June 2025 – Your 24-Hour Advantage in Understanding What Digital Consumers Actually Want

🔌 The brutal truth nobody’s talking about: whilst everyone’s obsessing over the next AI breakthrough, millions of consumers are actively searching for ways to escape technology altogether. We’re witnessing the biggest consumer backlash against digital overwhelm since social media began. Remember when Phones4U’s Scary Mary kept asking for help with her phone? Well, now consumers have stopped asking for help altogether – they’re actively trying to get rid of the bloody things.

Opportunity: Tech professionals who pivot to serve the “digital minimalism” market in the next 24 days will benefit whilst competitors struggle. 

🎯 The Tech Rebellion Nobody Saw Coming

Based on comprehensive search behaviour analysis, we’re seeing unprecedented demand for analog alternatives. This isn’t a small niche – “how do mp3 players work” spiked +4,950% in the past month alone. People aren’t just curious about retro tech; they’re actively seeking escape routes from smartphone dependency.

Spoiler: The “dumb phone” movement isn’t driven by nostalgia – it’s driven by digital burnout. Search patterns reveal consumers willing to pay premium prices for intentionally limited technology.

💰 Show Me the Money

The revenue opportunities hidden in this search data are staggering:

Service Gap Goldmine: “Where can you develop disposable cameras” broke out as a search term, revealing a massive service infrastructure gap. Whilst disposable camera sales rose +400%, the development infrastructure hasn’t scaled to match demand.

Premium Analog Market: Clear record players doubled in search volume, with “record player stand” breaking out simultaneously. Consumers aren’t just buying vinyl – they’re investing in entire analog audio ecosystems.

Digital Detox Consulting: “How to break my phone addiction” was a breakout search, revealing demand for structured digital dependency solutions. 

📱 Digital Minimalism Intelligence

The search patterns reveal three distinct consumer segments:

The Transitional Users: Searching “how to switch to a dumb phone” and “non smart phone” – ready to downgrade but need guidance

The Hybrid Seekers: Looking for “landline mode” (at all-time highs) – want smartphone functionality without constant connectivity

The Complete Escapists: Searching “how to live life without a smartphone” – seeking total digital independence

🔍 Competitive Intelligence

Oversaturated: Traditional smartphone accessories market – everyone’s competing for the same hyper-connected audience

Undersaturated: Analog transition services, digital detox planning, hybrid connectivity solutions

Market Gap: Professional services helping businesses transition to “analog-first” customer experiences

🔮 Forward-Looking Predictions

H2 2025 positioning opportunities based on historical patterns:

September-November: Back-to-school analog planning tools will spike (weekly planners hit all-time highs in 2025)

Holiday Season: Gift market for “gateway analog” products – expect vintage tech gifting to surge

Early 2026: Corporate digital wellness programs will become standard as “social media detox” searches maintain all-time high levels 

⚡ Your 24-Day Action Plan

Week 1-2: Market Positioning Audit

• Analyse your current offerings through an “analog alternative” lens

• Identify which of your services could be repositioned for digital minimalists

• Research local film development infrastructure in your area

Week 3-4: Implementation and Testing

• Launch “digital detox” service packages

• Partner with analog product suppliers (vinyl, film cameras, physical planners)

• Test messaging around “intentionally limited technology” rather than “retro” or “vintage”

Key Insight: Don’t market to nostalgia – market to intention. These consumers aren’t looking backwards; they’re making deliberate choices about their digital future. 

💡 Global Market Translation

This trend translates across markets because digital overwhelm is universal. However, implementation varies:

UK/Europe: Focus on “mindful technology” messaging and premium analog experiences

US: Emphasise productivity and focus benefits of digital minimalism

Asia-Pacific: Position as luxury lifestyle choice and status symbol

The underlying consumer need – escaping constant connectivity – remains consistent globally.

Want to get tech industry intelligence that actually makes you money whilst your competitors are still Googling “how to tech business good” at 3am on a Tuesday?

Just when you think you’ve got to grips with the latest video-sharing technology on the web, they go all Etch-a-Sketch on us and give everything a good shake, this month’s being the launch of Instagram Remix. The social media platforms have been falling over themselves to copy each others’ services, from Linkedin finally realising video is A Good Thing, to TikTok’s nifty Duet feature. It’s the latter that prompted Instagram to give its Reels tool, which is barely out of short trousers, an overhaul leading to – drum roll please – the Remix video editing feature. 

