[00:01] social media trends the past year or two, I have good news for you. Social media is changing so frequently that you don't have to worry about catching up anymore because by the time you catch up, everything's already outdated. All
[00:14] you have to do is just be connected to what's on the horizon and use that to your advantage. So, that's what we're going to be talking about today. What is things organized, we're going to break
[00:26] my predictions into three sections: AI, creator economy, and social media or platform-specific predictions. As always, timestamps are below. Use them Starting with AI predictions, I feel like this wouldn't be a prediction video
[00:40] without talking about AI, of course. AI is just taking over the creator space like it is with every industry, but what is to come with AI in 2026? This is what I think. First, AI becomes the co-creator to help you keep up with
[00:56] social media. I feel like AI is moving from this fun extra nice-to-have to baked into every platform and workflow, making virality cheaper now more than ever before because bots, they're able to generate endless video hook ideas and
[01:14] write captions. There's softwares that can resize content for you or repurpose content for you. You could create graphics or make editing a bajillion times faster and there's tools that allow for more automations, social
[01:27] listening, and so much more. Brands and social teams are already using AI heavily for content creation and performance optimization. And I think this year is when we'll start to see the split of creators who utilize AI as a
[01:42] tool to keep up with content creation and those who refuse or end up getting left in the dust from getting burnt out and trying to do it all on their own.
[01:54] This is not me saying you have to use AI in order to be a successful creator, but I do think a lot who will be on the rise this year and grow quicker than ever before is because they will be able to implement AI automations and streamline
[02:11] their efficiency and post more because they're using AI to their advantage. I think audiences or followers expect more content and faster and AI is how creators can keep up with that expectation without leading to burnout.
[02:27] So, how can you adapt and utilize AI? Obviously, you could use this to generate idea lists, do competitor research, hook analysis, studying analytics, or even creating the first drafts of your scripts. AI can
[02:41] help you repurpose one long-form video into multiple short-form videos. You can improve the process and quality of your videos through AI video editing or even tools like enhance speech that exists in the Premiere Pro mobile app. It's one of
[02:56] my favorite tools that I use on my phone for AI all the time. Even as an educator for AI all the time. Even as an educator myself, I utilize AI in my coaching, the BSP model. For any student who enrolls in the BSP model, we have a BSP AI bot
[03:11] that is trained on the entire BSP curriculum so that if it's the weekend and my team and I are not available to answer questions via Slack because we have a Slack community for students, any student can utilize the AI bot to ask
[03:25] questions and brain dump and do content research with someone or something that's educated on the curriculum. Now, my next AI prediction is a little bit more fun, lighthearted, but I think we might get an AI influencer that will
[03:40] catfish the entire internet for weeks and even maybe even land some brand deals. If you haven't already seen AI influencers, consider yourself lucky. >> Not sure if anyone remembers the first AI influencer, Lil Miquela. At least I
[03:57] she was invented or came to the scene. I think it was like 2016, but I think there's going to be at least one AI influencer that fools everyone because everyone thinks they're real.
[04:11] They'll have no idea that that person or influencer is AI. Now, do I want this to happen? No, no, I don't. Should this happen? Probably not. Any AI-generated content has to be disclosed as such, but still think it might happen. There were
[04:26] AI influencers this past year that have already shown us that AI personalities can go viral and I'm not going to lie, I've definitely fallen for some really I've definitely fallen for some really convincing AI videos on TikTok. Like,
[04:39] what was it? There was a video about humans who were adopting dogs, but dogs would pick the humans. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I saw the video, I was like, "Oh my gosh, the dogs are picking who they want to adopt them."
[04:54] I've fallen for some AI-generated videos because they were not disclosed as So, I think it's only going to get more and more advanced from here, potentially fooling the entire world and even some brands. My next prediction is that we
[05:09] are leaning into the authenticity renaissance. Or do I want to call it the think I've decided. We'll go with authenticity renaissance for now. So, in 2025, over 800 million videos were uploaded to YouTube alone, tied for the
[05:25] uploaded to YouTube alone, tied for the most uploads in one year with 2023. That's mostly thanks to the ease of creating content with AI. We have faceless AI channels everywhere. It's been a huge trend and while I don't see
[05:37] that going anywhere for a while, I do predict a shift in engagement with AI-generated content. Think we'll see more videos posted, but less engagement with that realm. I think people are gravitating more towards genuine and
[05:52] authentic face-to-face creators as opposed to faceless accounts. I'm not because we've definitely already seen this shift start to happen with like the cozy creator era, but I do think it's going to continue to go that direction.
