Life moves fast, but social media somehow manages to move faster. It seems like there’s a new update every day, which can make a platform almost unrecognizable from one year to the next.

And as TikTok continues to grow in popularity, we expect more and more innovations to come out.

But staying on top of these trends can be a pain, and predicting them is even harder. So we took the initiative to deliver our forecasts to you and save you the work.

Check out our 2023 predictions, and start dreaming about how you can evolve your marketing plan to get ahead of the curve.

TikTok will continue to roll out updates to make it easier for businesses to succeed

Every single social media platform needs to continue innovating. Otherwise, a newer, more advanced app will take its place. And since these platforms rely on ad revenue to stay afloat, a lot of these innovations are designed to make it easier and more profitable for businesses to use their site.

And TikTok is a great example of this. So far in 2022, TikTok has unveiled updates like its Creative Center so creators and brands alike can stay on top of the latest hashtag, song, and content trends with less effort. Additionally, TikTok is developing eCommerce integrations to help make selling on the platform easier. It recently announced a WooCommerce integration so brands using this tech can sync products, track data, and more.

We at GRIN have no doubt that TikTok will continue to innovate and inspire in 2023, and we look forward to the potential marketing opportunities that lie in future updates.

TikTok will expand its search capabilities

More and more people are treating TikTok as a search engine. In fact, a report from NBC News revealed that about 40% of Gen Z use social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for search rather than Google.

This shift in product discovery is huge for brands, especially those prioritizing traditional SEO over social media marketing.

🚀 Grow Your App! Free ASO Audit by Award-Winning Agency

Discover how Yodel Mobile, the App Marketing Agency of the Year, can transform your app. Gain insights with our free ASO audit, proven in elevating apps like B&Q, Afterpay and Gymshark. 🌟

Get Started

And TikTok is keeping up with this demand by rolling out updates to make searching on the platform even easier. In one case, TikTok tested an update that would allow certain keywords within comments to become searchable buttons. For example, a person could leave a comment like, “Do you have any pasta recipes?” And other users could click ‘pasta recipes’ and go to a search result with various cooking tutorials.

@noahglenncarter What do y’all think #foryou #tiktok ♬ BILLIE EILISH. – Armani White

As we approach 2023, we expect TikTok to continue to build on these search innovations and test them on small groups of users, weeding out the unpopular ones and implementing the strong ones across the entire platform.

With potential updates and a shift in consumer behavior, brands need to start making a presence on TikTok. And adapting traditional SEO practices, like keyword research, can help new users discover your business. And if you’re unfamiliar with how to do so, no worries! There are a ton of TikTok creators who are ready to help you out.

@elsasocialfinanceTikTok SEO eill help you reach your target audience. When people search on TikTok your video will pop up first if you use these methods and make good videos. Of couse the more popular your video is, the higher it will rank SEO wise. 🤍♬ Easy Lovers – Piero Piccioni

TikTok will prioritize local content

It looks like TikTok is working to overtake Google in more ways than one. Beyond boosting its search capabilities, TikTok has also started limited testing of “nearby” content in Southeast Asia. Yep, users will see more content from creators and businesses in their general area.

This new feature would provide even more incentive for small businesses to create accounts on the platform. And with the ability for creators to earn more visibility when posting about local events, shops, restaurants, and more, local creators will likely see a large boost in their follower counts.

Is there a “Near You” tab coming in the future? We sure think so.

@brendangahan Have you seen this new tiktok feed? #nearbytiktok #nearby #nearbyfeed #newfeaturetiktok #newtiktokfeatures (h/t @𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁 Navarra ♬ Succession Main Theme (From “” Succession””) – Geek Music

Creator licensing will prevent viewers from skipping your TikTok ads

If you’ve ever scrolled through TikTok, you’ve probably noticed two very different types of ads. The first type is very obviously an ad. It’s typically highly produced and looks like something you’d see on TV, making it stand out like a sore thumb amongst the typical TikTok content that’s filmed and edited on a phone.

The second type of ad does a much better job of blending in. It features your favorite content creator, and it may take a moment (and even a glance down to the caption) to realize it’s an ad and not just a post from a person’s profile.

