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)
→ “Be my NY when Hollywood hates me” Trend: Taylor Swift’s new song, Elizabeth Taylor, is one of the many that’s generated a TikTok trend. This particular trend has creators using this cut of the song over video clips that feature distinctly NY scenes/landmarks/places with the lyric “be my NY when Hollywood hates me” added via text to the center of the TikTok. The goal of the trend is to show how amazing and special NY is, so thus this trend works for NY politicos of every stripe. The caption can be also used to share a reason why you love NY – if you’re a candidate for example, you could also alter it to share why you’re running and how you’re love for the city is a part of that reasoning.
→ “You think I’m tacky baby” Trend: Another Taylor Swift-related trend loading… This trend has creators sharing their “say less” style response to when a friend asks them if they want to do something that they love doing – like with this creator who is over the moon when a friend asks if she wants to go drink Aperol spritzes and talk shit. The trend uses this audio cut and plays on the fact that when a friend makes an ask like the one described it’s like them “talking dirty to them.” The trend could be used politically like…
“Do you want to go protest [XYZ issue] and drink iced coffees”
“Do you want to go troll [heinous person] for [heinous action]”
“Do you want to go pass a budget that [impact]
The resulting video should take-on this generalized style and include text on screen to communicate what it is that blows you out of the water.
→”...is talent” Trend: This is a carousel trend that shows an evolution from meh/bad to good/great of a skill/hobby/passion/career. Like with this baker’s post, the trend distinctly shows a journey of improvement from novice to expert. The trend can be done casually with a relatable hobby or a career move - whatever route you go, there should be at least 3-5 images involved in the carousel. The first slide should have text added with the formula: “[the skill] + is talent,” which contextually btw, is supposed to be tap into the thesis of this audio [which is the one to use for this trend] and the argument about needing talent versus practice related to a skill; in other words practice makes perfect not just pure talent.
→ “I think this whole administration…” Audio: This audio is being used for videos like this, mainly from parents showing what’s going on in their brains as a result of the Trump Admin, while trying to be present and happy for the kids that they’re raising; it’s also generally being used to show what it’s like to move through life right now with these people in power like this. The audio can be used in a similar fashion, or to make it more relatable to working in politics, can be used over b-roll of the principal at work with the positioning being “what goes through my head while pushing back on XYZ” or “what goes through my head while watching [trump or admin official] talk about [issue area].”
→ “You know what’s crazier? That men are running the country” Audio: This podcast clip produced this is an iconic [and true, tbh] audio where content creator Allison Kuch goes on a rant starting with “you know what’s crazier? That men are running the country…”. That audio can be used to create a variety of TikToks like:
This video that shows a creator [hi, that’s me!] sharing what they listen to on their walks
A video that mimics a podcast set-up featuring two women electeds
A woman in politics [or else wise] lip-syncing the audio with an image of a news story involving one of the men running the country superimposed on the video, proving the audio’s point
A carousel of news stories showing how immature the men running the country are
A carousel of news stories showing how smart and accomplished women in politics are
→ “Do you hate anyone more than you hate Donald Trump?” Audio: This Rose O’Donnell interview produced this gorgeous quick tidbit:
Interviewer: “Do you hate anyone more than you hate Donald Trump?”
Rosie: “No”
Interviewer: “Why do you hate him so much?”
Rosie: “Well he’s a liar, a fraud, and a fake”
The audio can be used most easily for a lip-sync style video with nothing added. That style can be ‘upgraded’ by adding a ‘why’ to the video or the caption. The original video also has other more specific clip-able audio tidbits if you want to drill a bit deeper into connecting the dots between Rosie’s ‘why’ and yours.
TikTok Audios
TikTok audios for BTS and b-roll vids
AUDIO → swatting at flies
AUDIO → Prisoner of Mind
AUDIO → original sound Leslie
AUDIO → Little Sparrow
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Instagram Trends
Creative content concepts to try
→ “Father Figure x Dogs” Trend: Taylor Swift’s song Father Figure has a line that goes like “I’ll protect the family.” And that line, via this audio, is being used over videos of people’s pets, namely dogs, keeping an eye out for their owners. It’s an easy trend and way to show off the family woof, whether they’re actually good at being a protector or not.
→ “Life of…” Trend: It really is the week of Taylor Swift trends. This one uses the song Life of a Showgirl for vlogs that show what a person’s life is like. For example, this creator is showing her life as – “the life of a travel girl.” In politics, it could be “the life of congresswoman” or “the life of a candidate for mayor.” Whatever the position or role for the vlog, it’s a combination of video clips of that person living the embodiment of what they’re describing their life to be.
→ “I have the time” Trend: This Reel is the best example of this trend, which depicts two friends sitting at coffee, with one saying “it’s a long story” and the other showing how much they care by saying “I have the time.” This concept can be replicated to show the dynamic and dedication between:
An elected and a constituent
An org and fellow advocates
A candidate and people in their community
The Reel can be filmed in-office or in the community. To bring it to life of course, utilize text on video to make the two roles.
IG Reels Audios
Background audios that make Reels move
AUDIO → hammymilk original audio
AUDIO → moeai.art original audio
AUDIO → kaylamichellefisher original audio *evergreen audio for expressing frustrating moments
Threads to Thread
Reply or Repost to these digital notes on Threads
The Thread → Reply OR repost and share what other governors have made moves to ensure their residents have access to COVID and flu shots.
The Thread → Reply OR repost with whether or not you’re a Wawa person or a Sheetz person.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing who you think is in the Epstein files.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by finishing the prompt.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing a clip of the Pam Bondi hearing.
The Thread → Reply OR repost by using the post as a jumping off point for reminding people about the Nov. election.
Skies Are Blue
Trending topics ATM on Bluesky
NYCC 2023
Laszlo Krasznahorkai
Seattle Politics
WNBA
Survivor
Mariners
BEFORE YOU GO…
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