Welcome to #VIRAL, The Newsletter, sharing need-to-know content trends and concepts for Dem social media, digital, and comms professionals. Dive into this week’s picks below.
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TikTok Content Trends
Give these a whirl (and post them on Reels & Shorts too)
→ “She was having an affair with a Haitian mortician” Audio: If you watch Real Housewives of Miami, this audio most likely has been playing on a loop in your head for the last week. The audio for those who don’t know, is Bravo gold from the latest housewives reunion, and can be used for political TikTok content. Now the premise of the audio is that the speaker is sharing that someone was in a bad place and the bad action that they took as a result – so 1 + 1 = 2. With that mind, the lip-sync-style content that come that formula looks like this or like this:
Through :03 seconds of the audio | via text add who/what is/was in a bad place
:04 through :06 of the audio | via text add what they did or are doing because they’re “in a bad place”
→ “Some people say you shouldn’t call the president a…” Audio: This snappy audio goes like this: “Some people say you shouldn’t call the president a motherfucker. Nah you shouldn’t call that motherfucker a president. That’s the problem with it. Y’all have a great day.” It’s three quickest, easiest, use cases look like this:
A lip-sync video like this done by the Anderson Clayton that gets the point across plain and simple.
A lip-sync video that includes a sticker image of a headline that underscores the president being a motherfucker.
A b-roll video that features more and more sticker images being added to the video throughout the audio playing, underscoring en masse the point that the president is a motherfucker.
TikTok Audios
TikTok audios for BTS and b-roll vids
AUDIO → I believe to my soul
AUDIO → Laura
AUDIO → Everybody x Elizabeth Taylor
AUDIO → Dracula
AUDIO → Bad Bunny x Never Trump Guy
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Instagram Trends
Creative content concepts to try
→ “You just said that you…” Trend: This audio has creators sharing moments where they’ve caught someone in a lie – like this. That exact concept can be applied to the opposition, using the audio and this filming structure to call them out on a specific one. In a similar vein, the audio can be used to call out someone in the opposition that you had just met with or met with earlier that day who then flip flopped in general on an issue, or specifically did so in the media, undercutting what y’all had agreed on. The text on screen portion of the video should be pov style, like: “me catching XYZ lying about who is able to get healthcare in this country.”
→ “Creating a video from a voice note” Trend: This trend is office humor meets strategic marketing genius. It has employees using a voice note from their boss that features directions on what to showcase to a specific audience [could be in a social post, for a press preview, for a buyer, etc], to create a video like this. The video spotlights all of the items that the boss wants them to showcase. That same concept could be applied to politics, just instead of showcasing items you might be selling in a store, it could be…
“Show where the Republicans in the House are” feat. video of the House empty
“Show where Republicans are hiding accountability” feat. video of someone searching high and low to no avail
“Show where the Epstein files are” feat. a video with the White House in focus
Of course, the trend could also tap into its sales-y roots, and be used to showcase campaign merch. It could be used to highlight accomplishments by an org or office.
→ “The sadness leaving my body after” Trend: This trend is particularly big amongst fashion influencers and has them using this audio and body movement to highlight how putting on a good outfit results in “the sadness leaving their body.” The concept could be used by orgs to show “their” reaction to when a member of their community takes a particular action – for example, “the sadness leaving my body when someone registers to vote” or “the sadness leaving my body when I hear that someone called their senator about XYZ.”
→ “We’ll figure it out as we go” Audio: This audio shows the contrast between a person that is super into planning and one that is “go with the flow/wherever the wind takes them” vibes. And because of that, it can be used to illustrate the differences around how Democrats and Republicans are handling the government shutdown – one that wants to get shit done and one that doesn’t really care about the when/if/how/why, etc. Visually, the Reel can take shape in a similar style to this one.
IG Reels Audios
Background audios that make Reels move
AUDIO → Love Me Not
AUDIO → The World We Knew
AUDIO → Casper’s Lullaby
AUDIO → I’ve Seen It
AUDIO → Present
Threads to Thread
Reply or Repost to these digital notes on Threads
The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing what else the U.S. government could pay for with $40 billion.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing another example of what someone’s insurance premium will go up to if the GOP doesn’t extend the enhanced ACA tax credit.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by adding the latest example from a GOP member of Congress’s office featuring a particular flag.
The Thread → Reply OR repost with another government-related haunted house example.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by explaining what the Patriot Act is.
Skies Are Blue
Trending topics ATM on Bluesky
The Archers
Caturday
Mariners
Mitch McConnell
Mainers
ChatGPT
Cybertruck
BEFORE YOU GO…
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