1、Your guide to the future of social marketing,commerce,and customer service Toward the end of last year,pandemic restrictions finally started easing up and markets were booming.As we lurch into 2023,things look much more delicate.A looming recession,mounting inflation,declining consumer spending,and

2、workforce reductions across major business sectors have made things precarious for businesses of all sizes.Despite this uncertainty,many social media marketers find themselves in a position of relative securitytheyre getting larger slices of the over-all marketing budget and more agency over their w

3、ork.After more than a decade of growing pains,social media marketing has finally matured as a profession.In 2023,successful social marketers will take the time and effort to care-fully assess their opportunities,use a scalpel rather than a cleaver,and think about the long-term impact of their short-

4、term actions.Those who do will cement their worth once and for all.We hope our 2023 social media trends report serves you well in the midst of a defining year.Adapting to EndureA defining moment in business gives social media marketers the opportunity to cement their worth Research MethodsThis repor

5、t is based on a survey of 10,643 marketers conducted in July 2022.We conducted primary interviews with dozens of social marketing practitioners,leaders,observers,and partners.About the Survey10,643 respondents109 countries /11+industries32%director and above56%managers and practitionersOur primary d

6、ata has been supplemented by secondary research from The Harvard Business Review,McKinsey,Deloitte,Edelman,Insider Intelligence,Forrester,GlobalWebIndex,The CMO Survey,and others.Job function of survey respondentsBusiness size of survey respondentsTarget audience of survey respondentsPrimarily consu

7、mers31%Even split of consumers and businesses27%Primarily businesses 18%Primarily businesses 18%Only consumers14%Only businesses9%C-level executive16%VP 3%Practitioner 30%Manager27%Director14%Other 11%199 People64%100999 people 22%1,000+people 13%Dont know 2%Social Marketing The use of social media

8、networks across all components of the marketing mix:product,price,promotion,and place.Social Commerce The process of selling products and services directly through social media.Social Customer Service The process of delivering proactive customer service(finding and responding to brand conversations

9、with the aim of satisfying customer needs before they ask)and reactive customer service(responding to customer-initiated transactions or service inquiries)over social networks.Definitions ContentsThe Future of Social Marketingpage 6page 23The Future of Social Commercepage 35The Future of Social Cust

10、omer Servicepage 7Small businesses cozy up to creatorspage 24Social commerce hits the trust gappage 36The great reopening blows a hole in digital servicepage 13Budgets on the line as bosses demand social receiptspage 29All eyes turn to social searchpage 41Marketers realize its time to lean into cust

11、omer servicepage 18Social innovators crack the cross-posting code The Future of Social MarketingAs marketing budgets continue to recover from the pandemic,social media spend is on its way up.Marketers are feeling more confident not just in the return on investment(ROI)of social media,but also in the

12、ir ability to prove it to even the most skeptical of executives.In 2023,well see this confidence inspire marketers to get more strategic on platforms that can seem determined to make that as difficult as possible.Marketing Trend 1 Small businesses cozy up to creatorsBig brands stop competing for cre

13、ators,leaving the door wide open for small businesses Budget for creator partnerships has been one of the first things to take a hit,with small and midsize content creators saying theyre seeing declining sponsorship offers and more brands backing out of paid deals this year.While this pullback in sp

14、ending is a blow to an already precarious creator economy,it leaves the door wide open for smaller busi-nesses to compete for top creators at lower price points.Big brands are competing less for creators For months,concerns over a seemingly inevita-ble recession have fueled restructures,layoffs,and

15、operating budget cuts.Businesses are re-thinking their spendingand often,marketing budgets are first on the chopping block.While we havent seen massive cuts in marketing spend just yet,we are seeing larger businesses reduce their discretionary spending.benkielesinskiPut it into action Start your cre

16、ator collaborations off the right waywith this free creator brief(and statement of work)template.Grab the TemplateThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service7Creators can help small businesses with their most acute marketing challenges Small busin

17、esses say theyre feeling pinched by a possible recession,too.Twenty-eight percent of small business owners expect revenues to decrease over the next year,according to the CNBC Small Business Confidence Index.And 18%of small business owners expect their head-counts to decrease over the same period.Fo

18、r small businesses,2023 promises to be a year of dwindling resources,shrinking head-counts,and leaner budgets that will make their toughest marketing challenges,well,even tougher.To ease the pressure,small business owners will begin leaning on the very creators being abandoned by larger businesses.“

19、With the recession,with COVID,and just being more financially pinched marketing dollars always get cut.When were strapped for resources,creators become a very appealing tool for marketers.”Leah GrittonDirector of Integration Strategy,Energy BBDOThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social Comm

20、erceThe Future of Social Customer Service8The majority of small businesses dont work with creatorsyetOur social trends survey found that smaller organizations are the least likely to work with creators;72%of small businesses(those with less than 100 employees)dont work with creators in any capacity,