And if you’re anything like the average TikTok user, you’ll skip over the first but spend more time watching the second. That’s because people don’t want such direct advertisements, and they’ve learned to tune them out, leading to people immediately skipping them. But when they can’t tell it’s an ad, they’ll give the content more of a chance and watch longer.

These second types of ads (the ones that work particularly well) require the help of creators. Whether it’s by gaining content usage rights and repurposing a creator’s video from your brand or using Creator Licensing to advertise from the creator’s account, these authentic ads will drive more value for your brand.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into Creator Licensing on TikTok, GRIN, the leading Creator Management platform, can help simplify the process. Learn more about influencer whitelisting and Creator Licensing on GRIN’s blog.

Some industries will continue their winning streak on TikTok

Some industries have really hit the jackpot with TikTok in 2022, and we predict they will continue to see overwhelming success in the new year. For example, BookTok, the part of TikTok where readers, librarians, and booksellers share their favorite stories, has led to a record-breaking number of books sold in 2021, according to the World Economic Forum.

And brick-and-mortar bookstores like Barnes and Noble have capitalized on the trend by curating “TikTok Made Me Read It” sections where shoppers can pick up the latest trending novel.

Other top communities: RecipeTok, ThriftTok, and BeautyTok. Brands within these industries should take note and focus on building their accounts and taking an active role in these groups.

Spending on TikTok will increase

Over the past few years, TikTok has seen major growth—first in users, then in ad spending as brands looked to reach this audience. However, it’s still not the top destination for social ad spending—Facebook and Instagram still earn the highest ad revenues out of all platforms.

Many brands haven’t added TikTok ads to their arsenal yet, but we predict more and more businesses will flock to the platform in 2023. And we’re not alone in our assumptions. A report from eMarketer showcases their estimates for ad spending on TikTok through 2024.

Image via eMarketer

And as a result, TikTok ad prices will increase

As the basic rule of supply and demand goes, as the desire for TikTok ads increases, so will the price. As more and more brands turn to the social media giant to build awareness and generate revenue, they’ll begin to pay higher costs.

Stay ahead of the curve and take advantage now while prices are lower. Brands should establish strong accounts on the platform and begin testing out different ad formats to see what resonates with their target audiences.

It will be harder for creators to reach a million followers

TikTok is seeing an uptick in users, partly because its algorithm gives creators a better chance of going viral than other platforms. But as TikTok becomes more saturated, it will be harder to reach the same number of people.

In 2023, creators may have to rely on other methods to significantly boost their following, like putting ad spending behind posts.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of creators mentioning that TikTok keeps pushing them to ‘promote’ their videos in a similar way that you can boost on Instagram. I believe that TikTok is going to be rewarding creators who utilize their features, such as going live often, and pushing out their content onto the FYP more.” — Alexis Dosamantes, Creator (@alexis.dosamantes) and Business Development Representative at GRIN

2023 will be the year of the micro-influencer

Viewers know it. Brands know it. Now TikTok knows it. Small creators are just as powerful as mega influencers. While they don’t have the same follower count, they hold the same (if not more) sway with their communities.

TikTok has always been good about helping smaller creators stand out in the sea of users, and we expect this to continue into the new year. Nano and micro-influencers will secure more brand partnerships, show up on more FYPs, and make a giant splash in 2023.

“These ‘mega’ influencers with a million or more followers are no longer what the average TikTok viewer wants to see. Instead, they want to see real, down-to-earth micro-creators posting content that is relevant to them. I see TikTok going more with the trend of pushing nano/micro creators to specific niche audiences.” — Will Padilla, Creator (@sellthatsaas) and Senior Account Executive at GRIN

Key takeaway: TikTok marketing will continue to be huge in 2023, so start getting your feet wet now.

With so much potential on TikTok, what are you waiting for? If you’re not sure how to get started, click here to download GRIN’s free Web Extension. It will help you evaluate creators in an instant with useful metrics.

TikTok is further securing its place as a leader in the creator economy, and it’s time your brand does the same.