What I Learned at Social Media Week 2022
Published: May 19, 2022
Author: Yomei Kajita
Make way for the hottest celebrity…the content creator.
Adweek’s 2022 Social Media Week conference took place May 9-11 in New York City and I was there to pick up cutting-edge insights on what to watch out for this year.
Content creators are an evolution to the social media influencer in the sense that they’re developing creative and fresh content to engage audiences, as well as influencing users to take action. And it’s no small task – over 76% of content on social media channels today is creator content.
Content is a constant grind wearing on creators. Social media audiences are also getting fatigued. In fact, a consumer’s average attention span today is 2.5 seconds, according to Maggie Lower, CMO of Hootsuite. Brands used to be able to pay to elevate their content to attract the attention of users. However, with recent changes to advertising, the need for authentic, relevant, and dynamic content has never been greater.
These increased demands for time and attention have driven consumers to expect much more creative and innovative content on their preferred social media channels to cut through the online noise.
Social Media Week guest speakers emphasized that brand relationships with creators will focus more on subject matter expertise (think: micro-influencer) who represent diverse audiences and viewpoints. Brands will continue to collaborate with creators, but give more ownership and flexibility to creators to do what they think is best for their followers.
Audiences should look for brands to experiment more with emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, NFTs, and the Metaverse to try and capture their attention. These are great opportunities to establish a presence, test ideas, and learn from customers.
For example, the conference’s Pepsi Fireside Chat discussed Pepsi’s collaboration with Peeps earlier this year. Pepsi launched a limited-edition flavor which was only accessible by their #HangingWithMyPEEPS social media sweepstakes. Fans had to use that hashtag, as well as #PepsiSweepstakes, and tag Pepsi on Instagram and Twitter to be eligible to win one of the 3,000 packages gifted.
The sweepstakes got the conversation flowing on Twitter, though fans were fraught with questions about why the temporary flavor wasn’t called Peepsi. However, the campaign did what it was designed to do: create awareness and keep the brand top of mind for fans. Social media dialogue can happen in unexpected ways when brands even take small incremental risks, and if the risk doesn’t pay off, then it’s okay to move on to the next idea.
Influencer and creator marketing continues to play a significant role in generating awareness among new audiences. With social media usage reaching the next level of maturity, the bar for a brand to engage and acquire a new customer is at its highest in history. How are you thinking outside the box to earn attention on social media leveraging these up and coming trends?
To learn how 3Q Digital can help your brand stay on top of cutting-edge trends, reach out to our experts today.
