Brands, social media managers and creators are knee-deep in figuring out what are the social media marketing strategies to watch for 2023. To help you out, we’re rounded up a list of the 10 things you need to stop doing on social media in 2023 and social media marketing tips for what you should do instead. With the New Year coming in fast, it’s time to drop these outdated social media habits and add some savvy, results-focused resolutions to your list. Let’s jump in!

10 Things to Stop Doing on Social Media: Predictions for Social Media Marketing in 2023

1. Ignoring social media video content

If you aren’t already taking advantage of Instagram Reels or TikTok, make the change in 2023. TikTok hit the 1 billion monthly users mark in September 2021, making it the seventh most popular social media network globally. And Instagram? It’s taking notice. The app has released a slew of Instagram Reel updates to keep up with TikTok. Of course, you don’t need to be on both platforms, but with Plann it’s easy to repurpose and cross-promote your content from Reels to TikTok to supercharge your success in 2023.    

2. Not clearly defining your niche

It’s no secret that attention spans on social media are short. Extremely short. Whether you’re a brand or a content creator, that means your window of opportunity to make a first impression is tiny. This is why you need to make your niche and target market super clear as soon as someone lands on your profile. Make sure your social media bio defines:  • Who you are • Who you serve • What you share And a dose of credibility or personality to hook people into your content will go a long way with improving your social media marketing strategy.

3. Posting content that doesn’t serve your audience

If you want to increase your follower count, engagement, website traffic and sales, you need to know who your audience is. In 2023, your social media marketing strategy needs to drill down into the needs, challenges, aspirations and pain points of your audience.  Why? Because your audience wants to know what’s in it for them and whether your brand truly understands what matters to them. Here are some examples how to transform self-serving content into content your audience will find valuable: • Add the recipe instead of sharing a picture of the salad you made. • Share little-known travel tips for the destination instead of sharing a travel photo with the caption “beach vibes”. • Break down how you achieved your income goal instead of telling people you made $1,000 that month.

4. Not using hooks in your content

Erm…what’s a hook? It’s a piece of copywriting jargon that simply means this: crafting a compelling opening statement that grabs your reader’s attention and entices them to read on. On social media, this means spending time crafting a one-liner at the start of your captions that’s going to: • Stop people from scrolling past your Instagram Reel or TikTok videos • Entice someone to tap and read your full caption • Convince someone to turn the sound on to listen to your video • Make someone tune in and engage with your Stories Let’s dissect this one step further. Which Reel would stop you in your tracks:

  1. A talking head with no text.
  2. A talking head with the caption “3 Hidden Waterfalls in Australia No One Knows About.” If you said the second one ding ding ding you’re correct! It draws on your emotions and creates a sense of mystery and intrigue. It improves the chances of someone watching your entire video (maybe even on repeat!) and potentially saving and sharing it. With your hook, you’re showing your audience you have something valuable to offer them, and you’re not wasting their time.

5. Ignoring your analytics tab

When was the last time you had a look at your social media analytics? We’re talking about a deep dive into what’s working and what’s not when it comes to your social media marketing strategy. If you’re unsure what is your best and worst-performing content for 2021, start the New Year off on the right foot. Hop on to each of the social media platforms you use and ask yourself these questions: • What content received the most likes, shares, saves, comments, plays, and highest reach? • What content received the least likes, shares, saves, comments, plays, and lowest reach? • Are there common themes in the top-performing content? What topics did you talk about? Is there a particular type of content type that appears more than others? • Are there common themes in your worst performing content? What topics are a snooze fest for your audience? You’ll quickly understand what content your audience wants more of and what you need to drop from the mix by going through this process. It will help you adjust your content pillars to only those action-driving posts, making this one of the best social media tips for 2023.

6. Not using social media as a sales tool

Why is social media important for your business? It’s a powerful sales tool. Especially Instagram. It’s full of features that can help you close sales right within the platform (in some cases, you don’t even need a website).  All you need is: • A way for people to find you • A compelling, action-driving offer • A way for people to pay you Katie Wilkinson, a quantum mindset coach from Melbourne, went from earning $20 per hour to $30k months. Her secret? Attraction marketing on Instagram. Katie posts valuable content on her feed, shows clients’ transformation from working with her, and closes high-ticket sales in her DMs.

7. Focusing too much on quantity over quality

You’ve probably seen those TikTok or Reel videos: “Want to grow on Instagram? Post Reels EVERY SINGLE DAY for 30 days!” Sounds exhausting. Remember: just because it’s a strategy that’s worked for some accounts, that doesn’t mean you need to replicate to the tee. Being consistent with your social media content is way more important than posting every day. If you can only handle four posts a week, that’s totally okay. All you need to do is make sure those four pieces of content are your A game. That way, you’re building a sustainable social media marketing strategy that will stand the test of time. 

8. Ignoring other creators in your niche

Community over competition: that needs to be your mantra for 2023. Write it on a post-it note. Create a daily reminder on your phone. Do whatever works best for you to keep it front of mind. So, why should you care about these other accounts in your niche? Networking. By liking, commenting, and sharing other creators’ work, you can develop mutually beneficial relationships. After all, you probably have similar audiences, which means their followers will love your content as well. You may even meet your Internet bestie, and could even collaborate on your next business project! Maybe you’ll launch a course, host a masterclass, or pitch a collab to your dream brand together. However, don’t develop surface-level relationships. Make sure your relationships are value-driven, genuine and authentic. This social media tip isn’t about chasing clout but supporting and growing together.

9. Not redirecting people to your website

Are you on social media to drive people to your blog? How often are you giving people a reason or a nudge to go check your latest posts? Instead of replying to the same DMs over and over again, see if you can write a blog post that answers their question in-depth. Then when someone asks it again, you can redirect them to your website. At the end of your feed posts, direct people to tap the link in your bio to find out more about one of your offers or a more in-depth blog post. Or add an Instagram Stories link sticker to drive traffic to this exact post in one tap.  Once someone is there, make sure you have call-to-actions ready to get people more entrenched with your content and engaging with your brand.  Why not offer a free eBook, your favorite Canva templates or a value-drive prompt to sign up to your newsletter? Remember, once someone gives you their first “yes” (like opting in for an email list), it’s much easier to get another “yes” out of them (like buying a digital product from you). 

10. Selling a product vs. a lifestyle

Truthbomb: no one wants to buy your product or service. People don’t care about having the latest iPhone or a Gucci bag. What they care about (and are paying for) is the transformation or lifestyle it delivers. How is that Gucci bag going to improve your life? It’s going to give you status. A feeling of accomplishment. A sense of belonging to an elite group. It may even boost your self-esteem. Think about your product or service with the same lens. What narrative can you build around your brand that people will invest in? What is the lifestyle you’re selling? Once you can answer these questions, start sharing this kind of transformation and lifestyle content onto your social media channels.  Are you a six-figure mindset coach? What does your day-to-day life look like? How many hours do you work? Where do you work? What are your income streams?  When it comes time to promote your next launch, you’ll have a much easier time selling on social media because your audience is buying into your lifestyle and not another product.

Is your content calendar non-existent? Are you throwing content out like a spaghetti bowl to a wall? Hoping something will stick with no REAL strategy? Sign up for a free 7-day trial of Plann today and you can manage your entire social media strategy from one effortless dashboard.