voice and don’t be afraid to inject a bit of humour. Always make sure your videos are on-brand and instantly recognizable as being you. You can do this by using brand colours, including your logo on the video, or including a prominent brand personality.
Don’t forget the music
Use music that is on trend and still suitable to the brand to make it engaging. Look around at other popular videos for inspiration.
Include a call to action
Consider your goal for doing this content. Do you want them to find out more about the brand? Do you want them to view a certain product on your website? Make sure you are directing the user to where you want them to go.
Grab attention
Finally put your most important information at the start of the video to ensure you don't lose attention.
Consider how TikTok might fit into your content strategy
Our recommendation for businesses when it comes to TikTok is not to discount it.
The platform has had a meteoric rise to fame as the most popular app of 2019 and 2020. Statista reported in 2022 that the app had approximately 29.7 million daily active users, this number is growing more and more making it tantalising for brands of all sizes. In 2023 you can expect plenty of brands to attempt to make their stamp on the platform.
TikTok has reversed the thinking of other social media content strategies as you have to think entertainment first, advertising second. It is important to remember when creating content for TikTok that you cannot simply copy and paste the content that you use in your Instagram or Facebook strategy over and expect it to work. TikTok prides itself on being an entertainment platform, so it will be important to analyse what’s happening on the platform and keep up with current trends when creating your content.
However it is still important to think of your target audience and whether to spend your valuable time investing in an additional platform. Consider also that older users have started to engage with the platform and many of TikTok’s younger users will transition into financial independence giving it interesting potential for long term strategies.
Recycle your content
Consider how you could experiment with different formats and recycle your content in different ways.
This might mean breaking down content such as a long form blog post into a 200 word informative email with a link to ‘learn more’ directing them to your page. Or for example taking a few important snippets of information from the blog and placing them on appealing graphics to post as a social media carousel. You could also create a video explaining the blog.
These are some of the many different ways of taking one piece of content and recycling it into many different engaging formats, creating more value for you and your customer.
People have various preferences in how they consume content, by repurposing your content and taking advantage of multiple platforms you are maximising your reach. There is no specific formula for repurposing your content, just look at your library and imagine how any piece of content might be reused in a different format.
Authenticity and user generated content strategy
Users craving authenticity has started to dominate as we approach two decades since Facebook was founded. Users have become increasingly savvy during this time and want to see more authentic content, a trend which is expected to continue in 2023.
According to a 2021 Stackla study 88% of consumers say relatability and authenticity are important factors in their decision to engage with companies and make in-app purchases. With the rise of apps such as BeReal, users are showing their thirst for content that is more in-the moment, behind the scenes, live, and realistic content without filters.
User generated content should also be at the forefront of your mind when creating your strategy. There are plenty of ways that you can take advantage of this such as going live on Instagram to showcase new products in store or to answer a real time Q&A. It can help if you notify your users that you are going live at a scheduled time to maximise the opportunity for engagement.
Reviews, unboxings and product tutorials has now given customers ‘influencer status’. People will be more likely to buy when they see the brand has been trusted by real customers, so whenever a user takes the time to share a post or story about your page/product, make sure to leverage this by sharing it to your own followers.
Micro influencers
Influencer marketing is a trend that will be even more significant in 2023.
A lot of the smaller businesses and boutiques will be reviewing their marketing budgets in the midst of speculation about economic difficulties. While influencer marketing is a well-known effective strategy for increasing brand awareness, it can be costly.
This is why reaching out to smaller influencers in your product niche or geographic location will be a more valuable way to spend your budget. Micro influencers have a smaller audience but generally a higher engagement rate, they are trusted by their followers and are more likely to generate results for your campaign especially when you have selected someone who aligns with your brand and values.
Ways to make the most of this partnership would be to collaborate on a competition post, to get them to review your products, or to participate in a sponsored post.
Remember to ask them for results insights, metrics such as story views, post likes, engagement rates such as comments etc. This will help you to analyse if the use of your micro influencer works for your content strategy going forward.
Create quality content for personalised ads on social media
Paid ads do work. One survey featured on Statista shared that 39% of Irish consumers said they bought something after spotting it on social networks. It’s no wonder then that 55.2% of businesses were reported to have made paid ads a priority for their brand in 2022, a trend likely to continue.
Because of the effectiveness of social media ads, the competition is growing. To ensure continued success in your paid ads content strategy, you will need to get creative at forming content that will resonate and stick out from the crowd, this will boost your overall visibility and contribute to a higher conversion rate.
Make sure you have your Facebook pixel active on-site. This will collect the valuable data that will enable you to create custom warm audiences and retarget your customers with items that they are most interested in and most likely to buy.
Another tactic would be to create ephemeral content, meaning that the content has a limited timeline and will disappear eg. ‘Shop for this product now, available for two weeks only’ as it creates a sense of FOMO and urgency to engage/buy.
Step up your email content strategy
According to a recent report released by Hubspot, email is a platform you should not skip out on in 2023. Some of their most interesting findings for 2022 show that there are currently 4 billion daily email users, with 77% of brands seeing an increase in their email engagement in the last 12 months.
With social and email platforms getting more and more integrated, it is important to create an omnichannel strategy including both. You can use these platforms to gather as much data on your customers as possible. Social media is mainly focused on brand awareness whereas email is more focused on conversions.
An example of how to integrate the two together to achieve maximum results could be running a competition on social media asking your customers to sign up to email. You will then be able to push new marketing via your newsletter.
Once you have their details in your email channel, you will be able to use this information further to enhance your targeting for paid ads by creating custom and lookalike Facebook audiences.
Create a video content strategy
Amidst all the changes for social media this year, we are predicting that one of the most effective content marketing strategies in 2023 will be video.
Wyzowl published a survey of marketing professionals and online consumers sharing the following insights:
- 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool
- 81% of marketers say video has helped them directly increase sales
- 93% of marketers say video has helped them increase brand awareness
- 88% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video
- People are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content, including social media posts, blog posts/articles and product pages
Video is a highly useful format particularly for brand awareness. Some of the ways in which you can include video in your content strategy are:
- Explainer videos
- Behind the scenes
- Product demo
- Event videos
- In-store updates
Enhance your content strategy with the help of specialists
We understand that ecommerce and marketing teams are busy keeping up with all the different facets of their marketing strategy and as a result, resourcing specialists across all these different areas is just not possible. Our Performance Marketing team at StudioForty9 are here to offer the deep sector expertise you need to optimise your performance across each channel.
Talk to us about enhancing your business’ performance across email marketing, social media and PPC. Contact info@studioforty9.com for more information.
Images by Brett Jordan | Olivier Bergeron | Disruptivo | Gaining Visuals on Unsplash