Re-re-re-remix 🤩

Now you can use the Remix feature in Reels to create your own reel next to one that already exists 🎭

Whether you’re capturing your reaction, responding to friends or bringing your own magic to trends, Remix is another way to collab on Instagram ✨ pic.twitter.com/eU8x74Q3yf

— Instagram (@instagram) March 31, 2021

It gives Instagram users the chance to create and post their reaction to a Reel, and while it might have a lot of comedic value, it’s also got great potential for business. 

Picture the scene: a small or medium-sized company posts its reaction to content from a bigger company, which then goes viral, bringing customers to their door and putting their brand on everyone’s lips. Talk about lights, camera, action… 

You can Remix any Reel, as long as the original poster has enabled access. The great thing is, the feature can be turned on and off, either by using the Privacy Settings, which would affect all Reels, or after you share each individual video.

To Remix a Reel, choose the video you want to react to and tap the three dots. “Remix This Reel” should appear if the original Instagram poster has enabled the feature. 

Record or upload your new Reel, which should appear on the right side of the screen. Now’s the time to merrily edit and get creative, adding stickers, a voiceover or change the soundtrack. When you’re happy with your content, write a caption and choose your video settings, then share – easy peasy. 

We reckon Remix Reels could give TikTok’s Duets a run for its money, but we’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, it’s time for our close-up… 

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the 42 Club, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. We help companies who are all fingers and thumbs with their social media grow their business and brand. Book your free strategy call here.

Humans have become pretty good at making life easier for ourselves, going right back to the discovery of fire (🔥) to the digital age, in which machines cater to our (almost) every whim. 

We’re quite the amazing species, when you think about it. Yet astonishingly, it’s taken until now for Instagram to allow us to use keywords to search for stuff.

Previously, we had to blunder around using hashtags as a search method which, as anyone who has ever tried to find anything on Instagram can be like trying to do brain surgery while wearing boxing gloves, because the platform would only look for answers among a user’s name or bio. 

It was inefficient and frustrating. But hurrah! English-speaking people in the UK and Ireland can now use keywords to dig up content, even if it isn’t tagged with the keyword you’re using.  

It’s a smart move by Facebook, which owns Instagram, but if early tests are anything to go by, don’t start hanging out the flags just yet… 

It’s not immediately obvious how the Instagram keyword search identifies what a post is about, and some searches have yielded mixed results. A spokesperson said the tool assesses “a number of factors,” such as the “type of content, captions, when it was posted,” and uses machine learning to “find the highest quality content that’s relevant to you. 

The Instagram keyword search is “limited to general interest topics and keywords that are within Instagram’s community guidelines,” they added. 

So, you can use keywords to search Instagram posts, but for the moment it’s a very limited – and somewhat frustrating – exercise. We can tell you puppies, pasta and flowers work, but you’ll get nowhere with slightly more controversial keywords, such as vaccine or Trump. 

24 fingers crossed, it won’t be long before the boffins at Instagram work their magic and broaden it out a bit. 

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community and the Organisation for Responsible Businesses. If you’re feeling all fingers and thumbs with your online marketing, use our hands (and hearts and minds) to get extra digits on your bottom line. Book your free strategy call here.

Lennon and McCartney. Emma and Kathy. Steve Jobs and Wozniak. They are among some of the world’s greatest partnerships, creating music, movie characters and must-have technology that brightened the four corners of the world. 

24 fingers aims to bring a little illumination too, with our latest collaboration. We’ve teamed up with the Microsoft Experience Centre in London to offer a series of free joint workshops which launch next month.

The first event kicks off on November 4th, and takes a one-hour look at world-class hacks for young professionals. Want to know how to write a kick-ass CV using Word, or create a PowerPoint presentation that will blow a prospective boss’s socks off? This one’s for you. 

The joint workshops with Microsoft run right through November, December and well into the New Year and will cover subjects including how to create a vision board using One Note, cybersecurity for small businesses – we reckon that one will be very popular – and empowering your small business. 

Emma Goode of 24 fingers said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Microsoft on these joint workshops. It’s a fantastic opportunity for entrepreneurs to get to grips with their technology and learn new skills that will boost their businesses. We can’t wait to get started.”     

