Creative Connecting: Top Social Media Tools for 2023

As social media continues to change, new trends and tools emerge to help brands and influencers enhance their presence on the various platforms.

Here we take a look at some of the new features or burgeoning trends that we expect to be important for jewelers in 2023.

Short-Form Video Content Reigns Supreme
There is no doubt video content will continue to emerge and be ever more important for jewelers, across all social media channels. Reels will continue to be prioritized on Instagram, so you will need to incorporate more video if you want to make sure that your followers actually see your posts.

To stay current on what types of videos are trending and source content ideas for your business, make a habit to scroll the Explore and Reels feeds and search relevant jewelry hashtags at least once a week to see which songs and formats are gaining popularity.

For a summary of what’s going viral on Reels visit Later.com’s blog for a weekly roundup of the biggest trends of the week.

One of the hottest trends for Reels and TikTok videos jewelers can consider for their marketing is #GRWM, short for “get ready with me.”

It entails a person speaking directly into the camera discussing their process of getting ready, telling stories about their life, and shows the transformation in edited sound bites sliced together.

Jewelers can hop on this trend by having someone from their team share their full styling process and talk about the jewelry they are wearing for the look. There are trends and sounds gaining traction every day, especially related to pop culture and entertainment—even fine jewelers can join in.

YouTube is also now focusing on, and monetizing, YT Shorts.

According to Lisa Jenkins of Social Media Examiner, “YouTube Shorts should be your priority. Why? It and its parent company (Google) are No. 2 and No. 1, respectively, in the search engine market. YouTube is already dropping Shorts videos in search engine results pages. If yours are there and tagged well, you’ll see faster business results as people see them, click through to your website, and potentially convert.”

Jenkins also noted, “In 2023, YouTube will be releasing its podcasting platform/section to a much wider audience to compete with Apple and Spotify. This will be a huge opportunity for anyone doing podcasts (both video and audio) and also for people creating multiple types of content.

“This is because the cross-linking of the different content types should make it much easier for your audience to find all of the different types of content being posted. This new podcasting section really aligns with YouTube’s overall direction, moving to become the one major content hub for all types of content (regular videos, short-form content, livestreams, community posts, stories, and podcasts).”

LinkedIn is gaining traction as a social media tool for reaching corporate professionals.

According to Social Media Today, LinkedIn continued to post “record levels of engagement” throughout 2022.

The network has noticed more people consuming video content on the platform so for 2023, the company is enhancing its video connection tools (Zoom-like video meetings and topical livestreams), as well as its Events feature, with a big focus on improving audio for podcasters.

Short-form content is going to be key, according to Jenkins, so jewelers should consider focusing their LinkedIn content not on newsletters but on shorter posts and short-form video content. 

Another revenue-driving tool for social media in 2023 will be Live Stream Commerce/Shopping on both TikTok and Instagram. Both will continue to be enhanced, refined, and monetized for 2023.

According to a recent study by leading analysts and consultants McKinsey, livestream shopping is set to account for upwards of 20 percent of all e-commerce sales as soon as 2026.

Livestreaming is similar to producing a television show in the sense that jewelers need to determine the style, flow, timing, and genre that is going to be most appealing and engaging for their audience.

It can be educational or documentary style, or even a more high-pressure selling format like an auction or retail-style broadcast (think HSN, QVC). Whatever style is chosen, the most important thing is to be entertaining and accessible to the audience.

For more, see our previous article on how to plan and promote a livestream selling event.

AI, VR, and AR Are on the Rise
The experts all seem to agree artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) will continue to become a bigger part of most leading social media platforms. 

AI is becoming more prominent as new tools become available to “suggest” content and/or to automate the engagement with your audience. AI content creation will soon change everything, automating content production so that everyone/anyone can be a creator. 

And AI will reach more than just content creation tools. AI now offers language processing that offers high-quality writing tools to marketers. A new AI tool called ChatGPT can automate customer interactions, delivering efficient personalized engagement and conversations in real time. This improves the customer experience, leading to greater sales conversions.

Now that Meta’s AR glasses are available at Ray-Ban stores, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram is also investing more in VR and AR content. Facebook is integrating avatars as a form of digital identity, no doubt to train users and inspire them to engage in the metaverse. 

Sponsored items for avatars could be an interesting space for jewelry brands to participate, offering NFT jewels, tiaras, headbands, and more. Brands like Balenciaga, Prada and Thom Browne already offer outfits in the avatar fashion store. 

Authenticity Is Becoming More Important
According to many experts, 2023 will be the year of “authenticity” in social media, a trend driven by younger consumers and Gen Z.

Bored with perfectly curated social media feeds, Gen Z has flocked to emerging platforms like TikTok and BeReal that focus on more genuine, entertaining, and immediate content.

The BeReal social network, which asks consumers to post one unedited photo per day in real time, has continued to grow among Gen Z users, ranking No. 2 in Apple’s App store in December for social media and No. 4 overall, just below TikTok.

The preference for filter-less, “real” photos and videos reflects a desire for authenticity, even from luxury brands. Jenkins noted, “We want to see original content that doesn’t feel curated, it feels documented.”

The shift from curation to documentation is also being reflected in the rise of UGC (user- generated content).

Instead of having an influencer promote your jewelry, consider partnering with customers. The prevailing feeling is customer influencers can be trusted, as opposed to paid influencers.

Jewelers can ask their best customers to send in short videos of them wearing their jewelry or talking about why they love the store or the designer. Such authentic endorsements can be used for marketing purposes but also just to establish the brand’s identity and distinctiveness.

Along those same lines, we expect to see a rise in the importance of social customer care and social listening in 2023 (see our previous article on social media listening tips for jewelers). 

One way jewelers can deepen their authenticity and create more meaningful and loyal relationships with followers and customers is to prioritize customer service on social media, responding to inquiries and comments as soon as possible, and giving helpful advice when needed.

As you plan your social strategy for the year ahead, pay attention to which social platforms your customers are using the most. Invest time in creating video content that speaks to your customers and tells the stories of your products and services and invite your customers to provide content that you can share. 

This year is going to be all about authenticity. Consumers are seeking companies that are transparent, trustworthy, and bringing something good to the world.