Sprout Social | The Sprout Social Index™

The 2023 Sprout Social Index™ Report

We surveyed over 1,800 consumers and 900 marketers to uncover their priorities in today’s shifting social media landscape, where the gaps are and how to close them.

The stakes for social teams today are higher

Consumer expectations are more nuanced, emerging tech is more powerful and there's a lot of ambiguity. Use the data from our latest report and customizable deck template to rise to today’s challenges, and rally your team around the opportunities within your business.

Download the report

Create a new impression

Since the pandemic, social media has emerged to fill a seemingly endless need for content, with 53% of consumers saying their social media usage has increased over the last two years.

Rediscover what people want

Amid that increase in social media usage is a desire for brands to prioritize direct, frequent engagement and originality, above all else.

Of the most memorable brands on social, 51% respond to customers

38% Prioritize original content over following trending topics
37% Prioritize engaging directly with their audience v. publishing a lot of content
33% Publish timely, on-trend content

Invest in your foundation

Customer experiences are as strong as the structures that support them. Only 30% of brands have adopted customer care processes and tools to actively engage on social. There’s a gap to fill, and an opportunity for those that do.

Reimagine your team

Social’s role has expanded well beyond marketing. Yet despite a consistent exchange of information, 43% of social teams still feel siloed from other departments.

Marketers’ POV on social’s business-wide influence

76% agree our team’s social insights inform other departments

65% agree other departments inform our social efforts

43% social teams still feel siloed

Prioritize the human touch (with a little help from machines)

AI and automation are actually helping marketers meet consumers’ demand for authenticity and connection. These technologies take on tedious tasks that deplete energy and free up creative space for content production and engagement. 

81% of marketers say AI has already had a positive impact on their work

Create a new impression

Since the pandemic, social media has emerged to fill a seemingly endless need for content, with 53% of consumers saying their social media usage has increased over the last two years.

Relearn what people want

Amid that increase in social media usage is a desire for brands to prioritize direct, frequent engagement and originality, above all else.

Of the most memorable brands on social, 51% respond to customers

38%
Prioritize original content over following trending topics
37%
Prioritize engaging directly with their audience v. publishing a lot of content
33%
Publish timely, on-trend content

Invest in your foundation

Customer experiences are as strong as the structures that support them. Only 30% of brands have adopted customer care processes and tools to actively engage on social. There’s a gap to fill, and an opportunity for those that do.

Reimagine your team

Social’s role has expanded well beyond marketing. Yet despite a consistent exchange of information, 43% of social teams still feel siloed from other departments.

Marketers’ POV on social’s business-wide influence

76% agree our team’s social insights inform other departments

65% agree other departments inform our social efforts

43% social teams still feel siloed

Prioritize the human touch (with a little help from machines)

AI and automation are actually helping marketers meet consumers’ demand for authenticity and connection. These technologies take on tedious tasks that deplete energy and free up creative space for content production and engagement. 

81% of marketers say AI has already had a positive impact on their work

Download the report + resources

Guide your team with insights into the future

Download the full report to dive deeper into the data, then use the customizable deck template to share the strategic opportunities with your team and business leaders.

About the data

This research was conducted online in the US and UK by Cint on behalf of Sprout Social. Participants included 1,817 consumers who follow at least five brands on social media. Additionally, 903 full-time social marketers involved in managing their brand’s social media strategy (i.e., performed the job themselves or managed someone who does) were surveyed from a cross section of US and UK businesses. Both surveys were conducted from June 12 to June 23, 2023.

Relationships between variables collected were analyzed using parametric statistics for statistical significance.

Previous Index reports

Want even more data? Explore past reports to see how far social has come.