You can check out our full list of events and workshops on Eventbrite, but don’t forget to sign up early and secure your place so you don’t miss out. 

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community and the Organisation for Responsible Businesses. If you’re feeling all fingers and thumbs with your online marketing, use our hands (and hearts and minds) to get extra digits on your bottom line. Book your free strategy call here.

What do you get if you blend the glamour of Instagram with TikTok’s snappy video stylings and Snapchat’s ephemeral (content that disappears after a short time) nature? The answer is LinkedIn Stories.  

It’s a new feature that allows users to post less formal images with customisable stickers or 20-second videos that are viewable for 24 hours, and we reckon it’s a long-overdue breath of fresh air for the business-based platform.

It’s a great place for businesses and professionals to connect or spotlight their CVs and or show off their services, but it’s always lacked a bit of personality. The global roll-out of LinkedIn Stories could well put an end to that stuffed-shirt image. 

LinkedIn calls Stories content “lightweight conversations related to your work-life”, but we like to think of it as the businessman undoing his tie or a female entrepreneur kicking off those killer heels. Brands have been quick to try it out, too. 

Christian Dior Culture used Stories posts to offer a behind-the-scenes look at September’s Paris Fashion Week, while others have used it to reveal competition winners or host Q&As. Job seekers and experts can also use the feature to post temporary content. 

As with TikTok, the trick with LinkedIn Stories is to be true to yourself and your brand to increase your engagement. “We believe Stories can become an integral part of brands’ communication strategies,” said Tom Pepper, head of marketing solutions UK, Ireland and Israel at LinkedIn.

“My advice to any brands looking to experiment with Stories is just do it. The great thing about Stories is that they don’t have to be slick or overproduced, as long as they are authentic and match your brand and audience.”

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community and the Organisation for Responsible Businesses. If you’re feeling all fingers and thumbs with your online marketing, use our hands (and hearts and minds) to get extra digits on your bottom line. Book your free strategy call here.

We’ve learned a lot about ourselves during lockdown, from our capacity to deal with enormous amounts of disruption to how many biscuits can legitimately accompany a single mug of tea. The curve has been vertical, to say the least. 

This strange time has also forced many businesses to really embrace digital technology, including video conferencing. Moments of peering into the screen and muttering “is it on yet?” swiftly gave way to us hosting or attending meetings involving several colleagues and using Zoom or Skype like the bosses we are.

So if everyone’s doing it, how do you make yourself stand out from the video conferencing crowd? 

Know your technology

As with all new bits of kit, it’s always wise to give them the once-over before diving in and  video conferencing software is no different. Get to know your way around the platform before joining or hosting any meetings, and make sure all pop-up or notification bleeps, bloops and blarts are firmly turned off. 

Also, invest in a good set of earphones (preferably ones that won’t make you look like Mickey Mouse) with a robust microphone but test its levels first to avoid potential embarrassment… 

Just farted on a zoom call and it lit my name up.

I’ve been betrayed

— Scarlet Châppell (@ScarletChappell) June 20, 2020

Location, location, location

Not all of us have a dedicated office space to conduct meetings (and anyone who saw that adorable BBC interview with Professor Robert Kelly knows the value of a locked door), so choosing a calm, quiet location for your meeting is crucial. 

Position yourself against an interesting background with good lighting. Bookcases are a popular choice but if you don’t want your clients/colleagues to know you’re a Danielle Steele nut, then a plain wall will do. Make sure that pile of laundry is shoved well out of shot before you go live. 

Wear it well

By now, working from home should – 24 fingers crossed – should be close to normal, so slobbing about in pyjamas won’t even be on your radar. But if you’re video conferencing a potential new client or the meeting is more formal than a colleagues’ get-together, make sure you reflect that with a smart outfit. 

As long as you’re 100% certain you won’t be required to stand up or move around, chances are you can get away with wearing whatever you like below the camera. 

Chit chat…

Although you’re probably miles from each other, don’t forget the pleasantries when people join the conversation. Getting the ball rolling with a little bit of small talk – especially when socialising face to face is a bit of a luxury at the moment – goes a long way when building relationships. 

…but don’t hog the airwaves

That said, it’s easy for us to be on transmit rather than receive, so it’s important to stay focused on the point of the meeting and not waffle on. If you’re hosting the meeting, then have a series of bullet points to hand so you don’t wander off-topic. Mute yourself before you wreck yaself.

