Digging deeper: what 2023 holds

• Digital adoption has already reached impressive levels around the world.

• There are now more than 5 billion people using the internet, and social media users have just reached the 4.7 billion mark.

• These numbers are still growing too, with almost 200 million people coming online for the first time in the 12 months to July 2022.

• These latest numbers are quite a bit lower than the growth figures we reported at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns.

The outlook for digital growth

• At current rates, we can expect roughly two-thirds of the world’s total population to be online by the end of 2023.

• There are still various barriers preventing billions of people who do want to use the internet from coming online.

• Digital user growth rates are expected to slowdown from here on.

The time people spend online

• Connected services need to place greater emphasis on delivering enduring value to their users, rather than prioritizing massive scale.

• As people become increasingly conscious of how and where they spend their time online,they’re likely to become more sensitive to irritations, especially when it comes to interruptive ads.

Rethinking how we see social media platforms

• “Social” is a behaviour, not a channel, and these latest user trends suggest that each of the top platforms now occupy quíte different functional and emotional spaces in peoples lives.

• As a result, we should recalibrate the way we talk about “social media” and also have a careful think about how we allocate marketing budgets across different kinds of channels.

The Rise and Fall of NFT

• The number of wallets trading NFTs each month has tumbled by more than 80 percent since the peak back in December of last year, with fewer than 200,000 wallets trading in the past 30 days.

• This is due to “wash trading” whereby the same trader simultaneously buys and sells an asset that they already own, in order to artificially inflate that asset’s perceived value.

Will crypto go mainstream?

• Data from GWI shows that roughly 1 in 8working-age internet users around the world owns at least one type of cryptocurrency.

• The number of people who say that they own some form of cryptocurrency has jumped by more than 50 percent over the past year.

• However, speculation and scams continue to distract from cryptos true potential.

The state of the metaverse

• Despite widespread scepticism, there is plenty of evidence to demonstrate the appeal of virtual
worlds

• More than a quarter of a billion users play
Fortnite each month.

• Roblox sees 200 million monthly active players.

• Minecraft close behind at 170 million monthly
actives.

• The metaverse is still synonymous with gaming.

• People are drawn to virtual worlds because they
want to escape reality, and current efforts may
miss the point.

The truth about Facebook’s “demise”

• Facebook still has the largest active user base of any social media platform in the world, with
almost half a billion more users than its nearest
rival.

• Even if Facebook were to slip from the top spot,
there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that its
appeal will endure for many years to come.

Tips for TikTok Success in 2023

• TikTok’s reach and growth are undoubtedly
important, but its real ‘magic’ lies in its distinct
usage context and unique creative opportunities.

• To get the best results from TikTok, marketers
should focus on creativity, and ensure youre
delivering high-quality content.

The outlook for messenger marketing

• Telegram’s Channels are an increasingly compelling opportunity for marketers.

• Unlike other social media feeds, Telegram
channels do not face the same algorithmic
challenges that other platforms do.

• There’s a good chance that messenger
platforms will play a more central role in the
marketing mix in 2023.

The Rise of Wearables

• The number of people who own a smartwatchhas jumped by 60% in the past two years, and this has implications for digital healthcare.

• However, the future of wearables isn’t just about what’s on our wrists – smart glasses have the potential to revolutionise digital experiences as well.

Generative A.l. and “artificial creativity”

• Current trends suggest that the capabilities oftools like Dall.E and Midjourney will continue toaccelerate in 2023, and developers report thatwe’ll likely see functionality for audio and videobecome more widely available over the comingmonths.

• This will almost inevitably bring significantdisruption to the creative industries.

– Self-sovereign identity

• SSI has the potential to become omnipresent inour digital lives.

• Simplifies everyday activities such as logging into all of your digital services and applying thesame set of preferences across all of them.

• Ensures greater freedom and flexibility when engaging with healthcare and financial services

• In the longer term, there’s a good chance it will become the definitive form of ID in all aspects of our lives.

Wrapping up

• There is still plenty of time for Q&A

• If you have a question, pop in the comments below or share it with me on Twitter or LinkedIn @nelsonayaebene

• Feel free to reach out to the author via email or through social media at info@nelkonsulting.com