21、while nearly 42%of businesses with over 1,000 employees do work with creators.Whats the biggest barrier to entry for small businesses?Cost.“Our main challenge is just the volatility of pric-ing,”says Ruby Soave,head of influencer marketing at Student Beans.“Theres such a lack of standardization of h

22、ow much work should cost that negotiating good prices gets murky.”From expensive creator agencies to massive variations in the way creators price themselves,many smaller businesses feel in the dark about how much they should pay to work with creators.Organizations that work with influencers by sizeT

23、he Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service9Creators arent as out of reach as you thinkMost organizations dont go through agencies to find creators.Less than a third(28%)of brands that work with creators do so through agencies or third-party platfo

24、rms,according to our survey.For small business owners,this means less overhead and much more control over who you choose to hire and negotiate with.But working with influencers also isnt as expensive as you might think.Most creators are paid less than$100 US per post.Now,this isnt license to pay cre

25、ators nothing.Without fair pay,marketers jeopardize the future of the creator economy altogether.But for resource-strapped small businesses looking to grow reach and let experts create their content for them,cost-effective creators are well within reach.What brands pay creators/influencers per postT

26、he Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service10Trend in action Pantee teams up with creators who share their values,uniting on their mission to reduce fashion wasteUK-based sustainable underwear brand Pantee has masterfully blended its creator strate

27、gy with its mission to reduce fashion waste and make the world a more comfortable place.Currently,the fashion industry produces an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste each year,and with approximately 30%of clothes made never even sold,the excess(deadstock)is often destined for waste.Pantee

28、made it their mission to challenge the fashion industry by making comfy underwear with this deadstock,for women by women.To double down on their principles,they partner with creators who not only share their values but who truly love their productsparticularly those advocating for sustainability,men

29、tal health,and body positivity.“Weve started working with creators who are passionate about the same things we are”,says Pantee co-founder Amanda McCourt.“We really look to collaborate with creators who have a clear connection with our mission and truly love our products.If a creator wouldnt buy fro

30、m us,we dont feel comfortable working with them to promote our brand.We always strive for truth and transparency.”Pantee has been working closely with TikTok and Instagram creators whose self-described mission is mindful shopping to better reach the commu-nities that align with their brands sustaina

31、bility mission.Beyond that,Pantee uses partnerships with creators as an opportunity to showcase their products on a multitude of shapes and sizes to contribute to the normalization of all bodies.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service11Recomme

32、ndations Do your research Hootsuite search streams can help you discover influencers by moni-toring conversations relevant to your industry across all your social networks.Once you have an initial set of creators in mind,add them to a stream to track what they share and who they engage with.This wil

33、l help you understand their relevance to your audience and identify other potential influencers to work with.Go for strategic focus,not reach Dont shy away from creators with fewer followers.Large follower sizes dont necessarily lead to higher conversions.Whats more important is finding a creator wh

34、o can collaborate with you to make inspiring con-tent relevant to your product or service.Use UTM codes to track and measure results While there are many ways to measure the success of your creator campaigns,UTM codes are the best way to get a clear picture of the results.Assign each creator their o

35、wn unique links with UTM codes and youll be able to track the visitors they send to your website,allow-ing you to calculate their impact on your bottom line.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service12 girlbosstownMarketing Trend 2Budgets on the

36、line as bosses demand social receiptsGrowing investment in social exposes it to new levels of scrutiny Confidence in the ROI of social media marketing is at an all-time highSocial media has spent over a decade fighting to prove its place in the marketing mixand its decisively found it.Marketers conf

37、idence in the value of social media marketing is at an all-time high.Last year,83%of marketers in our social media trends survey reported having some level of confidence in the return on investment(ROI)of social media,up from 68%the year before.This year,we got more specific and asked how confident

38、marketers were that social media was useful for marketing to or engaging with their audience.A whopping 96%of marketers reported some level of confidence.Put it into action Impress your boss with a concise report highlighting just how well things are going on social,using this free report template.G

39、rab the TemplateThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service13It should come as no surprise that almost every social media marketing practitioner we surveyed says social media marketing has value.(If youre one of the 4%who said other-wise,were here

40、 to help.)But whats telling is that this confidence is clearly reflected in the proportion of the marketing budget allocated to social.While marketing budgets have climbed to nearly 10%of total company revenue in 2022(up from 6%in 2021),they still lag pre-pandemic levels.Spend on social media relati

41、ve to pre-pandemic levels is going up tooand its predicted to increase steadily over the next five years.More visibility means more scrutiny Social medias newfound visibility has the potential to open it to higher levels of scrutinyespecially as leadership whips out the magnifying glass over the com

42、ing year.During market downturns,many execs will look to shore up costs and manage expenses as much as possible.And in the marketing depart-ment,the pressure will fall on individual contributors and middle managers to clearly demonstrate the value they bring to the table.This is where social media p