Make sure everyone gets a chance to have their say and that everyone is respectful and keeps schtum when someone else is talking. Enthusiasm is great, but a noisy babble where no one can get a word in edgeways is off-putting and could put people off future meetings. Sad face. 

If the thought of video conferencing has you pulling your virtual hair out, talk to us at 24 fingers and we’ll have you ready for your close-up before you can say “lights, camera, action”. 

Winston Churchill once said “If we are together, nothing is impossible. If we are divided, all will fail.” Seems highly appropriate right now, doesn’t it…  As a team of 24 80 fingers and 10 tentacles across two continents, we’re highly aware that teamwork is the only way of making this dream work and as such, we’re relying on collaboration tools more than ever before. Some of you may be using already, some may be new, but we thought it might be helpful to show you how we use these collaboration tools to keep connected, to keep productive and quite frankly, to keep sane. Enjoy…

Capsule

They say: Simple yet powerful CRM. Join over 10,000 global businesses and discover an easier way to manage contacts, sales and grow lasting relationships.

We say: Our first choice if you’re thinking of introducing a customer relationship management tool in your business. Easy to use, visually appealing, provides an at-a-glance overview of our sales pipeline, oh and great value too.

Teamwork

They say: Teamwork is a work and project management tool that helps teams improve collaboration, visibility, accountability and ultimately results.

We say: It was Teamwork wot done it. First bit of software we bought and we’ve never looked back. It integrates with Office365, Gmail and all major programmes available at an IT desk near you.Their proactive support is second to none too. Booooom.

Zoom

They say: Founded in 2011, Zoom helps businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done

We say: Move over, Skype. You’ll hear ‘Shall we jump on a Zoom?’ pretty much every hour in our world. Rarely drops out and you get to look into someone’s eyes while you talk. Win win. PS: Now home to our social media training courses.

WhatsApp

They say: More than 2 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp¹ to stay in touch with friends and family, anytime and anywhere. WhatsApp is free² and offers simple, secure, reliable messaging and calling, available on phones all over the world.

We say: Did you know you can use WhatsApp on your desktop? Transformational. Let us show how.

Calendly

They say: Find the perfect meeting time with super easy online appointment scheduling software from Calendly, and say goodbye to phone and email tag.

We say: Let customers book in a Discovery Call with you directly from Facebook using Calendly software. Book in a call with us and we’ll show you how to set it up.

Canva

They say: Use Canva’s drag-and-drop feature and professional layouts to design consistently stunning graphics.

We say: An easy-to-use design tool that’s invaluable when it comes to creating social media graphics. The team functionality also means we can share designs across the oceans. Hands touching hands, reaching out, touching me, touching you (Ed’s note: that’s enough for now, Caroline, sweetie).

Be.Live

They say: Be.Live is a super easy web software for live streaming.

We say: Now we’re a believer. With 80% of all social media content due to be video based by the end of the year,  the Be Live platform is a non-scary way of recording webinars, remote interviews and Facebook Lives. Just remember us when you win your first Bafta.

Nuvi

They say: Listen, Plan, Publish, Engage, Analyze,Locate, Review, and Capture to create better experiences for your audience.

We say: You know that software you wanted that told you what was trending on social media and it showed you the movers and shakers in your industry and what platform they’re on, and when they post, and what day, and what hashtags they use and all that? Yeah, that. Speak to Dan Haslam and tell him we sent you.

Boomerang

They say: Thoughtful productivity software that helps you focus on what matters.

We say: Let us park that non-productive spammy spam spam that we just received in our inbox until we’re ready to deal. Thanks to Boomerang, we can deal with the important stuff at the right time through its clever Gmail filter. We can totally deal with that.

Hootsuite

They say: From finding prospects to serving customers, Hootsuite helps you do more with your social media.

We say: After Teamwork, there was Hootsuite. It allows us to approve and plan content, uncover influencers, keep an eye on mentions and so much more. In a disposable world, this one’s indispensable.

So there we have it. Our pick of the best collaboration tools known to woman, man and squid. Hope that helped and as ever, if you need a helping hand, social media or otherwise, we’ve got you covered. Apart from toilet roll. Just don’t ask us for toilet roll.

Stay safe people x

1 They tell us it’s a pun on ‘What’s Up?’
2 They also tell us data charges may apply.