Talkwalker, a leading consumer intelligence and deep listening company, and Khoros, an award-winning leader in digital-first customer engagement software and services, have released their annual Social Media Trends 2023 Report. The report follows the announcement of the companies’ strategic partnership to seamlessly deliver deep listening and social media management through a unified experience.
The Social Media Trends 2023 Report, titled From insights to action: how to disrupt a disruptive consumer, highlights the social media trends that matter most for brands, marketers, and PR professionals to watch in the coming year. The report leveraged Talkwalker’s social listening and AI-enabled analytics capabilities to uncover the 10 most impactful social media trends to expect in 2023 and demonstrate how consumers are driving these trends globally and in Asia. The insights behind each trend are further supported with industry-specific social engagement actions marketers can take from Khoros’s Strategic Services team. The report also features input from 70+ industry experts including Samit Malkani from Google SEA and India, Ervin Ha from YouGov, and Tom Simpson from Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) APAC, among other regional and global leaders.
Social commerce gains prominence. Post-pandemic digital growth and rising costs of living are driving an increased demand for affordability. Consumers are becoming more willing to explore new shopping channels such as social as a result. However, some countries are more ready to adopt social commerce than others.
In Southeast Asia, the pandemic drove more shoppers online last year, with e-commerce and social commerce accounting for more than 50% of online purchases in 2021.1 This trend is set to accelerate in 2023 and beyond, with social media platforms set on making the social shopping experience more seamless for consumers.
The metaverse rush will pay off. The topic of the metaverse is trending among Southeast Asian audiences with more than 5.9 million conversations recorded on social channels over the past year. Indonesia recorded the highest number of mentions and engagement amongst the countries monitored, accounting for 60% of all conversations and one-third of total engagements on the topic. This is closely followed by the Philippines, which accounts for almost 24% of mentions and 29% of engagements across Southeast Asia.
Brands looking to launch metaverse campaigns need to stay on top of the latest conversation trends and ensure that these new realities connect with consumers’ real-world needs.
The environment will no longer be an afterthought. With growing awareness of rising global temperatures, and more consumers facing the direct repercussions of climate change, consumers are expecting brands to make sustainability a priority.
According to Wunderman Thompson, consumers in APAC have shown a greater preference for environmentally-responsible brands than the global average. Thailand and Indonesia are the leading markets where most consumers demand more sustainable choices, at 83% and 82% respectively.
Fortunately, the Talkwalker study finds that brands are learning to speak the same language as consumers, as both increasingly use the same keywords to drive sustainability conversations. This indicates a unified vision shared by consumers and brands, and suggests that more brands are determined to integrate sustainable practices in 2023, in order to make a genuine difference to the situation.
“Marketers are constantly playing catch-up with consumers given the rapidly evolving digital landscape,” said David Low, Talkwalker CMO. “This is particularly apparent in the Asia Pacific region which is home to some of the world’s largest populations of digital consumers, and which leads the way in online spending globally.3”
“In this new environment, marketers must focus on forging symbiotic relationships through a better understanding of online conversations and taking quicker action. It’s this new understanding that will help brands create meaningful experiences and become closer to their consumers.”
“As marketers, we know the value of data and the importance of listening to our customers. But, we need to be more action-oriented and use those insights more effectively,” said Dillon Nugent, Khoros CMO. “Consumers’ comfort level for doing things online—shopping, researching, socializing—is not slowing down as the world opens up. They also care more about their communities—global, local, IRL, and online. Marketers need to tap into these trends and behaviours more deeply to personalise customers’ experiences and create more impactful strategies that empower your brand to stay connected to customers and grow your presence in the market.”
