Here’s what we learned about digital content at Web Summit 2022
In the first week of November, over 70,000 people from the world of tech descended onto Lisbon. We braved the queues and the bad coffee, so you didn’t have to. Here are the four most relevant ideas we came away with.
Storytelling in the information age
Web 3.0 was a big topic of conversation. And not a lot of people were really clear about what it is and how it will impact our daily lives, and the lives of storytellers.
The emergence of a new, decentralised internet will radically change how we tell stories online, as well as the role that audiences will play. Gareb Shamus, founder of HeroMaker Studios, one of the pioneers in web3 storytelling, predicts that, “We’ll be able to give people the parts to make their own characters in their own world to build global communities and franchises.”
What does this mean for digital communications and how brands and organisations will get their stories out to their audiences? No one really knows, and we’ll probably have to wait some time to find out.
In fact, the term ‘audience’ might even be redundant by 2028. The interactivity that Web 3.0 could unlock has the potential to make consumers of content a community instead of passive bystanders. Now we’re thinking: how can organisations and brands be a part of this?
Through individualised, centralised payments on the blockchain, Web 3.0 may take the power away from Big Tech and put it back into the hands of the creator. As Web Summit progressed, far from the Lisbon conference centre, tech stocks were plummeting and big tech was announcing massive layoffs. Unrelated to the Web 3.0 threat? Perhaps.
2. Does immersive VR have a future?
Yes! Some immersive VR experiences can already be as good or better as real life, according to Marie Huwe, Senior VP of Dolby.ie. Huwe says an epic immersive experience requires
Immersion - obviously - but this means all senses need to engaged
Interactivity - so low delay times between the scene and a contributor
Social connection - the ability to feel and interact with other participants
Technologists and artists are currently in the experimentation phase. Take the Travis Scott and Fortnite collaboration in 2020 for example, where a concert launched a new album that dropped into the living rooms of millions of people in lockdown.
For virtual spaces to get to the next stage in production authentic socialisation needs to improve.
Todd Green, CEO of PubNub says spatial audio capabilities are critical. “Audio is such an important, overlooked source of immersivity.” Without sophisticated soundscapes that allow people to feel the size and space of an environment, immersive VR won’t achieve ‘just like real life’ status. And for that to happen production tools need to be standardised and simplified so every creative can use them.
3. Former TikTok exec shares tricks of the trade
Sean Kim, former Head of Product at TikTok, warned content creators that the algorithm behind the platform’s newsfeed is changing everyday. That said, in general the most important signals it reads are:
1. How many people finish a video;
2. Whether people click the profile page after watching the content;
3. The use of trending audio.
In the same session two high-profile YouTubers - Blogilates’ Caessy Ho and What’s Inside’s Daniel Markman - agreed that content creators need to be careful about mentioning rival platforms in their content. “Make every platform think you love them most,” said Markman, underlining the need to make the most of the in-app features in every channel.
4. How to win over the eyes and ears of millions
The social media campaign is dead, says Tracy Ann Lim, CMO of JP Morgan Chase. The need for reputable institutions to continuously be feeding audiences with good quality content and share evidence-based stories is stronger than ever, as is the competition for attention in a world of influencers and online fakes. Young people deserve to have access to accurate information, which is why Lim stressed that social media channels should be ‘always-on’, always feeding social media channels that sweet, sweet content.
We couldn’t agree more.