Summary of Social Media Is About to Change Forever (and nobody even realises)
The video outlines eight major upcoming shifts in social media and content marketing that will transform how brands, creators, and businesses operate online. The presenter, an experienced content marketer with a large following, offers strategic insights and actionable tactics for capitalizing on these changes.
- From Art Exhibits to TV Networks: Brands will move away from a single, highly curated social media account toward a portfolio approach resembling a TV network. Alongside a main branded account, brands will create multiple experimental “R&D” accounts run by young social natives to test content formats freely. Successful formats spin off into dedicated vertical accounts, each targeting niche audiences and managed by creators or social managers. This approach leverages “For You” algorithms that surface content regardless of follower count, enabling rapid experimentation without risking the main brand’s reputation.
- AI Influencers: AI-generated influencers will become widespread, evolving from obvious cartoonish characters to hyper-realistic human-like personas indistinguishable from real people. Brands should create two types of AI Influencers: category evangelists (experts promoting the product category) and buyer lookalikes (avatars representing customer personas). This will allow brands to produce content at scale and tailor messaging precisely.
- The Great Divergence: As AI-generated content converges on proven winning formats, human creators will respond by experimenting with wild, unconventional, and highly creative content to stand out. This divergence will drive innovation and new content styles that break from the AI-driven norm.
- Creators In Residence: Big brands are increasingly hiring young, internet-native creators as in-house content strategists and producers, paying them substantial salaries to innovate social media from within. This trend will replace expensive external agencies and open lucrative opportunities for creators to build skills and influence while working inside major companies.
- The Content Funnel and Long-Form Content: Organic content strategies will emphasize moving audiences from short-form social clips to longer-form formats like YouTube videos, podcasts, live streams, and social shopping events. These longer formats increase total “content minutes” consumed, deepening engagement and converting fans into buyers. Live streaming and social shopping, especially in B2B sectors, represent greenfield opportunities for brands.
- Future Devices and Content Modalities: Beyond smartphones, new hardware like AR glasses (creating infinite, immersive screens) and screenless AI devices (audio-first “pucks”) will emerge, requiring brands to create content for three distinct modalities. Early experimentation with these platforms will be critical.
- AI-Enabled Product Development: AI tools will allow brands to rapidly generate hundreds of product variants and create realistic AI-generated content showcasing these before any physical samples exist. This reverses the traditional product development process, reducing risk and cost by validating demand through content engagement before manufacturing.
- Worldbuilding and Immersive Experiences: The future of content will shift toward interactive, immersive worlds that fans and customers can enter and explore, enabled by emerging 4D video and AR technologies. Brands and creators who pioneer immersive “world designers” roles will gain a competitive edge.
Additionally, the video highlights two tactical strategies for immediate implementation:
- Launch for Coverage: Engineering viral, low-cost stunts designed to generate free earned media and organic creator coverage, exemplified by Dr. Squatch’s Sydney Sweeney bathwater soap campaign.
- Affiliate Training Boot Camps: Brands can dramatically improve affiliate marketing results by providing in-house content training to affiliates, increasing their ability to create converting content and boosting revenue for both parties.
The presenter encourages brands and creators to embrace these shifts, hire new roles like social architects and social scientists, and stay ahead by experimenting early with emerging formats and technologies.
Presenter
The video is presented by a seasoned content and marketing expert with a large following and deep experience in social media trends and strategy. (Name not provided in subtitles.)
Category
News and Commentary