43、ractitioners run into problems.Our survey found that,when it comes to social media,seniority has a major impact on how individuals perceive and demonstrate the value of social.How confident are you that social media delivers a positive return on investment when it comes to marketing and engaging wit

44、h your audience?37%Extremely confident40%Confident20%Somewhat confident 4%Not at all confidentThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service14Our survey told us that Practitioners were 17%more likely than the C-suite to say their organization uses im

45、pressions/views to demonstrate ROI.VPs were 7%more likely than practitioners to say they used time spent on their brands website/app to demonstrate ROI.C-level executives were 13%more likely than practitioners to say they used sales/revenue to demonstrate ROI.In 2023,marketing practitioners and lead

46、ership have to have a deeper conversation about goals to make sure everyones on the same page.If that conversation doesnt happen and social remains so visible within the marketing budget over the next year,theres a risk that leadership may pull investment if they dont truly under-stand the value of

47、the channel.Connect the title to the Social ROI metric!Sales/RevenueImpressions/ViewsTime spent on pageC-Level ExecutivesVPsPractitionersThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service15How will the market downturn impact marketing budgets in 2023?The

48、 move towards a bear market is inevitably going to focus budgets on things which deliver core business objectives.And core business objectives are always going to be,to some extent,demand led.But brand marketing has been an underserved and under-resourced part of the mix over the last few years.Id p

49、oint to Ehrenberg Bass and Binet and Fieldall of that good stuff thats been bubbling up in Adland over the last few years,its evidence to the point that we cant preoccupy ourselves with demand-led strate-gies at the expense of long-term brand building.Do you think senior leadership at most organizat

50、ions understands the importance of that balance?Im seeing a greater level of education in our stakeholders and also a greater level of skepti-cism.I think people are becoming a lot more savvy at the leadership level about understand-ing the dynamics of social and questioning what their domain specia

51、lists are telling them.There absolutely used to be a period,probably three or four years ago,where fake Facebook fortune tellers would say we can attribute 60%of our sales to social.That was taken pretty much at face value as an article of faith and nobody would dig too deeply.I like to think thats

52、changing.What advice would you give a social media manager whos asked to do this kind of surgi-cal attribution when it isnt actually possible?Personally,Ill never put my neck on the block for numbers that I dont believe in.And in a climate where there is that increased forensic scrutiny at a senior

53、level,I actually think thats a really important principle.As a social media professional,you need to get yourself to a place where youve educated your-self around attribution and that you look at the numbers really,really critically to build up a case that you feel confident inone that you can stand

54、 up for 30 minutes in front of the CEO and justify it to them.If you cant do that,Id say youve got a problem.Expert perspective Chris Thomas Global Social Intelligence and Optimization Lead Sage The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service16Recomme

55、ndations Track metrics that align with your business objectivesAll social media metrics can tell you something about whether youre achieving objec-tives and meeting your goals.But tracking the right metrics is the key to understanding your social ROI.Start with a focus on the few metrics that help y

56、ou tell the right story and build your business case.Then check them regularly by setting up automated reports that go to your inbox,so you dont have to remember to pull them yourself.Create an ROI report that shows the true impact of socialCreating a social media report is an important part of soci

57、al media management.After all,tracking and analyzing your performance is the only way to really understand what youre accomplishing through your social efforts.Its also the only way to demonstrate the value of your social marketing efforts to your team and your boss.Heres a template to help you get

58、started.Remember the big pictureDont chase short-term ROI to the point that you lose sight of what makes your brand valuable and unique.Jumping on a trend just to get likes and comments doesnt provide value if it annoys your audience or muddies your brand voice.It can even damage your brand in the l

59、ong term.Dont forget that the big picture of social media ROI includes returns beyond the marketing department.You can use social media to improve customer service and strengthen employee relationshipsboth worthwhile and valuable achievements that you should include when you consider ROI.The Future

60、of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service17Marketing Trend 3Social innovators crack the cross-posting codeMarketers stop chasing new features and start getting more strategic insteadThe Frankensteining of the social networks continues From Stories to Reels

61、 to Twitters ill-fated Fleets(remember those?),social media companies have spent much of the past decade tripping over themselves to copy their competitors most successful features.Some of the most popular social media apps have blatantly ripped off features from some of the other most popular socia

62、l media apps in what Gizmodo has called a tech version of Capture the Flag“where the only losers are the users who are forced to persist through this cat-and-mouse game.”But this game has not only come at the expense of user experience but also at the expense of the sanity of social media marketers,

63、whose work lives now revolve around constantly adapting their plans to new formats,repurpos-ing content,and wondering when the next network change will upend their carefully orga-nized campaign.pleasesponsorusPut it into action Run the easiest social media auditwith this handy free template.Grab the

