Talkwalker has partnered with Khoros to publish a new edition of its trendbook dedicated to social networks and their future evolution. For this, the platform specializing in consumer intelligence, monitoring, web and social network analysis, is based on listening to and analyzing conversations and web data between January and August 2022.
Here are the trends highlighted in the study carried out this year in partnership with Khoros.
The beginning of the end of cookies
The year 2023 will mark the beginning of the end for third-party cookies. The key question for brands will be to find solutions to continue tracking conversions, while creating personalized experiences, without having access to visitor data.
To face this cookieless world, Talkwalker recommends betting on social listening, and creating a long-term relationship with your audience.
More and more misinformation
Second trend according to Talkwalker: the emergence of deepfakes, fake news, and misinformation on social networks. Brands, personalities and public institutions have to deal with this increase in misinformation, and a constant demand for honest, reliable and authentic content from Internet users.
Talkwalker recommends in particular increased monitoring of all false information that could affect your brand.
Towards decentralized social networks
Another trend highlighted by Talkwalker: decentralized social networks managed by users, not by companies. According to the report, one or two important players could stand out and emerge in 2023.
Talkwalker’s advice: give emerging platforms a chance, and don’t hesitate to see how your audience behaves there, and what activations you could put in place.
Content suitable for everyone and all the senses
Each year, a new “trendy” format is expected: short video, podcast, social audio… According to Talkwalker, no content will dominate the others in the long term, but on the contrary we are moving towards a multi-channel and multi-format approach. Brands will have to be able to offer the content formats requested by their audience, and to transpose sensory elements into a digital experience.
Social networks allow opinion to be expressed, where it is and in the formats that correspond to it. The challenge today is to follow this expression and analyze it to better understand the rising movements, the real subjects of concern and the trends. The company and its managers must listen to public opinion in order to understand their audiences and respond in a relevant and effective manner to their expectations and needs.
Véronique Reille Soult, Co-Founder, Backbone Consulting
Talkwalker’s recommendation: look into all new formats, and have a trial and learn approach to understand what works best for your audience.
social commerce
Long heralded as “ the next big thing ”, social commerce is growing slowly, but its success depends on verticals and markets. Social commerce represents 14.3% of e-commerce in China, compared to only 4.9% in the United States. The growth potential of this channel remains enormous in the years to come.
The Race to the Metaverse
The metaverse concept was already at the heart of discussions last year. This market is attracting more and more players, Meta of course, but also Microsoft or Tencent, who are unveiling their own metaverse concepts. This potential market estimated at $800 billion is likely to become increasingly competitive, and it will be up to consumers to choose the platforms and make them successful.
Talkwalker’s advice is full of pragmatism. Before joining the metaverse, first consider whether it’s a suitable space for your brand and whether you have the resources for a long-term investment.
The emergence of predictive analytics
Predictive analytics have already impacted several industries and, according to Talkwalker, they will soon disrupt marketing. Used for several years for the pricing and evaluation of credits, the predictions generated by AI should become widespread in this sector. With predictive analytics, marketers will be able to project themselves into the future of a trend or topic, and better anticipate the performance of their campaigns.
The growing role of ecology
In the midst of the climate crisis, words are no longer enough, and consumers expect strong action from brands. The sense of urgency is, according to Talkwalker, increasingly palpable in online discussions.
Talkwalker’s advice is to first work on your ecological impact before trying to communicate on the subject.
Brands cannot/no longer ignore, in their communication and in the way they interact with their community, the changes that are taking place within our society… They must support these changes by adapting their communication. But it is a delicate exercise because they can very quickly be seen as opportunists.
Emilie Marquois, social media consultant, community manager, trainer and speaker
The growing role of social networks in the customer experience
According to the study, social networks will be the place to interact with your consumers. Brands must be able to provide real-time assistance, information, solutions, rapid response times. The consumer is increasingly volatile and immediate responses are essential.
According to Talkwalker, in 2023, brands will increasingly create consumer support channels on social media.
Fewer individuals, more communities
According to the study, 2023 will also be synonymous with creating communities to obtain loyal and engaged consumers. Brands will have to move away from one-to-one marketing to target communities. This will require an in-depth knowledge of consumer ecosystems and their interests, while forming authentic connections. The rise of a platform like Discord is a good illustration of this evolution.
