What in the world (or not) is the Metaverse? Does TikTok rule the world? Are influencers more respected than politicians? (yes) Why did Facebook lose over $200 billion in a day? We don’t have all the answers, but we have looked deep in to the littleBIG crystal ball and come up with a few predictions for the digital world in 2022…
Stand up straight! Vertical Video is king.
Long gone are the days of being hounded for not having your phone horizontal when shooting video, vertical video is here to stay and it’s more popular than ever. Could it be that we’re all too lazy to tilt our phones sideways for a more enjoyable viewing experience? Probably. Along with general laziness, the rise of TikTok and Instagram Reels have powered full screen vertical video to the forefront and it’s not going anywhere.
Our prediction: This will grow as the number one video format and any brand that doesn’t get on board will be left behind.
TikTok’s Brand Invasion.
Whilst TikTok is growing into the largest and most popular social network around, it’s still relatively free of brands (when compared to Facebook and Instagram). This will all change this year. The brands are coming and there’s no stopping them.
With around 700 million active users so far, TikTok is perfectly poised to become the most used social network in the world. So, remember what we just said about vertical videos? Yeah… get on to it.
Our prediction: More brands will begin advertising through TiKTok and by the end of this year it will just as common in a digital advertising strategy as Instagram.
Power to the Creators – Instagram to test subscriptions.
Ok so this is not really a prediction, more of a fact – Instagram is testing out subscriptions for some larger creators already in the US, so look out for an Australian trial coming soon.
Through doing this, Instagram is giving creators more ways to earn an income through the app. The new feature is currently in testing in the US with a small group of creators who are able to offer their followers paid access to exclusive Instagram live videos and exclusive stories. Users who subscribe to a creator will also have a special badge displayed next to their handle that will help creators identify their subscribers across the platform.
The idea behind it all (apart from getting creators paid) is to keep high value creators on Instagram and lure them away from competing platforms (*cough* TikTok *cough*).
Our prediction: This one could be a flop! There are already a few popular subscription sites used by content creators (Patreon and another, less wholesome service) that have gathered enough steam to stand on their own. We don’t need one from Meta.
The Metaverse – It’s all marketing!
The Metaverse might seem new, complicated, and scary – but it really isn’t. This kind of virtual reality has been on the scene for quite a while.
One thing that is happening in the tech world is a focus shift towards it – it’s not really that new or important, they’re just asking the question “Do we all want to pay much more attention to what we could do in this space?”. If the answer to that question is a resounding “Yes” then things could get exciting. We could eventually see product placements in virtual worlds or even a return to humble outdoor advertising (virtually, of course).
Whilst that’s all very exciting, I wouldn’t rush. These things take time.
Our prediction: A lot of hype and not much action. Don’t withdraw your super to buy virtual real estate (yet).
