The move away from large social media platforms and towards niche networks is a marker of a new post-social age. In a report published last autumn, 33% of global respondents said they'd recently left a social media platform (Co-matter, 2020). Tapping into trends discussed in Mobilising Online Microcultures, brands need to brace for the incoming era of 'small social', as digital campfires evolve and more people seek out intimate online destinations.

Consumer demand for audio experiences is rising, with the global market for audio equipment expected to reach $28.71bn by 2025 (Research and Markets, 2021). During the pandemic, this growth has been accelerated by social distancing, and the intimate sense of connection that voice-based media offers. As social giants from Facebook to Twitter introduce their own voice features, people are embracing the immediacy of audio formats, which also offer respite from the visual overload of established social media.

The current version of the social internet is built on publishing structures: people connect via media they create or pass on. This dynamic shifted with livestreaming, chat platforms and gaming, towards spaces where people can interact in real time. Looking ahead, more immersive social media will elevate digital hangouts, with the biggest brand opportunities emerging around the avatars people use to express their identities online.