Constant craving
Just Another Day in Social Media. 😉
In case you were wondering — as many were — whether RadioShack's Twitter account had been hacked, or taken over by a rogue intern, it wasn't. Nope, all that sexually explicit content was on purpose. Go there now and you'll see what I'm talking about. So, what's happening? It turns out that RadioShack is also now a cryptocurrency platform, according to Mashable, and it's trying to post content it thinks appeals to this audience. I'm not in that demographic, so I have no idea. But if we're comparing brand refreshes, I think there are better ways to go viral, like Old Spice did with I'm on a Horse.
Here are today's top stories:
Also Trending: Craving comfort, community and authenticity
All Instagram videos may soon be Reels
And how TikTok might get you your next job
Read on ⬇️
All Signs Point To...
It feels like the social media world is constantly talking about Instagram vs. TikTok, the metaverse, NFTs etc. But there are other trends out there quietly bubbling away under the surface, and often they play out among younger generations first. Based on some recent surveys and a trending app, here are a few things you might want to keep an eye out for...
Craving Comfort
The news seems to get more stressful every day. And after a two-plus-year pandemic, we're all understandably burned out and need a break. And that's showing up in the digital world. A recent YouTube survey suggests that 90% of Gen Z have watched a video that helped them feel like they are in a different place. In addition to escaping, Gen Z is craving comfort. "Soothing content is one of the most underrated forms of content right now," the report says, adding that 83% of Gen Z have used YouTube to watch soothing content, and 69% of Gen Z find themselves returning to content or creators that feel comforting to them.
Takeaway: Find a way for your brand to provide soothing and comforting visuals and videos that can help create a place for your community to escape (in a way that aligns naturally with your brand, of course).
Craving Authenticity
Again, after years of being apart, many are craving a closeness and authenticity that we haven't had in a while. One app is helping with that. BeReal launched in December 2019, but has exploded in popularity this year, growing its monthly active users by 315% between January and April. The aim of BeReal is to provide your friends with a glimpse into your "real" life by prompting you once a day to share of a photo of exactly where you are in that moment. You get two minutes to post. And it only shares the photo with people you are friends with. It's been called the "Anti-Instagram" app because of its focus on real-life, in-the-moment photos, and follows a similar trend mentioned last week of the 0.5 selfie that is a less curated option than the traditional selfie.
Takeaway: Instead of carefully curating every image, consider sharing more casual images where your friends and community feel like they're getting the most authentic version of you/the brand.
Craving Community
Much like the BeReal app, Snapchat is all about connecting with friends and community. It's not about trying to become a content creator or get likes. So I was intrigued when I read Snap's recent trends report — Snapchat Generation 2022. The results suggest that 4 out of 5 Snapchatters think connecting with friends is the easiest way to feel happier. The report also says that nearly half of Snapchatters see it as "increasingly important that brands build meaningful connections with them." And how do they share their love of brand? By talking about it with others.
Takeaway: Find ways to connect with your target audience, while facilitating conversations and community around your brand.
SOCIAL SNACK
All Videos May Soon Be Reels
In the fight for video dominance, Instagram is considering turning all videos into Reels. TechCrunch confirmed the test with Instagram, which said it's currently testing a way to "simplify and improve the video experience." Social media expert Matt Navarra shared a screenshot of the message that testers are receiving. Meanwhile, it looks like we'll soon be able to post Reels using third-party tools, like Hootsuite, after Instagram announced it is launching its Reels API for external use. This all makes me wonder if "Stories" may soon disappear in favour of Reels. Twitter got rid of its Stories feature (Fleets) last year to focus more on its audio feature (Spaces). So perhaps Instagram will do the same. Honestly, it might make things a bit easier.
Managing social media is hard enough — staying up-to-date shouldn't be. Level up your social media knowledge in minutes a week. Sign up for our newsletter today!
ICYMI
🔴 Snapchat introduces Snapchat+ subscription for $3.99 per month [Snapchat Blog]
🔴 LinkedIn wants you to understand when and why to follow people [LinkedIn Blog]
🔴 Facebook introduces features to quickly find and connect with Facebook Groups [Facebook Blog]
🔴 TikTok testing a dedicated shopping feed with users in Indonesia [Social Media Today]
🔴 Meta warns employees of 'serious times' in internal memo [The Verge]
🔴 YouTube outlines 7 key innovations in the last 7 years [YouTube Blog]
94%
That's the percentage of U.S. journalists who use social media for their jobs, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. The most popular social media site for journalists — 69% use Twitter. But the social media site where most Americans get their news — the majority (33%) go to Facebook.
JOB-LIKE
Wanted: Mad TikTok Skills
In case you need a reason to start posting more content on TikTok, it could be the door to a new job. Creative agencies are on the hunt for TikTok super users to help create content for brands, according to a recent article by email newsletter company Marketing Brew.
Skills they are looking for:
Copywriters (particularly multilingual writers for international brands)
Low-fi video content creators who are confident using TikTok's creative tools
And in case you need content inspiration, here are the most-viewed TikToks. *Pop quiz — one of the videos in this list was created by the most followed TikTok star (it's no longer Charli D'Amelio). Who is it? (Answer to follow next week!)
Hey, congrats — you made it to the bottom of the e-newsletter!
If you really liked it, why not forward it to a friend. 💌