#VIRAL, The Newsletter: November 19, 2024

Happy Tuesday and welcome to #VIRAL, The Newsletter, which shares need-to-know content trends and concepts for political social media, digital, and comms professionals. Dive into this week’s trends and content ideas below [and share with a social media manager in your network].

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TIKTOK CONTENT TRENDS

Give these a whirl

“#WOMENINMALEFIELDS” TREND: This trend highlights insane things that guys do to girls, often in the dating sphere by playing uno reverse with the roles, like this and like this. The format can be video or carousel. The resulting post(s) should include #WomenInMaleFields on the video and in the caption of the video. It should also use this audio. The resulting video can also be posted on Reels and Shorts.

“DO YOU THINK YOU COULD MAKE IT THE WHOLE DAY?” AUDIO: This audio was originally directed at pets to see if they could make it through the day without doing something “bad.” It also then highlighted that “you already did something bad didn’t you moment.” as well. In the political application lens, the “can we make it through the day without you doing something bad” can be applied to a political figure in lieu of a cat, like so. Use it as a way to show someone that’s up to no good.

“HOW ARE THEY SO F*CKIN’ DUMB: AUDIO: An audio that encapsulates the mood? Yep, coming right up with this one. Use the audio to highlight an insanely dumb move by the opposition. It can be used for a video or a carousel.

“SHOPPING AT HOMEGOODS” TREND: If you’ve ever walked through a T.J. Maxx/Home Goods/Marshalls, etc, you’ll know that their shelves are often filled with the most obscure things that you couldn’t even dream of if you tried. In this trend, shoppers are spoofing on these items being sold by sharing that they’re looking for it, like so. In other words, they’re pointing out how absurd some of these items are by describing them out loud. This trend can be applied to insane things the opposition has loaded a mega-bill package with – amendments, earmarks, etc. Grab an elected pal and point ‘em out.

“BARE MINIMUM” AUDIO: This audio is being used to highlight two friends talking about a boy that one of them is seeing. The friend listening retorts “bare minimum” at any “plus” about the boy given. This same MO/energy can be used/applied to elected officials, candidate platforms, or organization promises. Use it to point out that what someone is saying/doing is the bare minimum, and ask for more.

*P.S. For any candidates that didn’t win this cycle that plan on running again, save this audio and use it for a TikTok when you announce your campaign 2.0

CAPCUT TEMPlATES

Give ‘em a whirl

• Use this template to highlight a positive trajectory of something political happening that’s under way. 

• Use this template to share a political maneuver that you or your team used to ruin the opposition’s day/also a devious plan from their end.

• Use this template to highlight a reaction to reading the fine print of a bill or policy platform. 

• Use this template to share a warning to the opposition about them messing with a policy/policy area of yours that you’re protecting. 

STITCH THESE TIKTOKS

Jump into the convo

• Stitch this video and give an example of someone in politics that’s not smarter, just louder. You could also use the audio to create an independent video.

• Stitch this video and discuss updates on the Gaetz AG nomination situation.

• Stitch this video and highlight further concerning facts about Trump’s cabinet nominees.

• Stitch this video and discuss your thoughts on the dynamics between the Biden’s and Harris.

INSTAGRAM TRENDS

Creative content concepts to try

“LOW TO HIGH ENERGY” TREND: This trend is before and after style. The before shows a setting/scenario where the creator is low energy. The after shows a change that makes the creator high energy. In this example, it’s the creator’s bestie joining the gossip sesh that makes her high energy. This specific scenario could be replicated but with two besties that work in politics, whether that be elected officials or those at orgs, etc. It can also be applied to a situation where a “political win” or achievement is the thing that creates the high/fully charged energy. And yes, this is an opportunity to give those battery emojis a moment to shine, as well as this audio.

“BLAH, BLAH, BLAH PROPER NAME” AUDIO: This audio is being used to show a conversation between “two people” where one is going into the nitty gritty on a topic and the other person has their head in the clouds/isn’t really listening. The reason for not listening is that the creator is distracted. In the political application POV, the distraction can be that the speaker is talking nonsense and/or fake news about a topic, and you’re waiting for them to finish to give them the truth.

“NEVER FORGET THE REASON YOU’RE WORKING” TREND: This trend has creators sharing “the reason” to not forget why they’re working, and that reason in most cases, is because it enables them to buy all of their favorite things. Now take that concept and swap out a showcase of things you like to buy, and swap out the people and results for the people that are a constant reminder as to why you do what you do. Concept-wise, it looks like this, so think a two-part video Reel with small text on the first portion. It also uses this audio for the background.

“POV: WHEN YOUR BOSS SEPARATES YOU” TREND: This trend shows two co-workers that have been separated by their boss, usually because they’re overly chatty with one another or more simply, just because they’re being assigned to different teams or projects. We see this concept being applied to two political besties being placed on different committees, i.e. separated sort of by their boss. It gives an easy to also share what committees the two elected officials will be on. To take it for a spin, use this audio.

“NO WHAT HAPPENED?” AUDIO: This audio originates from this video, where the creator is highlighting the experience of being a bad texter – specifically through the example of texting a friend a question and then leaving them hanging when they answer. That audio can be used to tell a story, like so:

• Audio splice 1: Show the creator + “no what happened?”

• Audio splice 2: Share a political happening with text on the video 

• Audio splice 3: Show the creator +  “What, what did they say?”

• Audio splice 4: Share more details on the political happening with text on the video 

“WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE” TREND: We cannot express enough how badly we want to see a judge or judges do a variation of this trend [we’re not holding our breath for it though]. This trend is two parts, which can be distilled into this:

• Part 1: “Who are we to judge”

• Part 2: “Us” + a circumstance we deem right for us to judge + judge costumes/wigs

So, now you can see why we think a judge would be great for this. It would literally highlight that they are in fact there to judge, as well as a topic area that they use their expertise on.

INSTA REELS AUDIOS 

Background audios that make Reels move

AUDIO → erhatheexplorer original audio

AUDIO → São Paulo

AUDIO → Heaven Knows

AUDIO → Maestro

AUDIO → ssnillo original audio

THREADS TO THREAD

Reply or Repost to these digital notes on Threads

The Thread → Reply OR repost and share a specific issue that Taylor Swift should amplify and support on in

The Thread → Reply OR repost about your distaste for government waste and bipartisan ways to combat it.

The Thread → Reply OR repost and share an example of someone being unkind for no reason OR someone being kind – pick your own adventure.

The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing things of import from “another week on the [political] job.”

The Thread → Reply OR repost who you’d like to see in the lookalike contest, politician edition.

Editor’s Note: We will be adding a dedicated BlueSky section starting next week.

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