36. 2025 Predictions For Instagram & Digital Products

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Abigail Peugh Podcast - Episode 36: 2025 Predictions For Instagram & Digital Products

Release Date: December 17, 2024

In Episode 36 of The Abigail Peugh Podcast, host Abigail Peugh delves into her forward-looking insights on the landscape of Instagram and digital products in 2025. Drawing from her extensive experience in building a seven-figure online business, Abigail shares seven key predictions that entrepreneurs and digital product creators should watch for in the coming year. This comprehensive summary captures the essence of her discussions, enriched with notable quotes and structured insights to provide a clear roadmap for listeners aiming to thrive in the digital marketplace.

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1. Decline of Income Claim Marketing

Timestamp: [01:00]

Abigail begins by addressing the saturation and ethical concerns surrounding income claim marketing. She observes that 2024 saw an overreliance on income claims, where entrepreneurs promised unrealistic earnings, often leading to consumer distrust.

Abigail: "I think we are going to see viewers pretty much over income claim marketing the way we have seen it this year. [...] Consumers are getting so much smarter and better at sniffing out bullshit that this ain't gonna work in 2025." ([01:30])

She emphasizes the importance of adhering to FTC guidelines, cautioning creators about the pitfalls of non-compliant income claims. Abigail recommends educating oneself on regulatory standards to maintain credibility and avoid legal repercussions.

2. The Rise of Comfort Marketing

Timestamp: [03:00]

Transitioning to marketing trends, Abigail forecasts a surge in "comfort marketing" in 2025. Unlike the aggressive tactics of previous years, comfort marketing focuses on creating content that resonates emotionally with audiences.

Abigail: "People want to watch content that makes them feel good or makes them feel triggered in a good way." ([04:15])

She notes that viral content will increasingly embody this approach, fostering higher engagement and stronger community connections. By prioritizing authenticity and emotional resonance, brands can build more loyal and engaged audiences.

3. Expansion of Low Ticket Digital Products with Implementation Tools

Timestamp: [05:00]

Abigail predicts that low ticket digital products will continue to rise in popularity, especially as consumers seek affordable entry points into online learning. However, she introduces a crucial twist: these products must facilitate implementation.

Abigail: "Your digital product cannot be informational only, right? It has to also include some way to implement the information." ([06:30])

She advocates for integrating prompts, templates, and challenges into digital offerings, enabling customers to apply what they learn and achieve tangible results. This approach not only enhances user experience but also encourages repeat purchases and sustained engagement.

4. Evolution of B-Roll Usage in Instagram Videos

Timestamp: [07:00]

Addressing content creation trends, Abigail foresees the decline of generic and disconnected B-roll videos on Instagram. She criticizes the prevalent practice of overlaying unrelated text and trending audio onto irrelevant footage.

Abigail: "Those are basically done. Instead, I think we're going to see a huge influx of reels that still use B roll text and some trending audio. But the B roll is connected to what you are saying in the text on the reel." ([08:15])

She recommends ensuring that B-roll footage is contextually aligned with the accompanying text and audio, thereby enhancing the narrative and emotional impact of the content. This alignment ensures that viewers can connect more deeply with the message being conveyed.

5. Carousels Making a Comeback on Instagram

Timestamp: [09:00]

Despite the dominance of reels, Abigail predicts a resurgence of carousel posts on Instagram. She highlights that carousels offer a self-paced, interactive experience that many users prefer.

Abigail: "Carousels are gonna give reels a run for their money in 2025, especially since your carousels can now show up on the reels feed if you add music to your carousel." ([10:45])

Abigail suggests utilizing consistent backgrounds and ensuring that each slide is thematically connected to maintain coherence and engagement. Carousels allow for more detailed storytelling and in-depth information sharing, catering to users who seek more substantial content.

6. Emphasis on Transparency and Context

Timestamp: [11:00]

Transparency emerges as a pivotal theme in Abigail's predictions. She argues that audiences are increasingly seeking genuine and comprehensive narratives behind entrepreneurs' successes.

Abigail: "People are sick of just hearing the wins without also hearing what it actually took to get those wins." ([12:30])

By sharing both triumphs and challenges, creators can humanize their brands, fostering trust and relatability. Abigail encourages entrepreneurs to provide context and disclose the efforts behind their achievements, reinforcing authenticity and credibility.

7. Surge in Low Ticket Paid Communities and Subscriptions

Timestamp: [13:00]

Abigail envisions a significant rise in low ticket paid communities and subscription models in 2025. She identifies a growing consumer desire for deeper connections, continuous feedback, and a sense of belonging.

Abigail: "Consumers are wanting more connections, more feedback and somewhere to belong and they are willing to invest in that." ([14:15])

She plans to explore this trend further in an upcoming podcast episode, sharing her experiences from launching her own paid community. Abigail underscores the value of offering ongoing, participatory experiences that extend beyond one-time purchases, fostering sustained engagement and loyalty.

