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Vertical video took off around 2012 when Snapchat introduced an app where users could capture video by holding their phone upright. It saw another massive jump in popularity when TikTok introduced the current popular short-form video format that pervades all social media apps.What happens next? Is there another technology lined up and ready to take the place of vertical video and transform modern social media marketing?Take a look at what current news and trends suggest for the future of social media video content and how it will impact your marketing strategies.
What does the future of social media look like beyond vertical video? Here are several advancements that will influence the next few years of social media based on trending social media news.
Even if new technology arrives, TikTok still has a large following and will remain relevant for several years. Some of the most significant changes to TikTok were the addition of ads and business profiles.Those two adjustments changed TikTok from a teen’s app to a real contender in the social media business world and a valuable source for social media marketing, especially if you want to reach millennials and Gen Z.TikTok will also need to adopt more features for online shopping, similar to what Instagram and Facebook offer, as the rise in social media influencers continues.
One prediction says that by 2040, consumers will make 95% of their purchases online. Currently, ecommerce is growing by 23% each year. In addition, 74% of consumers in the U.S. look to social media for purchase recommendations.Currently, Facebook is the leader in social media sales, accounting for 85% of social media ecommerce orders.Social media apps will transform into business worlds where consumers can purchase and network in addition to socializing and connecting with friends.
Social audio is an online chatroom where people can connect without video. It also includes podcasts. The app Clubhouse is already starting a stir with its new app launch in 2020.This audio-based social media app allows users to join chat rooms where they can connect with live audio instead of text or video chatting. If you don’t want to talk, you can also sit in a conversation and listen to podcasts.Podcasts have a significant following, with the average podcast listener spending over seven hours each week listening to podcasts.
Image from BusinessInsider
Augmented reality (AR) is overlaying a virtual object in the real world. Currently, you can use augmented reality through your phone’s camera when using supporting apps. However, the future might bring the technology consumers to need to project virtual items in the real world for a more immersive experience.Here are some examples of augmented reality currently transforming social media:
About 67% of consumers want to see augmented reality in marketing. In addition, 70% of consumers believe AR will improve their life.
Virtual reality is a fully immersive experience that takes place entirely digitally, unlike augmented reality, which also uses elements from the real world. Virtual reality often uses headsets that block out the surrounding world so you can fully join your online experience.However, you don’t need headsets to use virtual reality. Some games allow you to use virtual reality to role play in a digital environment. This technology is paving the way for the future of social interactions where people can meet online in virtual reality.Before virtual reality becomes as commonplace as vertical video, it must overcome a few barriers. For example, more content creators must use it in their apps to give users more experiences. In addition, more technology must improve the user experience before users can fully enjoy virtual reality.
Images from FinancesOnline
Ever since Mark Zuckerberg mentioned his transition to Meta, the internet has been humming with talk of the metaverse as people each provide their explanation of what they believe it might be. However, since the metaverse is yet fully realized, no one has an exact answer.This is what you can know now. The metaverse is a connected virtual world in which you can fully immerse yourself. It is like the internet, except you won’t access it through a desktop or phone. Instead, you can access it by going into the metaverse using headsets and other VR equipment.Inside the metaverse, you can play games, check your social media apps, connect with others, shop, and virtually attend events. Beta versions of the metaverse already hosted concerts, built towns, and held remote meetings.The metaverse has the potential to transform the way people use social media. However, adopting the metaverse is years away as the technology has yet to catch up with innovators’ ideas of what it could become.
Blockchain tracks digital objects and allows users to own digital property. Currently, blockchain can help social media creators prove ownership of their content. However, there are much more advanced uses.For example, when users purchase non-fungal tokens in games or on social media platforms, the blockchain will track the transfer of ownership.Financial experts say blockchain will grow at a rate of 73% between 2022 and 2026. By 2030, it could have a global GDP of $1.76 trillion. In addition, 52% of experts say blockchain will become a primary method for identifying customers.
Social media has, first and foremost, been a place of connection. No matter what new technologies come into play, it will remain a place to connect and talk with friends. However, how you communicate will change as new technology emerges.Right now, social media allows chat communication, video communication, instant messages, audio messages, and more. Without communication, social media will cease to exist in its form. Communication allows users to develop relationships and connect with others in meaningful ways.
While some of the technology is just in the early stages, many of these concepts are already available in certain formats and are part of social media video content. Preparing for the future starts now. If you know what technology and advancements will influence the future of social media and marketing, you can start learning how to use it in your business.Contact us to talk with experts about how you can future-proof your social media content strategy.
As Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) @ Kubbco, I lead the global strategic efforts and oversee the research and planning, community, content strategy and paid social teams.
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