64、 TemplateThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service18People go to different networks for different reasonsWhat the networks have failed to consider is that user attention is not a zero sum game.People on one social platform are often on several o

65、thers as well.And most social media users spend time on multiple platforms.More than 84%of TikTok users are also on Facebook and almost 88%of Twitter users are also on Instagram.People dont only get different types of value from different networks,they explicitly use different social networks for di

66、fferent purposes.On Facebook,they might catch up with a friend overseas.On Twitter,they might skim over the days breaking news.And on TikTok,they might look for a laugh while searching for the latest viral trends.Adding competitor capabilities to one network doesnt change the perception people have

67、spent years forming of what a specific network is meant for.Thats why Instagram Reels,for example,is struggling to compete with TikTokeven though its basically the same thing.In fact,stealing a competitors features may actually have a negative impact on the perception of a social networktake this Ch

68、ange.org petition with over 300,000 signatures asking that Instagram stop trying to copy TikTok.Look for funny or entertaining contentFollow or research brands and productsKeep up to date with news and current eventsMessage friends and familyPost or share photos or videosSocial media activities by p

69、latform#1#2#3The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service19Successful marketers know that strategy is more important than tactics With so many demands on their time and resourcesand with networks looking more and more similar by the dayits no surpr

70、ise that 52%of respondents to our survey said they cross-post content to multiple social platforms with as few changes as possible.Just 18%of marketers create different posts from scratch for each platform.But while cross-posting saves time,it comes with a heavy cost:results.Our survey found that ma

71、rketers who create different posts from scratch for each network are significantly more confident in the value of that content.As the Frankensteining of social networks contin-ues,the most confident marketers will spend less time worrying about which copycat feature to start using next and more time

72、 exploring platforms that best reflect their business goals.Theyll focus on creating content thats well suited to those plat-forms,rather than trying to keep up with every feature-level change the networks throw their way.Confidence reusing social posts across networks vs.creating different posts fr

73、om scratch across networksHow does your organization most commonly create social posts?From ScratchExtremely confidentSomewhat confidentNot at all confidentConfidentReusingThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service20Trend in action How The Washin

74、gton Post brings the news to a new generation on TikTok The Washington Post may be 140 years old,but with the help of their social media manager Dave Jorgensonlovingly known as the WaPo TikTok guytheyve found a way to introduce a new generation to serious journalism in frequently unserious ways.Jorg

75、enson has helped the company amass over 1.4 million followers by sharing his tongue-in-cheek videos about life at the office and memes about current events.When you compare The Washington Posts lighthearted approach to TikTok with their Facebook or Twitter pres-ence,its clear theyre being strategic

76、about who theyre making their content for on each network.On a platform like TikTok,where people go to be entertained rather than informed,Jorgensons absurdist approach to the news has turned the Washington Post into a Gen Z darling.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Futu

77、re of Social Customer Service21Recommendations Conduct a social media auditIf youre already using social media,take stock of your efforts so far.Ask yourself the following questions:Whats working,and whats not?Which networks does your target audience use?How does your social media presence compare t

78、o the competition?Once you collect that information,youre ready to brainstorm ways to improve.Weve created an easy-to-follow social media audit guide to walk you through each step of this process.Make your content fit for each platform By making your content fit for each platform,you can provide exp

79、eriences that are in line with your audiences reasons for being thereand thats a much stronger insight to base your strategy on than demographics alone.Search for inspiration All of the social networks feature success stories that highlight how brands use their tools effectively.You can usually find

80、 these on the business section of the social networks website.(For example,take a look at the Facebook business success stories.)These case studies offer valuable insights you can apply to your own goals for each social network.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of

81、 Social Customer Service22While social commerce has roared ahead in markets outside North America,marketers here face a trust gap thats left them strug-gling to replicate that success.But theres a massive revenue opportunity,with US social commerce sales set to grow 34.4%this year to$53.1 billion.Ma

82、rketers who get it right will reap the rewards,attracting a fresh wave of new shoppers and inspiring their existing customers to spend more.The Future of Social Commerce Commerce Trend 1Social commerce hits the trust gapAn emerging barrier to social commerce becomes a competitive advantage for marke

83、ters who break through itNetworks pull back on social commerce plans Last year,social commerce seemed destined to be the next big thing in ecommerce.As sales blasted past$350 billion in China,North American and European marketers scrambled to position themselves to take advantage of a new way to mak

84、e money directly from social beyond advertising.Since then,social commerce has arrived with less of a bang and more of a yawn.Despite its success in China,North American and Euro-pean consumers havent shown much interest in the technologyso much so that Meta decided to shut down its live commerce fu

85、nc-tionality on Facebook and affiliate product tagging option on Instagram.TikTok has also scaled back its ecommerce plans,delaying the launch of live shopping.With almost every major network pulling back its social commerce plans,the promising future of social shopping feels farther off than antici

