Welcome to #VIRAL, The Newsletter from Girl and the Gov®, 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)
→ “I don’t have to sweeten my delivery to make it work for Tod” Audio: This classic Nene audio from RHOA is making its rounds again paired with videos like this and this. The premise of the audio is that the speaker does not have to change the way they say something to make it more palatable for someone else to hear. In the lens of politics, videos can be made from the pov of an elected/candidate/thought leader, sharing who they don’t have sweeten the delivery for when handing out the truth – ex: Mike Johnson.
→ “I won’t say” Audio: This audio originates from this podcast clip. And said audio, can be used by two politicos – mostly likely thought leaders – to create a video imitating the set-up of the OG, while adding to the last section, a reason why we’re now all in hell. The reason can be added via text to the video or with a screenshot-image-sticker add-on. It’s the TikTok version of burying the lead, and if taken on by two thought leaders with persona and a sense of humor, may bring new eyes to the page and the bad news people should know about.
→ “Sometimes you just have to read your mom’s texts” Trend: This trend has creators sharing an insane text from a parent that’s honestly pretty typical for them, and conjures the behavior where they read it, they laugh, they move on with their day. The trend is a two-image carousel trend in practice and looks like this. It could be used as-is, or you could swap in a friend/colleague/person in your orbit that would be relevant, known, and funny to your audience. As for the audio to use, pop on this one.
→ “Take it” Trend: Transparently, this entire trend is about flipping someone off that deserves it, middle finger in the air included. If that’s too brash for your account [most likely is], keep it movin’. If it works for your vibe, use this audio to create a video like this or this. To make it political, or at the very least specific, add text to the video to share who that middle finger is making its point at.
→ “Hobbies Include” Trend: This is a b-roll/vlog based trend, that has creators sharing a quick compilation of things that they love to do in action, like this. The finished product or video rather, has in small font, the following text, “hobbies include” and 2-4 hobbies written below that; the hobbies included should be able to be described in less than 5 words to keep the font small. When thought of for a politico, the variation could be all politically related activities, or to be more well-rounded and representative of the principal, a mix of actual hobbies and political activities they love to do. The audio to use regardless, is this one.
TikTok Audios
Trending TikTok audios for BTS and b-roll vids
AUDIO → som original
AUDIO → Coal Live Session
AUDIO → Ghost Good Knights Remix
AUDIO → original sound mj fan girl 07
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Instagram Trends
Creative content concepts to try
→ “Haunted House” Audio: This screeching spooky audio has long been used with videos trying to warn their viewers about something bad to come – either in reality or in jest. The audio is now being used for Reels like this, that show the dynamic where one person is sharing information and those on the receiving end have this sound going through their minds, because they can already see the car crash to come [in other words they’ve been through this song and dance before]. The concept can be used by thought leaders to share an idea that’s being proposed, that’s been tried before, and not worked – bonus points for it not just working but having diabolical level impacts.
→ “We from the same place” Trend: There are certain groups of people that have either a lot in common or get commonly grouped together. This trend harps on that experience, with creators using this audio and video format to share what it’s like when those two+ groups interact with one another – they act like they’re family because they kind of are. The trend is also doing numbers on TikTok right now, and could have fun niche political career/industry use cases; the goal should be related with other people in the political space.
IG Reels Audios
Background audios that make Reels move
AUDIO → Heaven Can Wait
AUDIO → The Quiet Life
AUDIO → Ike’s Mood I
AUDIO → Lauren Wolfe Original Audio
Threads to Thread
Reply or Repost to these digital notes on Threads
The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing who else or what other body of government should be put on a PIP for poor performance. Thread it further by adding “why” in a reply.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing what candy you’re mostly made up of right now thanks to Halloween and one other things that’s consuming currently [politically related of course].
The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing another statistic related to SNAP and its recipients.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by elaborating further on Trump giving Argentina billions in U.S. taxpayer money.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by adding more details on the contingency fund that the Trump Admin is refusing to release to fund SNAP.
The Thread → Reply OR repost with your commentary of RFK Jr changing his tune on his unproven claims about Tylenol and autism.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing someone else that’s scary enough to just be themselves for halloween.
Skies Are Blue
Trending topics ATM on Bluesky
Kristi Noem
Jamaica Recovery
Dodgers
World Series
Blue Jays
Rufus Wainwright
BEFORE YOU GO…
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