8. Compound Marketing and Consistent Product Promotion

Timestamp: [15:00]

In discussing future marketing strategies, Abigail introduces the concept of compound marketing. She advocates for consistent and repetitive promotion of products to ensure visibility and audience recall.

Abigail: "I sell one product and I make sure that like my email or my thread or my Instagram post or my story is selling one product and it's going to be my community every single day for 90 days." ([16:30])

By maintaining a steady presence across various channels, entrepreneurs can reinforce their offerings and increase the likelihood of audience engagement and conversions.

9. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Timestamp: [17:00]

As the episode concludes, Abigail reflects on the importance of adaptability and authenticity in the ever-evolving digital landscape. She encourages listeners to experiment with these predictions, integrating them into their strategies while remaining true to their unique voices.

Abigail: "If you do something different than what I'm predicting in this episode, that's totally okay, right? This is not me giving you absolutes. These are literally just my predictions." ([18:00])

She reassures her audience that the outlined trends are not rigid mandates but rather informed insights to guide their entrepreneurial journeys. Abigail signs off with gratitude, reinforcing her commitment to supporting her community through honest and actionable advice.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Move Away from Income Claims: Focus on authentic marketing strategies that build trust rather than relying on potentially misleading income promises.

2. Embrace Comfort Marketing: Create emotionally resonant content that fosters genuine connections with your audience.

3. Enhance Digital Products with Implementation Tools: Ensure that digital offerings include practical elements that help customers apply and benefit from the information provided.

4. Align B-Roll with Content: Use contextual and relevant B-roll footage to strengthen the narrative and emotional impact of your videos.

5. Leverage the Comeback of Carousels: Utilize carousel posts for more detailed storytelling and engagement, complementing the popularity of reels.

6. Prioritize Transparency and Context: Share both successes and challenges to humanize your brand and build deeper trust with your audience.

7. Invest in Paid Communities and Subscriptions: Offer ongoing, participatory experiences that provide value and foster loyalty among your customers.

8. Adopt Compound Marketing Strategies: Maintain consistent and repetitive promotion across multiple channels to enhance visibility and drive engagement.

By integrating these predictions into their strategies, entrepreneurs and digital product creators can navigate the dynamic landscape of 2025, positioning themselves for sustained success and meaningful audience relationships.

Transcript

[A]

You're listening to an episode of the Abigail Pugh Podcast with, you guessed it, Abigail Pugh. I'm an introverted mama who took my online business from zero to seven figures in 15 months, selling my own digital.

[B]

Products on social media.

[A]

And guess what? I did it all with my 3 year old daughter no less than 3ft.

[B]

Away from me at all times.

[A]

Now I'm bringing you everything I've learned about building a wildly profitable online business that supports your life while allowing you.

[B]

To truly live it.

[A]

Get ready for raw, honest conversations with entrepreneurs making thousands per month selling their own digital products and people just like you who ditch self doubt to create the life they've always wanted. If you're ready to make more money, have more impact, and still have time for the things that matter most, you're in the right place. Grab your sneakers, head out on your hot girl walk, and let's dive in.

[B]