[06:06] Creators that have that cozy, you could be my best friend, FaceTime content vibe. Or even, this is kind of where I go into the nostalgia renaissance instead of just the authenticity renaissance. I even feel like creators
[06:22] renaissance. I even feel like creators that almost feel like OG YouTube. Back in the day OG vibes like Zoella from 2012. People and creators who feel like nostalgia to you, those creators who are
[06:37] effortlessly real, raw, authentic, and almost feel uncut. Those creators will really start to take a rise in 2026. To adapt to this sort of shift in trends, I
[06:49] think just creating content that feels like you're talking to your best friend, unscripted, casual, holding the camera face-to-face. You could even play around with a little bit of storytelling. We've known about the importance of a good
[07:03] hook for a long time, but going into 2026, you need more than just a good people engaged and also connected with you. I think one of those ways you could you. I think one of those ways you could become one of those comfort creators is
[07:17] series that you've been wanting to create. Whether that's YouTube, Instagram, TikTok. If you have something that's repeatable and people know they could count on that vibe from you, that's where you can become someone's
[07:30] comfort creator because it's the same repeatable video that just feels so cozy and comfortable to them. Another way to adapt to this shift is thinking less video" and thinking more about, "How can I set the vibes or a particular vibe
[07:46] with this video?" And I think one way to do that is utilizing B-roll within your content. Whether it's B-roll that you have filmed yourself or downloaded from service. For those of you who are like, "What the crap? What's B-roll?" I
[08:00] "Oh, do do do B-roll" to me, I'm like, "What the fart are you talking about? What's B-roll?" B-roll is like those extra clips of videos that you've been seeing pop up in this video. Like while my face is doing the talking and the
[08:13] telling, the B-roll helps you with the showing. Helps keep the viewer visually engaged instead of just having to stare at my face the whole time. I use B-roll throughout my short-form content. I feel like it's a great way to lean into the
[08:27] whole show, don't tell strategy. I used to try to film all of my B-roll for my videos by myself, but it became super time-consuming and now that I'm a mom and my time is limited, I've been using Storyblocks now more than ever before.
[08:40] And that is a wild statement considering I've been using Storyblocks since 2021. Storyblocks, they are stock media subscription service that gives you unlimited access to high-quality stock videos, images, music, sound effects,
[08:57] Storyblocks when it comes to how they're incorporating AI is first things first, incorporating AI is first things first, their stock library is 100% human-made, like created by real artists, built on real experiences, and authentic
[09:12] creativity with no generative AI content. And if that's something that's cool that they're sticking to that. Now, at the same time, they still offer AI as a tool to help creators in the post-production side of things with
[09:28] their new AI toolkit. The AI toolkit works alongside the Storyblocks library, basically giving you another tool in your toolbelt to create polished, professional videos faster. For example, their AI voiceover. This gives you the
[09:43] ability to generate, refine, and customize narration for any video everything that you need in one place from videos, templates, music, sound
[09:55] effects, images, and more. Plus, you're able to choose a monthly or annual plan with no hidden or extra fees. So, if you want an unlimited source of content that gives you the freedom to test, experiment, and create more effective
[10:11] videos faster than ever before at one set price, I recommend going to storyblocks.com/modernmillie or just use the link in the description. Now, let's move on to creator economy predictions. First, we already know that
[10:26] Goldman Sachs predicts that the creator economy could roughly double in size over the next 5 years, from $250 billion today to $480 billion industry by 2027.