86、pated.girlbosstownPut it into action Unlock the potential of social commerce with this beginners guide to getting started.Grab the TemplateThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service24Consumers say the biggest barrier to purchasing through social

87、is trust Whats behind the tepid adoption of social commerce?A lack of trust in both social networks and vendors.The top two concerns for social buyers stem from a lack of trust in vendors,according to an Accenture survey of over 10,000 consumers.Their biggest concern is that their purchases wont be

88、protected or refunded.Theyre also worried about the quality and authenticity of products and sellers on social media.And the third most common concern stems from trust in the social networks themselves;people say they dont want to share their financial informa-tion with the networks.I am concerned t

89、hat my purchases will not be protected/refundedIt takes longer for me to receive my orderI dont trust social platforms with my dataThe product/brand selection is limitedI do not trust sellers on these platforms or the quality/authenticity of the productsPoor policies on returns/refundsThere is not e

90、nough information to decide to make a purchaseBuying through the platform is difficult or confusingI do not trust recommendations from influencersThe customer service is inferiorThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service25Marketers havent faced u

91、p to their role in this trust gap yetOur survey asked marketers what they believe are the greatest barriers for social buyers.And,while marketers also think trust in networks is to blameour data suggests they dont realize they have an even bigger role to play.Of the marketers we surveyed,37%said tha

92、t concern entering payment information on social platforms was the biggest issue for social buyersin line with the results of Accentures consumer survey.But while almost half(48%)of consumers told Accenture that vendor reputa-tion and product quality was their main concern when shopping on social,le

93、ss than 8%of the marketers we surveyed said the same.Smart marketers know that the social commerce experi-ence is about much more than technical concerns.To overcome the trust gap and turn skeptical shoppers into buyers,marketers will have to work on the basics:offer easy returns and refunds,display

94、 ratings and reviews from other buyers,and keep buyers notified about the status of their purchases throughout the customer journey.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service26Marketers who master the basics will build a lasting advantage So here

95、s the thing.When networks and vendors do overcome that trust barrier,social shoppers are very sticky and reliable repeat buyers.The average US social buyer will spend$518 via this channel in 2022,up 27%from last year,according to Insider Intelligence.Annual spend will increase by$419 per buyer over

96、the next three years,reaching$937 in 2025.And social commerce sales growth is also expected to remain above pre-pandemic levels through to 2024.So yes,in 2023 were likely to see social commerce features get scaled back.Many marketers and business owners will make knee-jerk reactions and stop investi

97、ng in their social storefronts.via social shopping in 2022,up 27%from last yearSource:Insider IntelligenceSource:Insider Intelligenceper buyer over the next three years$518$419The average US social buyer will spendAnnual social media spend will increase byBut its far too early to take Facebooks shut

98、-down of its live commerce feature or reports that TikTok is abandoning its plans for lives-tream shopping in the US as an indicator of their overall social ambitions.Proactive brands will continue to see the opportunity aheadand theyll relish seeing their competitors abandon social commerce plans e

99、arly,leaving the playing field wide open for those with the patience to hang on.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service27Recommendations Start with the basics Creating a trusted shopping experience built on the basics is table stakes for achie

100、ving success at scale.If shoppers arent sure theyll receive what they order or be able to exchange something,theyll hesitateor leave.Double down on doing the simple things well across your social stores,like reliable fulfillment,hassle-free purchase protec-tion,and refunds to protect buyers.Play the

101、 long game Social commerce experienced two years of exceptional growth throughout the pandemic,and while growth in the number of social buyers is slowing,the amount of social commerce sales is still rising.2023 will be a watershed moment for early adopters and those who persevere through the trough

102、of disillusionment.Social commerce isnt going anywherebut its widespread adoption might take a little longer than we thought.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service28Commerce Trend 2All eyes turn to social searchSocial search optimization emer

103、ges as a make-or-break skill for marketersplatforms.Younger generations,in particular,are going to platforms like TikTok and Instagram to do things like figure out where to go for dinner,buy that sweater they saw on the street,or spend their fleeting vacation days.Instead of scrolling through Google

104、s long list of results,they look to social platforms for travel tips,recipes,and news.Forty percent of 18-to 24-year-olds are now using social media as their primary search engine,according to an internal study by Google.In September 2022,the New York Times even proclaimed that“For Gen Z,TikTok is t

105、he New Search Engine.”Googles been the go-to in search foreverbut thats changing For most of the current millennium,Googles been an unbeatable cultural force.Competitors from Bing and Yahoo to Ask Jeeves and Duck-DuckGo couldnt match the search engine giants ability to yield fast and accurate infor-

106、mation.Googles clear,neutral presentation of results,ranked by their relevance to the widest possible user base,gave it an effective monop-oly thats well into its second decade.But today,Google faces new and maybe not-so-unlikely competition from social media Put it into action Quickly optimize all

107、of your posts for social search with this checklist of SEO essentials.Grab the TemplateThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service29While its tempting to join the pundits making sweeping generalizations about the impending death of Google,lets sti

108、ck with the data and take a closer look at how search behavior differs on social media vs.search enginesand for whom.Here are three truths backed by our own data.Social networks are visited by more people than search engines every monthMore internet users aged 16 to 64 visit social networks than sea

109、rch engines on a monthly basis.Whats more,nearly a third of the time that people spend using the internet is spent on social media.More than a tool to keep in touch with friends and family,social media has become an engine of culture where we collectively engage in almost every aspect of daily life.

