Social Media Platform Trends for 2023
These social media platforms are topping the charts in 2023.
Social media adapts to new market trends so they can stay relevant while meeting customer demands. At the start of this year, the U.S. had 270.1 million social media users, which will only increase as smartphone usage increases, and more Americans get access to high speed broadband. As social media platforms continue to evolve, they’ve given rise to how people communicate online. Some social media apps are filling gaps in the market by offering something unique, while other apps are losing their user base by not keeping up with the dynamic nature of the market.
Below are social media platforms that we believe people are ditching in favor of more user-friendly ones.
Social Media Apps and Platforms on the Decline
Twitter admits its active user base is in absolute decline. Twitter’s dwindling population is likely a result of Elon Musk’s recent takeover as CEO. According to Bot Sentinel, Twitter could have lost more than a million users since Musk took over, with over 875,000 users deactivated just between Oct. 27 and Nov. 1.
Some users have moved to alternative social media platforms like Hive and Mastodon. Other accounts may have been deactivated by Twitter if they were judged as spambot accounts. It’s been reported that some users left as a result of Musk firing numerous employees who helped regulate and keep Twitter running, while others left as a result of former President Donald Trump being reinvited back on the platform.
Facebook has been one of the greatest success stories in the industry. We’re not saying it’s going out of business, but the number of daily active users in the U.S. has fallen in the last two years. Major reasons for the decline include data privacy concerns, congressional hearings with Zuckerberg, being outdated for younger generations, and a shift of company focus to the metaverse.
They’ve lost a million users from mid-2020 to the second quarter of 2022. In response to the decline, Facebook has tried to mimic the success of other social media platforms that are becoming increasingly popular. For example, Facebook tried mirroring TikTok’s short videos with its own feature called Reels.
Although it’s too early for Facebook to monetize Reels, the algorithm shift to show more video-based content could eventually generate significant revenue for Facebook. The short-term goal is to stop users from leaving the platform.
Tumblr
Tumblr, a social media and microblogging platform, was founded more than 15 years ago, and Yahoo acquired it for over $1 billion in 2013. Since then, the social media app has been on the decline. In 2016, Yahoo slashed Tumblr’s value by more than half, and by 2019, the app was sold for just $3 million. In May 2022, Tumblr website visits were down to 291.7 million from 308.8 million in December 2021.
Reasons for the decline in value and user base are attributed to its policies of banning NSFW content, its inability to sell advertising, and differences in culture between the platform and Yahoo. Although Tumblr is recently seeing a rise in its user base, especially after Musk’s Twitter takeover, the platform is struggling to keep itself relevant to the current social media landscape.
Instagram is one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, but it might be past its peak. Even with Twitter users flocking to Instagram as an alternative, the picture- and video-sharing app isn’t ideal for starting discussions and sharing information as lightning-fast as Twitter. It’s safe to say that the users who’ve been on Instagram will stay, but any increases to the user base won’t be as significant.
The social media giant might not be facing a decline in its user base yet, but it’s losing some of its popularity. One of the reasons for this is a new trend in social media – authenticity. As a result, users are looking for alternative social media platforms that aren’t flooded with fake accounts, targeted ads, and artificial aesthetics.
Social Media Apps and Platforms on the Rise
BeReal
BeReal is getting a lot of attention with its “in-the-moment” photo-sharing experience. One of the features is that it sends users a random notification to take two photos at once: one with the back camera and one with the front camera. The users have two minutes to snap photos of whatever they’re doing and share them with their followers.
BeReal is positioning itself as a more “real” and truthful rival to Instagram. It’s catching one of the major trends in social media: authenticity. The app is designed to appeal to users who want to be more spontaneous without the pressure of presenting a carefully planned social media profile. Only time will tell whether BeReal can challenge other social media giants, such as Instagram.
Mastodon
Mastodon has emerged as another rival to Twitter, which is at risk of a mass exodus of advertisers, executives, and social media influencers. Although Mastodon is a six-year-old platform, it hasn’t taken the world by storm. That could change soon, especially with Twitter users’ growing frustration with the platform.
Mastodon offers a decentralized social network that consists of independent communities. The platform supports photos, audio, visuals, polls, custom emojis, and more. It’s similar to Twitter’s ability to share media, tag users, and follow accounts.
The major differences include the chronological feed and independent servers. Other social media platforms don’t use a chronological feed; instead, they have algorithms to determine what to show users. Mastodon is easy to use, which is one of the reasons it’s emerging as a natural alternative.
Supernova
Supernova launched in December 2021 and is considered an ethical alternative to Instagram and Facebook. One reason it calls itself ethical is that 60 percent of Supernova’s ad revenue goes to charities; content creators and businesses on the platform can choose which charities they want to support.
Supernova is also designed to appeal to Gen Zers and Millennials, who tend to be more conscious about supporting good causes compared to previous generations. According to the founder of Supernova, if the app can capture even one percent of the global social media advertising, it can make significant contributions to charities around the globe.