Recently, there has been a stack of major updates from the major social media platforms. Some of the biggest include the news that Instagram is launching NFTs on the platform and trialing a TikTok-inspired full-screen feed.
We’ve become familiar with Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, sharing the news through a raw, authentic video update on his Instagram feed. But, we’re not here to talk about immediate changes you’ll notice on the platform.
Instead, we’re here to cover some big-picture changes Adam chatted about in his recent TED Talk. Adam made some really interesting predictions about what the future of social media platforms (like Instagram) looks like, how creators will benefit from the rise of blockchain-enabled technologies and what the rise of web3 (or the new age of the internet) means for users.
While we’re excited to see the evolution of the creator economy, we were left wondering: where do small businesses and brands fit into this creator-focused future? Let’s run you through what we know and our two cents on these predictions.
Instagram’s predictions for the future of social media
In Adam’s TED Talk, he centered his discussion around what he believes to be “the greatest transfer of power from institutions to individuals in all time.”
What is he talking about? Well, Adam predicts that over the next decade, ‘power’ is going to shift from platforms (like big tech) to individuals (a.k.a. creators). While creators and influencers have been around for years, Adam predicts that creators may soon be able to have greater control over how they make money and how they interact with their audience.
Here’s what Adam had to say:
“Today, we are at the precipice of a new internet that is built on a fundamentally different technology than the tools of yesterday.
There is a set of technologies that are making new ideas possible. Cryptocurrencies, social tokens, non-fungible tokens, smart contracts, and decentralized autonomous organizations, are a group of ideas known as “web3,” and each is built on a technology called a ‘blockchain.’
The most important thing to understand about a blockchain is that they remove the need for trusting an intermediary [like a social media platform].”
Adam predicts that the rise of blockchain currency will allow creators to own their audience directly, allowing them to talk to subscribers and audience members across every social platform. Plus. he points to a future where creators are invested in the same way we invest in startups, allowing individuals to raise capital and giving investors equity in their future success.
It’s an ambitious set of predictions, centered on the idea of creators and individuals regaining control and taking back the power that social platforms have built up over the past few decades.
But, what about small businesses and brands on social media?
Here at Plann, we’re passionate about helping businesses, brands and entrepreneurs succeed and get seen on social media. For us, our focus has always been on giving you the tools and insights you need to harness the power of social media marketing.
However, the future of social media that Adam speaks about seems geared towards a different group of users: creators. It’s focused on giving creators the tools and ability to monetize their content in ways that work for them and give them a closer relationship with their audience.
While we want everyone to succeed on social, we are noticing a distinct shift away from the tools and features brands and businesses need to drive results through social media marketing.
- What about eCommerce features and social shopping tools that help brands sell their products to shoppers across the globe?
- What about geo-targeting tools that help local businesses find customers in their local area?
- How do brands and businesses cut through with stunning, high-quality still imagery when platforms are increasingly prioritizing video content?
We don’t have all the answers just yet. What we do know is that we’ll be keeping our finger on the pulse of these upcoming changes and steering you in the right direction of social media success.
Level up your social media presence in 2022 with Plann
Now you’ve scored the latest insights about what’s happening in social media, it’s time to put your knowledge into action. And what better way to do that than with your ultimate all-in-one social media suite, Plann!
Ready to expand your reach on social media with Plann? Go on, redeem your 7-day free trial of Plann Plus. If you don’t like it, keep using Plann for free!
