Sunny Socials: Four Content Trends Coming to Social Media This Summer

The social media scene is heating up just in time for summer. As one of the marketing industry’s hottest seasons for success, prepare for your social feeds to be filled with seasonal promotions, short-form video ads, and influencer partnerships. 

If your brand is looking to make a statement this summer, we’ve got you covered. From TikTok to virtual events, we’ve collated 4 sunny social trends that are tipped to dominate social media marketing in the next few months. 

Short-Form Video Content

Starting off strong, short-form videos are set to dominate brand ad strategies this summer.

Social apps like TikTok have skyrocketed the success of short-form video content as a social media strategy. In an attempt to capture audience attention in under a minute, short-form video formats push a brand to be more creative with their marketing and fill their content with quick calls-to-action and gripping hooks. 

In fact, according to HubSpot, a whopping 85% of top marketers now rank short-form video content as the most effective format of brand communication on social platforms. 

(Image Source: HubSpot)

“With the rise of platforms like TikTok, Reels, and Vine, short-form video is actually getting shorter and lending itself more to 60-second to two-minute videos,” claims former, HubSpot marketing director, Brandon Sanders. “I think the perception of short-form content on platforms like YouTube is actually around that 10-minute sweet spot because content on YouTube tends to be more comprehensive and longer.”

While YouTube may be the exception to the rule, the ideal video length for engagement is now as little as fifteen seconds and as long as two minutes.

47% of marketers aim to invest more in short-term video creation than any content format this summer, so it’s time to jump on board if you haven’t already. 

Take Chipotle as a success story. The Mexican food brand uses TikTok to capture its demographic’s attention in seconds. After introducing their #GuacDance challenge that encouraged their consumers to not only watch their short video but recreate it, the brand saw a whopping 430 million video views.

(Image Source: The Shorty Awards)

After winning a Shorty Award for their TikTok presence in 2022, it’s time to take a leap of faith with your brand this summer and start creating content that grabs attention.

Whether you choose a challenge, re-create a skit, or jump onto a viral social platform trend, the key here is to know your audience well, claims, Chipotle CMO Chris Brandt.

“Almost half of our customer base is Gen Z or millennials, so social media is a fact of life. They just expect you to be in the places where they are.”

Niche Social Media Platforms

This summer could also see a rise in niche social media platforms too. While TikTok and Instagram will still be far up on the platform popularity scale, more brands are beginning to target smaller, interest-focused social arenas like Athlinks and Discord.

Not only do smaller platforms reduce competition for brand marketing, but they are made up of tighter-knit, like-minded users, that are often passionate about a certain topic or industry. 

Therefore, if you’re operating within their topic of interest, your content is much more likely to see successful engagement for two key reasons.

• Connection: Niche social platforms make connecting with your exact target demographic easier than ever. For example, if you’re a brand that sells running shoes, creating content and partnering with apps like Strava and Nike Running Club is a great way to connect with potential consumers.
• Conversation: If you’re presenting content to a more targeted group, you’ll be likely to see higher levels of engagement and conversation. This is a great way to connect with potential customers one-on-one and find out what they are looking for from your brand.

Creating personalized content for a focused target audience could be the social media trick you’ve been looking for in 2023. 

Virtual Events

On the back of a global pandemic, the popularity of “virtual events” has begun to rise. While lockdown is no more, thanks to the emergence of the metaverse, popular artists, celebrations and live events continue to come to us via our screens. 

The virtual events market is estimated to grow to $366 billion by 2027 as demand for live online content increases. If you want to step out of the box this summer, it could be time to tap into “going live.” 

Virtual events have become a popular way for brands to connect with their audience on an interactive platform. After Gartner predicted that a whopping 25% of people will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse by 2026, more brands than ever before are investing in new forms of immersive social communication. 

From Roblox to Fortnite, the metaverse is home to some of the newest, interactive social media platforms. Bridging the gap between gaming and social connection, the metaverse is the perfect place to host a live event this summer. 

Take Travis Scott’s Fortnite concert as an example. Only performing for nine minutes, Scott raked in $20 million, for brand partners such as Nike.

“It was an opportunity to go to the max, to create a world that permits won’t let you do, fire marshals won’t let you do, building codes won’t let you do,” said Scott. 

74% of virtual event organizers report that brands who invest in virtual events this summer could see a positive return on investment, up to six months after the event. Whether you hold a concert, gameshow, or a live shopping experience, the results could be brand-changing. 

User-Generated Content

Did you know that social media consumers are twice as likely to trust user-generated content as a pose to branded posts? 

If you want to see your engagement stats rise this summer, it’s time to start pressing that share button. Creating campaigns that directly involve your audience and encourage them to create their brand-themed content, is a great way to garner a brand mention buzz on social media.

Consumers claim that friend and family recommendations on their social feeds influence their purchasing habits. If you’re still learning how to improve your conversions, gaining the backing of word-of-mouth marketing is an essential small business aid. 

In order to introduce UGC to your social strategy organically, the key here is to start small and dream big. Ask questions in your social posts that will encourage conversation, or hop onto a viral trend that your target audience will be dying to share.

Once you’ve established a level of connection with your consumers, it’s time to pass the baton. Give your target audience incentives to post brand-specific UGC. For example, if you’re a clothing brand, why not offer a full collection of your best-selling summer swimsuits for the best picture of a beach sunset?

If your customers are in for a chance to win, you’ll quickly see content flood into your DMs. This is a fun way to boost engagement and build brand awareness with little to no effort. 

A great example of a brand that smashes this is the fashion retailer, Revolve. If you head to their Instagram account, you’ll constantly see reposts of their follower stories and feed content that showcases their clothing. 

Introducing UGC into their brand strategy promotes inclusivity and authenticity, proving that their clothing can be worn by anyone, rather than models with certain body types. 

A Summer Season of Social Media Success

As the warmer months draw in, it’s time to heat up that holiday-focused social strategy.

Consumers are three times as likely to shop for holiday accessories, new styles, and exciting experiences during the summer months, so there has never been a better time to brush up on your social media branding tactics.

Whether you tap into the metaverse or put your efforts into TikTok, there are plenty of opportunities for brands to shine in the social sphere.