Ever since the pandemic, the ever-changing world of social media has resulted in the exponential rise of Thai Influencers. But what were the biggest trends in 2023?
As Kommune Agency celebrates our 2-year milestone as Thailand’s trusted influencer marketing agency, let's explore which cutting-edge trends reshaped Thailand’s digital landscape in 2023. In 2022, Statista reported that there were almost 15,000 Instagram Key Opinion Leaders or KOLs in Thailand had between ten thousand to 50 thousand followers and 500+ KOLs with more than one million followers on Instagram alone (shown in graph below).
Power of the Small Screen
Because of the huge rise in both number of influencers and average time Thais spend watching the small screen over the big screen, it’s no secret that advertisers have shifted their attention (and budget) towards social media and influencer marketing when compared to traditional marketing channels during pre-pandemic period. But within social media, what were the biggest trends that emerged in Thailand in 2023 that will remain?
Tiktok Influencers on the Small Screen - Arina Gurkova (@arinagurkovaaaaa)
Top 5 Trends of 2023
Trend 1: The Era of Short-Form Content
It remains unchanged that Meta’s Instagram and TikTok and still the top platforms for influencer marketing but for different reasons.
· Instagram is the top spot FOR brand and influencer collaborations that focus or feature brand aesthetics or newness.
· TikTok is the top spot FOR creator’s as it is the hub for creativity and engagement when it comes to interactive content.
Short videos (9-12 seconds proven to be optimal for branded ads) outperform longer ones when it comes to SEO and engagement due to their higher retention rates. The brevity of a video directly correlates with the likelihood that viewers will watch it to completion, essentially meaning fewer individuals will exit midway through – such as this short, fun video from one of our recent campaigns with McDonalds Thailand:
Trend 2: AI-Edited Content
In 2023, we witness yet another significant chapter in the continually evolving realm of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The synergy of machine learning algorithms with artificial intelligence has taken a substantial leap forward, introducing advancements and breakthroughs in social media and content editing that wasn’t possible before.
You also see more and more trends around AI filters and effects such as AI Yearbook or AI Korean Me that completely took over Thai socials:
Trend 3: Embracing Diversity
Incorporating diversity in your marketing not only ensures that customers feel acknowledged but also provides business advantages, including heightened personalization and enhanced brand loyalty. Especially in Thailand where there is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, companies that fail to accurately reflect their diverse audiences in marketing initiatives run the risk of alienating customer groups and experiencing increased churn.
In 2023 we see positive changes in our acceptance of new faces. Along with body and size positivity movements, we also see niche groups growing and being empowered by the young gen.
Trend 4: Industry-Specific Influencers
Building a community is becoming more challenging. Especially with the increasing number of influencers and content creators each year, content niches such as lifestyle and fashion are saturated.
Increasingly, influencers are narrowing their content focus to cater to highly engaged audiences seeking specific themes. Professionals, such as junior doctors, engineers, or hairstylists, will create content, gaining trust as authority figures. Brands will recognize influencers as key opinion leaders (KOLs) and consumers will continue to trust real individuals who cultivate dedicated communities around niche topics. In Thailand, we see the rise of niche influencers in topics such as finance, cars, and astrology.
The benefits of niche influencers aren’t just the audience demographic, the these KOLs are usually respected though leaders within the industry and can provide educational reviews.
Trend 5: Ephemeral Content and FOMO Marketing
In 2023, Thailand’s social media witnessed an exciting surge in the popularity of ephemeral content, aka content that lasts for a set amount of time, like Instagram Stories. This dynamic trend brought a refreshing twist to digital storytelling, with influencers leveraging the temporary nature of these posts to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity for their audiences to create Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).
Picture this: bite-sized snippets of a day in a Thai celeb’s life, unfiltered and authentic, disappearing after 24 hours. It's like a captivating behind-the-scenes reel that keeps followers hooked and eagerly awaiting the next installment. Brands quickly caught on to the power of this fleeting engagement, recognizing that disappearing content provided a unique opportunity for real-time connection with their target audience. As a result, influencer marketing strategies evolved to incorporate this trend, with brands eager to collaborate with influencers who could skillfully harness the power of ephemeral storytelling.
In wrapping up our year with looking back at the top influencer marketing trends of 2023, it's clear that this year has been nothing short of transformative for the digital landscape. With new features bring announced almost monthly, AI content took center stage, with influencers mastering the art of crafting engaging, short-lived narratives on platforms like Instagram Stories. These trends not only added a new layer of diversity and authenticity to influencer interactions but also redefined the way brands connect with their target audiences across Thailand.
Kommune Agency believes that the rise of niche influencers, specialists in their fields, brought a refreshing focus to content strategy, appealing to hyper-engaged audiences actively seeking out specific themes. Looking ahead, it's exciting to anticipate how these trends will continue to shape the influencer marketing landscape, fostering genuine connections, and driving brand success in the ever-evolving digital era. Cheers to the influencers and brands who embraced these trends, making 2023 a landmark year for influencer marketing innovation!
Written by Pop, Founder of Kommune