110、Source:Hootsuite and We Are Social,Digital 2022The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service30Younger people are considerably more likely to use social networks for brand research When it comes to shopping,more people under the age of 25 turn to soc

111、ial media to research and evaluate brands.And socials util-ity for marketing goes well beyond advertising:Gen Z uses social media more than search engines to evaluate products,compare prices between competing brands,and make deci-sions about where to spend their money.Source:Hootsuite and We Are Soc

112、ial,Digital 2022The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service31When it comes to discovery,search engines and TV are still ahead Evidently,though,marketers should be careful about putting all their eggs into the social media search basket.For the ave

113、rage person on the street,search engines and television(for all of you Zoomers out there,thats the big screen in your grandparents living room)are still the main place where people discover new products and services.TVs followed by word of mouth.So for the moment,people are more likely to learn abou

114、t your brand during a commercial break or an old-school conversation with a friend than they are to discover it on TikTok.Socials search dominance is just beginningThe transition of search from web to social will be long and genera-tional.Dont get too caught up in headlines about the impending death

115、 of Google search when,for the vast majority of people,its still one of the main ways theyll learn about your business.But the shift towards social media as a primary search mechanism is happeningand its not too early to start preparing.In 2023,social media marketers and small business owners who wa

116、nt to get ahead should start mastering the basics of social search optimization.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service32Recommendations Always use alt text on creative assetsAlt text(also called alt descriptions)is used to describe the conten

117、ts of an image within HTML code.Adding alt text to images is a guiding principle of accessibility on the web and helps search engines index images,which can improve your search engine optimization(SEO).Geotag your posts and make sure your location is accessibleLocal SEO is essential in industries li

118、ke hospitality,dining,and entertainmentand for small businesses with brick-and-mortar shops.Whether its a regular search or a voice search,you want your business to appear at the top of the search results when someone in your area is seeking your service,so make sure to add a location to your busine

119、ss page and to any content you share whenever possible.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service33How are search behaviors on social changing how you think about your day job?Search is never going to be dead when it comes to Google.But peoples h

120、abits are changing.Theyre using social to search for new products.Whereas beforehand,I think people were just coming to social for reviews or getting to know a brand,now theyre going for social to actually buy.And we know that because networks like Instagram are actually fully integrating commerce f

121、unctionality into their products.The main thing its changed for me is my perspec-tive.I treat our social pages like a mini landing page and websiteI try to imagine using our social channels as the main point of purchase.What advice do you have for small businesses who maybe dont have a ton of time t

122、o invest in their social feeds?First and foremost,my advice is to nail down your content strategy.It sounds so basic,but thats actually where it starts.If youre putting out valuable content that resonates with your audience,or your prospective audience,its gonna perform well,and its gonna be pushed

123、out into an algorithm and more people are going to see it.So its really about doing the simple things well?Yeah,exactly.Doing the fundamentals right is what makes you more discoverable across every social network.Optimize your profile,make it interesting to navigate,have a clear bio,geotag your post

124、s,have a profile photo.Keep it succinct.Expert perspective Brayden Cohen Team Lead,Social Marketing and Employee Advocacy HootsuiteThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service34The Future of Social Customer Service A shift to digital during the pan

125、demic left customers more willing than ever to engage with brands over social and messaging channels.But its also left them also increasingly impatient,inclined to prioritize convenience over price,and ready to walk away from businesses that arent meeting their expectations.In 2023,well see leading

126、organizations turn to automation to solve their most urgent customer service chal-lengesand turn a critical eye on who exactly is expected to manage customer service within an organization.But as restrictions lift and shoppers return to brick-and-mortar stores,many businesses have failed to maintain

127、 the quality of their digital services over the last 12 months.The overall quality of customer experience fell for more than 19%of brands,Forrester found in a survey of over 96,000 US consumers.Meanwhile,over-all customer satisfaction has dropped to its lowest level in 17 yearssince the inception of

128、 Forresters Customer Experience Index.Customer Service Trend 1The great reopening blows a hole in digital serviceA rapid return to in-person shopping makes businesses lose focus on digital customer serviceShoppers think the quality of customer service has dropped massively During pandemic restrictio