Okay y'all. I live for this kind of content and I feel like not a lot of people did it this year, which I was super bummed about. But today I am going to be going through my 2025 predictions for Instagram and digital products. Now I want to preface this episode by saying that these are just my personal predictions. If you do something different than what I'm predicting in this episode, that's totally okay, right? Like, this is not me giving you absolutes. These are literally just my predictions. But I will say everything that I am predicting for 2025 are things that I am incorporating into my business or my content strategy in 2025. So feel free to do the same. Okay, first and foremost, I think we are going to see viewers pretty much over income claim marketing the way we have seen it this year. Now don't get me wrong, I love numbers and I love sharing data as a way to educate and show expertise. But I feel like in 2024 so many people only used income claims to sell and give off this whole if I can make a million dollars in four months, so can you Vibe. And it turned predatory so fast and I think consumers are getting so much smarter and better at sniffing out bullshit that this ain't gonna work in 2025. Not to mention so many of the income claims that people are using on social media are wildly non compliant with the ftc, which if you haven't dug into that hole yet, you absolutely should. I read a book called don't say that. It's amazing. I will link it in the show notes for you. But it'll, it's just gonna like blow Your whole mind on what you're allowed to say and what you're not allowed to say when it comes to income. Next up, I think comfort marketing is going to explode in 2025. I feel like we've had this wave of I'm going to make you feel like shit. So you buy my digital product marketing. And I don't know about you, but I'm over it. And I've noticed a huge shift in the content going viral and having insane amounts of comments and engagement. And so much of it is comfort content. Content that you watch and immediately go, oh shit, that's me. Or oh my gosh, I love this and I need to try this immediately. Right? People want to watch content that makes them feel good or makes them feel triggered in a good way. Okay, this next one is again, a hundred percent, just my prediction, which is legit. Just a guess, y'all, but I think low ticket digital products are going to explode even more, but with a slight twist. I feel like we had this huge wave of high ticket courses in, you know, 2022, 2023, and so many people got burned by them, right? And then in 2024, low ticket digital products really started to take off. And I think that will absolutely continue in 2025 because people want an entry level and affordable way to learn from someone before investing more in them. But here's the twist. In 2025, your digital product cannot be informational only, right? It has to also include some way to implement the information right? Like prompts, templates, maybe even challenges. Because here's the deal. People have spent so much money on digital products and courses over the years, and now they need to actually implement them, right? So make sure your digital product has that worked into it for 2025, so your customers can actually apply what you are teaching and get results. That way they keep coming back for more. Okay, back to another Instagram prediction. And some of y'all are not going to like this, but I think boring and disconnected B roll videos are going to die out in 2025. You know the ones where you throw some text on a random B roll and add a trending audio, right? Yeah, I think those are basically done. Instead, I think we're going to see a huge influx of reels that still use B roll text and some terminating audio. But the B roll is connected to what you are saying in the text on the reel. And honestly, these aren't that much harder to do. So, for example, if I had a reel with text that said, this is your reminder that if your business allows you to make cookies with your kid in the middle of the day on a Friday, you're successful. But I paired that with a random B roll video of me typing on my laptop. That literally wouldn makes sense, right? Like, that doesn't go together. Whereas if I paired that text with a heartfelt, trending Christmas audio and a sweet B roll video of me making cookies with my daughter, it would make you feel so much more than that random video. Right? And at the end of the day, your content, it needs to make people feel something so they can connect with you. And the simplest tweaks will help you do that. Okay, this next prediction is based on what I'm already seeing firsthand. But carousels are 100% making a comeback for Instagram and for sales on Instagram. Reels obviously are absolutely still relevant and amazing, but carousels are gonna give them a run for their money in 2025, especially since your carousels can now show up on the reels feed if you add music to your carousel. And I think that this comes back to people wanting to connect more on social media because carousels really allow you to do that. And they are self paced, right? So people can swipe through and read it at their own pace. And I think a lot of people love that right now, especially after reels. You know, they're so popular, so fast, but they're so fast paced and fun. Fun. Little tip for you here. My favorite carousels to use lately are the kinds where you literally just use the same image as the background for the entire carousel. And again, make sure that image is somehow connected to what you are saying in the carousel, if you can. Okay, this next one is huge for 2025, and even as a consumer myself, I want more of this. But I think transparency and context are going to be absolutely crucial in 2025. Right? People want transparency and context more than ever. They are sick of just hearing the wins without also hearing what it actually took to get those wins. Right? And I'm all for it. Because with short form content, it's so easy to leave the context out and paint a picture that really isn't true. And it doesn't discredit you or your knowledge to share the hard moments. I promise that's kind of the pushback I get all the time, especially from people in my community when they're. They're afraid to share, you know, the. Be transparent and share the hard moments. And they're afraid to like, give more context because they're afraid it's going to make them sound like they don't know what they're talking about. But if anything, giving context and being transparent about the hard moments that you've worked through to get where you're at, it humanizes you even more. And people buy from real life humans. Okay, okay. Don't forget that. Last but not least, I think low ticket paid communities and or subscriptions are going to blow the hell up in 2025. And I've honestly already seen it happening at the end of 2024. Consumers are wanting more. They want more connections, more feedback and somewhere to belong and they are willing to invest in that. So I want you to think about how you can serve your audience with something that is monthly and ongoing, right? Like something they can be part of with you. Something that isn't just a one time purchase that they will buy and forget about. And I will actually be doing a podcast on this soon. And everything to consider before launching a paid community since I actually just launched mine earlier this summer and I have learned so much and I love legit, have wanted to do a paid community since the beginning of my business, but I was always so afraid to commit to it and now, honestly I can't imagine my life without it. And it's where my main focus is going to be for 2025. So I actually think I'm also going to do something where it's like either 75 days or 90 days. I haven't quite like narrowed it down yet. Where I sell one product every single day and I make sure that like my email or my thread or my Instagram post or my story is selling one product and it's going to be my community every single day for 90 days. Because I'm like a huge advocate and believer in like compound marketing, right? Where we think, okay, I talked about it for five days and nobody saw it, but maybe your audience saw it, but they didn't see it enough times. So that's again just another little thing I'm going to be testing in 2025. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. This was such a fun one. I have just been a little bit nervous to put this one out into the world because sometimes I feel like predictions feel like this is what's going to happen and if you don't do this, it's your business is going to fail. And I don't know that's not me. You guys know that is not me. And I know that there are nuances to everything and one thing works for one person and it doesn't work for the other person and so I was a little nervous to put this out there. But thank you guys so much for listening. I will see you next week and I hope you have a great rest of your day. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. If you learned anything from this episode.

[A]

I would love it if you could.

[B]

Share it over on your Instagram stories and tag me at abigailpugh until next time. Love you, mean it.