Erin Storm | Social Media Director
Emily Rinde | Agency Communications Director
With summer winding down, everyone feels ready for a return to routine and normalcy. Except for the fellas in our headline, that is. We’ll cover all that and more in this month’s social trends report. Here we go!
To quote broadhead’s favorite philosopher, T.A. Swift, “Can you just not?”
The latest in the feud literally no one except Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk care about is that Zuck is so done but now Musk wants to show up at the Facebook founder’s house to fight? I don’t even see drama like this when I re-read my middle school diaries. We’re getting bored.
Instagram updates got me feelin’ very nostalgic for MySpace circa 2005
Do you remember your very first Instagram post? Mine was, I kid you not, my setup for dyeing Easter eggs in 2011 — complete with a white border and the 1977 filter maxed out. In a new update that has us pining for the yesteryears of social media, you can now add songs to your IG carousels. “Beverly Hills” by Weezer, anyone?
Instagram has also juiced up its collaborative posting capabilities, with options to post updates alongside three other users. Read all about it here.
Hanging on by a….Thread?
Has that pun been done before? As active users continue to decline, Threads and Meta have released a slew of new updates to re-engage users: Sharing Threads directly via Instagram direct messages, alt text for images (points for accessibility features), an @mentions feature that feels very Twitter X, and the ability to sort your list of followers. Will it be enough to keep current users engaged — and attract new ones? It might be tougher than it seams (couldn’t resist one more cringe-y sewing pun, sorry).
Just one more Elon Musk mention and then we’re done, promise.
The X algorithm is beginning to fit with Elon’s long-term vision for the platform. The super-high-level summary:
- Replies are favored: My witty replies might finally get their time in the viral spotlight. Replies are being given higher priority in the algorithm ranking. This could either create great moments for collaboration and community or lead to more trolling and toxicity which has been a problem for the platform in the past. Fingers crossed it’s the good one!
- Video is king: X is placing more emphasis on video content to enhance monetization. This is part of X’s broader strategy to increase video consumption within the app, subsequently allowing for ad insertions and more revenue-sharing options for users.
- Just say no to links: Links won’t significantly expand reach, so brands seeking to drive website traffic through X should reconsider their strategy. Elon shared that X will prioritize posts based on the time users spend on the content, expressing his dislike for links that take users away from the app.
Is…is this YikYak déjà vu?
A new social network is popping up across (more than 80!) college campuses. Fizz fosters discussions around myriad topics with the promise of anonymity. The differentiator here? Users are paid to create, promote and moderate content within the platform — which could be a big deal for advertisers hoping to reach a niche audience. But it sounds like bots already abound. Think we’ll hear more about Fizz or will it go the way of YikYak and so many other anonymous social networks?
Did something pique your interest in this month’s Social Scoop? Have a topic you’d like us to cover? We’d love to chat. Let’s connect.