Social media has experienced many turbulent moments in 2022.

What trends await us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok in 2023 is anyone's guess 🔮. But that didn't stop us from giving it a shot. In this article, we bring you some solid and realistic changes that await us in the next 12 months on the most popular social networks.

Youtube

The short video trend continues into next year, and the most anticipated change is YouTube Shorts. The monetization of short videos is slowly taking shape, and YouTube creators have something to look forward to!

The first trend is (unexpectedly) YouTube Shorts

The concept of short and snappy videos has gained immense popularity, especially among Generation Z, thanks to TikTok. And YouTube is of course not far behind. The monetization of Shorts is intended to inspire creators to shoot short-format videos on their channel. 

15 seconds. Nothing more, nothing less. Ideal.

In 2022, YouTube Shorts reached 1.5 billion active users. If you want to compare that to TikTok's first year, their videos were popular with "only" 1 billion users. YouTube is also adapting the look of the site and app to make Shorts more accessible to users and easier to use.
A plan for monetizing YouTube Shorts has been in place for creators since the beginning of 2023. If you're more interested in this topic, we wrote a blog on Zarabaj so Shorts.

Live Streams

Streams generally have up to 6 times more interaction than "regular videos". According to statistics, users watch live broadcasts three times longer than pre-recorded content.
Live broadcasts have gained the most popularity, especially during the lockdown, and this trend seems to continue. Live broadcasts can be a concert, a cultural performance, a lecture, but also a YouTuber's streaming or gaming.

So what? Are you going to do it?

Conventions for creating content

The latest trend may be a little out of the ordinary, but it's also very important. In the last year, YouTube has made a few changes and improvements, but these two are the most significant:

1. Chapters

A YouTube video is divided into sections by topic. The user can very easily jump to a specific minute where the content that interests them most is. The advantage of using this feature is also easier search on Google.
Example: If Chapter 2 of your video is called Video Monetization, and someone Googles those keywords, they are more likely to come across your video when it is divided into chapters. Because Google will redirect them straight to your video, Chapter 2. Wow.

2. Premieres

Premieres are simply a mix of traditional YouTube videos and Live Broadcasts. Premieres essentially allow a creator to interact with an audience live while watching one of their own videos.

TikTok

TikTok has had the biggest share of trending content across all platforms in the past year. They assessed the situation and behavior of people, cultural changes and wuala. The future trends report is out. If you want to be ahead with your content, read on…

The 3 most important trend areas in 2023 are: 

Action entertainment - tailor-made content that inspires people to act

The suggested content on TikTok has a main role - to be entertaining and attention-grabbing.

Creating a Space for Joy

According to TikTok, people are using videos on the platform as a form of "self-care" in the constant cycle of responsibilities, burnout, and personal issues.

And the latest trend is Community Ideals

"Communities on the TikTok platform are not only about supporting and connecting people based on their shared interests. They are also about inspiring users to make a difference," TikTok said.

Brands and businesses are slowly getting on the TikTok bandwagon. We can see a trend where companies are not only presenting their products in a fun and fresh way, but are also actively involving the entire team in short videos, communicating with the audience and responding to their comments. They are simply keeping up with the times. And they are cool.
TikTok has stated that it wants to continue to support content that improves people's mood, entertains them, relaxes them, or even gives them a "life hack". 

Btw, how many things do you have just thanks to TikTok recommendations? 

Hashtags #StoryTime, #POV, #GrowthMindset and #Advice achieve the best success, which means that people really appreciate a community with a similar mindset and content that, in addition to a good mood, also provides them with added value. 

Young people don't Google. Up to 40% of young people Gen Z use TikTok instead of Google to search for relevant information. TikTok's algorithm will adapt the results to them not only according to their interests, but also according to the popularity of individual videos. That's why it's much more favorable for Gen Z to search via TikTok or Instagram.

Facebook

Facebook has had a rough year. Even though it's experiencing a minor identity crisis, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that the company is preparing big changes for 2023. So what can we expect from the pilot social network?

You're no longer the king of your main page

Get ready for even more recommended content on your Feed. Up to 40% of posts will be from profiles and pages you don't follow.
This trend works successfully on TikTok, where the algorithm selects a mix of content that you're likely to like based on your behavior.

Content from your friends is paramount…

Connecting with family and friends has been Facebook's main goal since the beginning. Mark promises that content from your friends will always be paramount, and thus it should also beat the algorithm with suggestions.
This is also evidenced by the update, where you can choose whether you are only interested in content from your friends - in Feeds, or you want to discover suggested content via Home.

Facebook is also desperately trying to motivate and excite people with the metaverse. Have you created your own digital character yet? You can dress your avatar stylishly, or buy it special outfits.

Another successful product is the collaboration with Ray-Ban. Together they created ,,Storytelling Ray-Ban”, which, in addition to a stylish frame, also hides two small cameras. With the help of glasses, you can control music, take a photo or record a video. And all with just one touch.

,,Capture the world from the angle from which you see it.”

Uploaded files are automatically saved in your gallery and you can then easily share them on your social networks. If this gadget interests you, prepare about 499 euros.

Instagram

It is completely obvious to us that 2022 was a very critical year for the platform, when it slowly lost its identity and tried to resemble other social networks more. So what does Instagram want to focus on next year and maybe even step out of the shadow of the famous TikTok?
If you prefer to enjoy the video form, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri will tell you everything you need to know about 2023 Instagram trends.

Arouse creativity in people.

Creativity can be learned. And Instagram will give you everything you need to do it.

Remember all those filters and crazy frames that we used to take for granted when posting? The first goal of the Instagram platform is to provide creative tools to fine-tune the perfect photo. In addition to AR technologies, we can also expect the integration of 3D objects.

Helping people discover things they love

We are used to seeing posts from profiles that interest us and we follow them on our main page. However, Instagram wants to change this. Its goal is to connect as many unknown people as possible and discover new profiles.

However, it realizes that this is a huge risk. It means changing user behavior on the platform. Its biggest competitor, TikTok, is doing well. It recommends content that you should like based on your behavior and interests. This makes it much harder to tear yourself away from your smartphone screen.

Connecting people

More and more people are interacting through DMs and stories. This is also indicated by key updates such as hearting stories. We are aware of the power of social platforms, which is why we don't share everything on our profile like we used to. We value our privacy. Or at least we have created Close friends.

A new feature is also "Notes", which allow users to share short messages with each other. They will appear as a bubble, in the form of stories in the DMs section.

Social networks often feel like the Wild West - constant changes on platforms, or new trends.
However, for marketers and companies, this is a great opportunity to experiment with content and find exactly the magic mix that works best for a specific audience.