129、ns and lockdowns,many companies successfully managed to navigate peoples increased need for digital shopping and services.Ecommerce,curbside pickup,and other online services boomedand the businesses that successfully revamped their customer experience during the pandemic excelled into 2021.heynicole

130、wongPut it into action Get started with social customer service with this helpful guide to Facebook Messenger.Grab the GuideThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service36With the return of in-person shopping,brands have stopped focusing on digital

131、services Why are consumers unhappy?Theyre feeling neglected.During the pandemic,they became accustomed to shopping onlineand while many have returned to in-person shopping,they still expect digital services to be available to them.Businesses cant just go back to old ways of working and expect their

132、customers to follow suit.In 2023,businesses of all sizes will have to strike a better balance between online and offline customer experience to keep customers satisfied.Resource-strapped businesses turn to automation Thats tough news for many business owners whoafter fighting tooth and nail to survi

133、ve a pandemicnow face a confluence of supply chain challenges and declining sales as consumers rein in their spending.For businesses looking to keep costs in check while boosting the efficiency of online services,cost-effective automation tools will be key in 2023.And customer service should be the

134、high-est priority place to go about implementing automation.Chatbots and simple conversational AI tools can cut down support queues without raising headcount.They allow you to instantly handle frequently asked questions and fulfill online orders.In 2023,these AI tools will become indis-pensable for

135、businesses struggling to balance online and offline customer service.17Overall customer satisfaction has dropped to itsyearslowest level inThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service37Chatbot adopters poised to gain a massive first mover advantage

136、 Even among organizations that prioritize social customer service,conversational AI is still in its early stages.In our survey,only 26%of organiza-tions that said they use social as a primary customer service channel told us they use chat-bots on social and messaging apps.And of the organizations th

137、at do use chatbots on social and messenger apps,more than half of them(53%)adopted chatbots at some point during the pandemic.In 2023,the businesses that keep their focus on digital customer service stand to win out against those that dont.Cost-effective chatbots are a quick win for those looking to

138、 better their online customer experience while shoring up expenses and limiting overhead in the short term.Over the long term,theyre a worthwhile investment for any business that wants to get out ahead with an emerging technology thatll become common over the coming decade.The Future of Social Marke

139、tingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service38RecommendationsDispel the myth that chatbots are impersonal Most customer service requests are variations of the same few questions.Thats not a recipe for a great conversationthats an assembly line that needs to be managed.Chatb

140、ots simplify these common interactions that would otherwise suck up a ton of your customer service staffs time.And conversational AI tools like Heyday AI go a step further:With the ability to distinguish between multiple choices,make a decision,and gather insights,they free your support team up to s

141、pend more time solving the problems that really require a human touch.Enable your CX experts to focus on sales oppsLet your chatbot answer questions like“Wheres my order?”and“Whats your return policy?”so your humans dont have to.Conversational AI tools like Heyday AI let you integrate your product c

142、atalog with chat to help customers easily navigate your online shelvesand allow you to make sales around the clock.Make your online and offline CX work in tandemUse your chatbot to bring online traffic in-store.With built-in store locator features,Heyday AI makes it easy for customers to find the ne

143、arest store and make an appointment.According to our internal data,90%of in-store appointments made by our chatbot lead to a purchase and one in four customers are net-new.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer ServiceTrend in Action Global sport and

144、 fitness retailer Decathlon takes the pressure off their people with a chatbotAs a global sport and fitness retailer with more than 2,000 brick-and-mortar stores worldwide,Decathlon knows the importance of delivering world-class customer service.In collaboration with Heyday,Decathlon UK developed a

145、digi-tal assistant to support its sales and customer service efforts at scale.Today,the digital assistant handles tens of thousands of customer conversations every monthand its a resound-ing success,with Decathlons data from Meta showing that 96%of customers were satisfied with their bot interaction

146、s.“We wanted to find a way to reduce our cost to serve,while also engaging new customers,”said Charles Guth,customer loyalty team leader at Decathlon UK.“Heydays comprehen-sive customer messaging platform and Messenger provided the right mix of top-notch conversational AI and platform features to bo

147、ost our human teams efficiency.”The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service40Customer Service Trend 2Marketers realize its time to lean into customer serviceAs many marketers struggle to take a greater role in customer service,great ones stand out

148、Social customer service is largely the responsibility of the marketing department Last year,we predicted that marketers would take a greater role in customer service in 2022.And,to their creditand oursthey have.This year,we asked which teams are responsible for providing customer service on social c

149、hannels.The answer might surprise you.Less than 8%of organizations said their customer service team was exclusively responsible for providing customer service on social and messaging apps.Almost half(49%)of organizations said that social customer service was usually or exclusively the responsi-bilit

150、y of the marketing team.Put it into action Save time responding to common questions using these free DM replies.Grab the TemplateThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service41Many marketers dont feel equipped for customer service Last year,we predi

