Looking back at social media trends in 2023.

Social media consumption has changed dramatically in recent years, and the Reuters Institute has conducted a new report to analyze the trends expected through 2023. The aim of the study is to not only analyze how news consumption is changing but also how social media usage habits are evolving, highlighting and potentially offering insights for companies interested in staying connected with their target audiences. The report contains responses from almost 100,000 internet users across 52 countries, showing vast in-depth analysis and data on traffic, engagement, and algorithmic interference, among other metrics.

The 160-page report is too extensive to convey each of its valuable insights, but some key points highlight the growing preference for social media platforms as the source of news content, especially for younger age groups. Facebook, once the king of the social networks, is losing attention to newcomers such as TikTok and WhatsApp, especially among younger users. One reason for this could be that people are shying away from public sharing due to privacy concerns, potential scrutiny, or divisiveness. As a result, many are posting less and turning to messaging apps for more private sharing. This is also the reason why TikTok is emerging as a predominant source of entertainment content.

The report highlights Twitter's stable usage following Elon Musk's takeover and its focus on engaging users within DMs by improving the sharing experience. The study also observes that Metaverse's internal data shows fewer people are posting on Facebook and Instagram. Consequently, the smaller number of users now driving the social media news agenda is another trend to note in the broader news consumption shift.

Lastly, the report suggests that Facebook has remained the leading network source, albeit declining sharply. However, YouTube and TikTok are increasing their prevalence among social media users. This is a significant shift towards video-led networks, which require the creation of engaging, useful video content to retain large audiences.

Overall, the report indicates that social media marketing strategies must take these growing trends and shifting habits into account to stay connected with the target audience. Those looking to stay at the forefront of social media trends would benefit significantly from downloading the full report.

Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023