[10:40] So, here are my creator economy predictions. Paid amplification for influencer marketing. I think the most popular add-on with influencer marketing and influencer brand relationships is going to be paid amplification. So much
[10:56] so, it might even become a default line item in creator contracts, making it more important now than ever before for creators to read contracts and know what they're signing yes to. This year, not only do brands want your audience, but I
[11:12] think they're looking for creators who can deliver ad style creative, quality ads that convert their goals, whether that be sales, clicks, attention, or
[11:24] increased awareness. So, forget follower count, can you create basically an ad that's going to get them results? I've had three brands, just in the last 2 months, pay addition for paid amplification, basically boosting my
[11:39] content, using my content in ads, wanting to use, whether it be a YouTube video, short-form video, for their ads. So, I think this is a direction that brands are heavily going to be leaning into, not just UGC, but creators and
[11:53] paid amplification partnerships. My next prediction is that this year we will hit 2 million full-time content creators in the US. Right now, there are currently the US. Right now, there are currently over 1.5 million full-time content
[12:07] creators in the United States. And if that doesn't motivate you to show you how possible it is, because I think a few years ago it was like, "Wow, there's like 100, 200,000 people that are like making a full-time income with this
[12:20] that's such a small segment of the market. Is that possible for me?" But market. Is that possible for me?" But now, there's 1.5 million full-time creators making a full-time income from content creation. That doesn't include
[12:33] a little side hustle, side hobby, little side money thing. So, if that doesn't that it is possible, I don't know what will. But I think we'll start seeing headlines saying that there are officially over 2 million full-time
[12:47] content creators in the US. And of those full-time content creators, I think most of those creators will be making their income through some sort of e-commerce, like affiliate marketing, TikTok Shop, I think is going to be huge one, and also
[13:01] products. I think those will be the top three income streams for these full-time content creators, probably more than your typical ad revenue, like pay-per-view. The pay-per-view is not going to be
[13:16] paying creators' bank. I think it's the affiliate marketing, brand collaborations, and digital products. Those are going to be the top three income streams. Next prediction for the creator economy is streaming and creator
[13:29] relationships. YouTube's been leading the way in terms of like daily streaming the way in terms of like daily streaming hours overall on TV time. They even surpassed Netflix. Think it was a few years ago in daily streaming hours. So,
[13:42] with that said, I could see Netflix and other streaming services partnering more and more with creators and either creating new series that people can stream on their platform only, or even bringing creators on to already existing
[13:59] shows, like The Circle or Survivor. We already saw that happen with the little sneak peek of Survivor 50, where some creator was brought on as a special guest. And I'm not going to say how I felt about it, but let's just say I like
[14:16] to keep my content creation and Survivor separate. Don't bring a certain somebody on to survi- I mean, I could change my mind after I watch the episode. Let's be real, but as of right now, that's where I stand. And I firmly stand on that
[14:29] until the episode is released, and then maybe I'll change my mind. Anyhoo, we've Squid Games, like his own version of Squid Games, and that was on its own streaming platform. And I think that was just the beginning for opening the door
[14:44] to potentially having more creators have relationships with streaming platforms. Now, if you are somebody that works at said streaming platforms or casting for said streaming platforms or casting for competition shows, like The Circle or
[14:59] competition shows, like The Circle or what have you, my schedule is wide open. >> [laughter] >> Let's talk. I don't know if uh streaming services needs educational content, but I think I could be entertaining in some
[15:12] sort of competition series, so just keep that in mind. My next prediction for the creator economy is that social media platforms might quietly become banks. platforms, as you may have noticed, they are becoming like the main source of
[15:26] income for a lot of content creators. So, with that said, I can see them slowly transitioning over time into becoming almost the sole banking app for
[15:38] these creators' businesses, where they run all their income and expenses through. Not only will creators earn money through said platforms and monetization tools and get paid out, but we could potentially see platforms even
[15:53] we could potentially see platforms even offering cash flow advances, credits, and other offers like that. I'm not saying there's going to be like a TikTok saying there's going to be like a TikTok bank, but I am saying with the amount of
[16:05] cash flow that is going between a creator and a platform, I could see a lot more tools being added to that toolkit for creators to have little bit more cash flow option. And then, we have the creator ecosystem that I think is
[16:20] the creator ecosystem that I think is going to evolve and develop in 2026. So, favorite creators, right? You have one creator that you're like, "Oh my gosh, I love this creator for this. I love it's Modern Millie for educational videos,
[16:32] etc., etc." But I think there are going to be different ecosystems starting to develop within the creator economy that act as like a creator network, almost like a space or hub of some of your favorite creators all getting together
[16:47] in one place and offering bundled offers or taking revenue share in bigger businesses and selling maybe even different media networks. So, I think this is the year where certain already established creators are going to start