151、cted that social marketers would embrace this newfound responsibility and take more agency in working with customer service teams.Unfortunately,what weve found is that many marketers dont feel equipped to take on care.Only 21%feel they do a good job servicing customers on social channels,according t

152、o a survey by the CMO Council and IBM.Because of this disconnect,many businesses are leaving customers hanging and revenue on the table,says Chris Campbell,CEO of reputation management software ReviewTrackers.“I think the biggest thing thats still a missed opportunity for a lot of businesses is just

153、 taking the time to respond to your customers,”he says.“Right now were just hanging up on them when were not responding to their queries.”Whats the root cause of the problem?Camp-bell thinks a lack of education and rigid silos are to blame.“In businesses,we theoretically break out func-tions to be m

154、ore efficient,”he says.“But its really everybodys job to deliver a great customer experience.Marketers are neither trained to respond to customers,nor is there an incentive to if that responsibility sits outside their remit and with another team.”Which team within your organization is responsible fo

155、r providing customer service through social and messaging apps?Exclusively the marketing teamThe marketing team and the customer service team are equally responsibleUsually the customer service team but sometimes the marketing teamUsually the marketing team but sometimes the customer service teamExc

156、lusively the customer service teamThe Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service42Proactive marketers will take the initiative to adaptWe get it:Social was never meant to be a customer service channel.But now it really cant be ignored.Social media ha

157、s taken an outsized role in customer serviceand businesses,as well as practitioners,are caught dealing with the repercussions.After all,if marketers see it as their responsibility to build brands,ignoring customer service is detrimental to that goal.A brand isnt just a logo or a promise;its a result

158、.Its a customers gut feeling about a product,service,or company.And its every marketers responsibility to make sure that gut feeling isnt soured by unanswered DMs.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service43Recommendations Give social a seat at t

159、he leadership tableWithout formal education and training,social is often siloed off from the rest of the organization or treated as an afterthought used to repost promotional messages.In reality,social should be treated as a core function of any modern organizationand that means looping senior membe

160、rs of your social team into high-level strategy and planning.This will get your social strategy fully aligned with your organizations goals and objectives,and help your social team see how their work fits into the bigger picture for your organization.Invest in better training for your marketersFor s

161、ocial media marketers looking to build critical skills specific to social marketing or take the next step in their careers,Hootsuite offers training and certification.Whether your team is full of starry-eyed novices looking to build a foundation in marketing basics or seasoned professionals trying t

162、o adapt to the demands of a new workplace,our training is designed to help you succeed.The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer Service44Acknowledgments To all the wise and talented owls who brought this to life this year Lead writer and researcher Kon

163、stantin Prodanovic Research and content directors Kendall Walters,Sarah DawleyEditor Curtis ForemanWriters Julia Escao,Isaac Fox,Britny KutuchiefVideo and motion graphics Christopher Young,Liam MacLeod,Derek SaddlerWeb Fiona O Brien,Ann Alonso,Katie Ross,Sephora Khatchadourian,Diane Kingston,Sara Si

164、nclair,Ben Tibber Web Dev Yi Zhao,Colby Garland,Austin Bailie,Sundus Mazhar,Jake Wagner,Dan Hout Art Direction Eric UhlichDesign Anne Buchan,Gianfranco ValentiniCampaign management and planning Dory Kashin,Billy JonesMarket insights Ladan Fotouhnezhad,Emily Ahn,Nate ElliotAnalysis Max Rutherford,Moh

165、amed Zahid PR Chrisanna Chan,Catherine Snider,Melanie Gaboriault,Rola TfailiPaid Media Amber Camus Social Eileen Kwok,Trish Riswick,Brayden Cohen,Nick Martin,Amanda Wood Webinar Stacy Combest Marketing Automation Neema Rafizadeh,Amanda Opitz,Juliette Schoular,Spainie Zhuang Email Marketing Denea Cam

166、pbell,Allie Schwartz,Yvette LaiDedications Nolan“Cheddar”and Hendrix Lowe 45The Future of Social MarketingThe Future of Social CommerceThe Future of Social Customer ServiceThe global leader in social media managementBuilding enduring brands,one social connection at a time Hootsuites led the social m

167、edia space since 2008back when Charlie Bit Me was the biggest meme on the block.Since then,social has become a non-stop engine of online culture,connectivity,and commerce.And through it all,Hootsuites been your one-stop shop for all things social.Smart social listening and engagement tools?Weve got

168、those on tap.AI-powered social commerce and customer care?Well help you do that,too.More than 200,000 paying customers log on to Hootsuite to tell their stories,grow their audience,and make gutsy business goals come true.Well help you run at the non-stop pace of online culturewherever it goes next.Trusted by leading brands worldwideTry it today or request a demo at 200,000 customers 150+apps and integrations 1 million courses delivered via Hootsuite Academy