Here at Hatch we’re ever the optimists, and after a challenging and unconventional 16 months, the end finally seems to be in sight. After thinking about that beautiful, utopian future where we can go on holiday without a traffic light system, stop sticking swabs up our nose and, most importantly, hang out at Hatch’s criminally underused bar 727, a bigger question dawned… what does a post-Covid world look like for social media?
If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that you can’t predict the future, but we’ve already begun to observe some interesting emerging trends.
Authenticity is key
Recently, dishonesty and mistrust have consumed headlines, but we’ve also seen a huge shift in attitudes towards authenticity on social platforms. The ‘Instagram vs Reality’ trend has continued to gain huge traction, seeing celebs and influencers ditching the filters to portray a more accurate reflection of themselves. Brands have become less polished; captions became honest and efforts to be raw and authentic have been met with a collective sigh of relief. Big names such as Google and Spotify have started working with micro-influencers, favouring their authenticity and smaller, loyal following over wider reaching but lesser trusted macro-influencers. In fact, influencer marketing it set to become a $15 billion dollar industry by 2022. If brand wants to build trust and relations, consumers won’t just prefer authenticity, but expect it.
The Rise of Social Media Marketing
Everyone has had to rely on technology for almost everything during the pandemic. The truth is without it we’d be lost (and perhaps a little stir crazy). Businesses adapted to the digital and social world, or risked becoming another corporate casualty.
While we’re in the process of resuming some form of normality, social remains versatile, reactive and pandemic-proof in the face of potential future restrictions. Smart businesses will learn from those who reaped the rewards of adapting their social strategy and the future will see an even bigger surge in social media marketing.
Video is the future
With the constant distractions of doomscrolling and Netflix binging, it’s fair to say our attention spans are at an all-time low. We want our information in bitesize, visual formats that are quick, easy and engaging – cue videos.
You only need to look at the huge success of TikTok and Reels to know where this statement is coming from. Instagram have seemingly confirmed this by announcing that they’re no longer a photo sharing app as they strive to rival TikTok through their new focus on video and becoming an entertainment app driven by algorithms and video.
Go socially conscious or go home
We all love a cause, and no one more so than social media users. The downside of social is that it exposes everything. Got some skeletons in the closet? Don’t be surprised if they get discovered.
We’re living in a conscious era where consumers are more politically, socially and economically aware than ever. With stiff competition between brands, those who promote their socially conscious efforts win out as we seek to align our shopping habits with our morals. Take Brew Dog’s Planet First Lager giveaway, which generated a web traffic queue of over 50,000 users to their site as people waited hours to claim their free beer and do their bit for the planet. This was a hugely successful product launch and brand awareness campaign, promoting sales of their new carbon negative lager whilst also framing them as an eco-conscious brand. The name of the game is, get woke or get out.
If you have any social predictions of your own, or would like to have a chat about how we can help you with your future social media strategy, drop us a message at hello@hatchpr.co.uk.