Here are a few of our media relations, social media and content predictions for 2023

We love everything about crystal ball predictions. And so, we asked our diverse group of Hodgers to stare into their crystal balls and share some of what they foresee for the year ahead. Strap in – it could be a bumpy ride in 2023!

Media relations trends

“Affiliate marketing will continue to impact media relations, particularly when it comes to product placements. We’ve seen examples of this in the last few years, but it’s a space that only continues to grow. We’re watching how publications like Bon Appétit and CNN Underscored are using these links and how it ultimately impacts coverage.” – Meg

“More and more newspapers are going to shift to limited days in print or go completely digital.” – Sean

Content marketing trends

“In 2023, I think there will be an even greater emphasis on telling the story of the employees and people ‘behind the scenes’ of an organization. I think consumers want to know who they are supporting when they make a purchase, and social media has increased transparency opportunities. This also connects to my second prediction which stems around an increased trust in LinkedIn as a reliable social channel. LinkedIn will be the main tool to boost employee-centered storytelling.” – Andrew

“We’ve seen a lot in the last few weeks of 2022 about AI tools being used to write marketing content and copy. While these tools aren’t new, this trend will definitely grow. It’s important we don’t panic (yet?) about this replacing copywriters in a significant way, but instead, see how it could make our lives easier.” – Michaela

Social media trends

“I saw an interesting article (okay it was a TikTok but I did look it up afterward) today about how ‘social’ media is dying, and it’s really becoming ‘recommendation’ media because we’re no longer being shown what’s in our social grids, but what the platforms want to show us. While there may be downsides to this, it also opens the door for really anyone’s content to grow and be seen if it’s engaging.” – Michaela

“Influencer relations is going to become increasingly important. As the media landscape continues to change, influencers can provide one of the best opportunities to authentically engage with target audiences for clients across the board.” – Amanda Christian

“I predict that we will continue to keep a careful distance from Twitter until the platform proves it’s being run by grownups. This will give us an opportunity to get creative and innovative with other platforms. I don’t think we’re ready to put Twitter back in the social media lineup for either our clients or ourselves.” – Josh

“I think we’re going to see dozens of changes across the social and digital landscape that are going to impact our daily operations and our marketing budgets. With channel uncertainty (cough, Twitter, cough) and market share of advertising with the Googles, Amazons, social and streaming services of the world, there is a lot to keep our eye on.” – Casey