[17:02] established creators are going to start thinking less about their personal brand and themselves and start thinking more collaborative forward, and how can I work with other creators to make this vision even bigger and go beyond what I
[17:16] could do on my own. Okay, now we have social media and platform predictions. First up, social commerce becomes normal shopping, not a gimmick. So, what we see happening right now is social commerce in the US projected to hit $100 billion
[17:31] in the US projected to hit $100 billion in 2026 with TikTok Shop leading the way. I mean, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, even Pinterest all have built native shopping tools. Now, viewers, they don't just discover products on social, they
[17:46] also can buy products without ever having to leave apps. Creators' platforms can be a place where you can actively shop their content. If this is and you're maybe in like the fashion, travel, makeup, lifestyle niche,
[18:03] definitely lean into doing like product roundups, things that I actually use, or honest reviews, where you could add affiliate links. For some of you, affiliate marketing or implementing talking about products is going to work
[18:16] industry. For others of us, it might not make that much sense, but it is something to start practicing if you haven't yet of just getting used to talking about physical products and your favorite things on camera. My next
[18:29] prediction is I think over 1 billion YouTube videos will be published in 2026, finally breaking the record for most videos published in a year. Next, 2026, I think will be the algorithm reset. So, you know, Instagram, they
[18:43] released the recommendations reset. This concept, I think, is going to be more widely utilized across all social media. Right now, you can customize your account, you can choose what you like to see. You could even go back and edit
[18:59] see, what you don't want to see, different keywords to like never show on take it a step further, where if you're tired of seeing memes on Reels or couples content on TikTok, or if your YouTube feed is just getting like too
[19:15] political for you, instead of adjusting preferences, I think we'll be able to preferences, I think we'll be able to like start fresh. Press reset and just start over with a fresh algorithm and have an easier way to discover new
[19:27] content and build that algorithm preference from scratch. Why this creators, if you want to be a content creator yourself, is this just means that you have to be very clear in your content what you're creating and who
[19:42] you're creating for. If someone decides they want to see more makeup content and that's something that you share, just make sure the platform you're posting on knows that's what you share. How do you do that? One way is to give each post a
[19:56] specific purpose or topic. Another is to go all in on SEO and really understand how you can utilize keywords within captions, within what you say in the
[20:09] video, within the text on screen. That way to help the algorithm categorize your content more specifically and push it out to the right people. Now, my next algorithm prediction is I think algorithms will become more when we talk
[20:22] it's going to become more of like a choose a mood or like choose your vibe as opposed to topically choosing reading, travel, and things like that.
[20:35] So, I'm picturing if you open up YouTube having a banner at the top saying like, "Hey, how are you feeling today?" with four different options. Like, "I'm feeling cozy. I feel like singing. Feel like I need some piping hot tea." or
[20:49] like "I just need a pick-me-up." Then, it'll recommend a new algorithm full of videos based off of how you're feeling at that moment. Now, this is something that YouTube is already doing or should I say they're they're testing. So, you
[21:02] might not see this, but YouTube's trying out a new way to give users more control over the videos they see in their home feed via a feed customization option that would enable you to update your algorithmic recommendations through
[21:18] conversational prompts. I'll put a pop-up here of what I'm referring to, but YouTube says that the feature is designed to give you a simple way to exert more control over your suggested content. So again, more of a mood vibes
[21:33] topic. All right, my final prediction, which I think is kind of a big one and untraditional to what I typically would predict on these prediction videos because I think I've done one every single year. And here's some that I left
[21:46] out which I still I'm like, "Oh, predict this again." is like predict Instagram will finally freaking have a better monetization path for content creators. Instagram? Okay, thank you. Bye. Another thing that I still would like usually
[21:59] say is like, "Oh, I think the new TikTok is going to come." like a new social media app is going to surface. And while that could still be the case, my final prediction is actually what if it isn't a new app? What if the
[22:13] what if it isn't a new app? What if the next platform shift isn't the new TikTok or Instagram and it's more of a new interface, how people consume content. Kind of like, you know, Meta with their sunglasses and then like the Meta Quest
[22:28] and all those. That's different ways people can consume social media, but I also think we're going to get to this I don't know what it looks like and this is why I voice to consumption era. Let's say I'm
[22:42] listen to something, but like I don't know what to listen to. I could just be like, "Hey Meta, open a podcast teaching content creators how to juggle social media." Or "Can you start playing a podcast on something true crime
[22:56] related?" And so kind of verbally asking for content to be consumed and then your phone automatically giving you that content. So, I think the next shift is not necessarily a platform shift, of a consumption shift of how we're consuming
[23:11] content and discovering new content and creators. If you've made it this far, be sure to include this secret emoji in your comment below and I will see you in the next one. Thanks so much for watching. Follow your joy. Bye.