Trending with Taylor💃🏻 (Feb 2024)

We are staying ahead in 2024.

Welcome to Trending with Taylor. Social media changes every day, which can be a lot to keep up with. That’s where I come in. My doom-scrolling habits are actually useful! Below, you’ll find creative inspiration, current trends, and maybe I’ll be able to validate some thoughts you’ve had about social media.

TikTok is becoming the new search engine

According to a New York Times article, “almost 40 percent of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.” Searching on TikTok can offer a more engaging experience compared to using Google. Instead of scrolling all the way to the bottom of the page just to find the recipe and ingredients list for “The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies,” you can go to TikTok and watch multiple videos to find one that suits you. Then, to validate that recipe, you can review the comments. This approach really reflects how Gen Z uses TikTok for finding products or businesses.

Check out this ad that TikTok UK released last year

Speaking of validation…

UGC plays a crucial role in the entire consumer buying process because it instills confidence in purchasing decisions. Ultimately, we want to trust a brand and know that real people use their products too.

Did you see Kanye’s Super Bowl ad? We could learn a few lessons from it. Rather than a polished presentation, Kanye created an ad in vertical format, which has become a relatable and familiar format for us due to social media use. Kanye shows us that lo-fi content provides a more authentic vibe over traditional ads with high production value.

Kanye West Super Bowl Commercial

Short-form content is here to stay…

Not only for a good time but for a long time. Did you know the average human attention span is only 8.25 seconds? That’s less than a goldfish’s 9-second attention span… yikes. This means the first 8 seconds need to be attention-grabbing with a short but clear message.

Content Creation Tip! The Pattern Interrupt. Start the video out doing something like lighting a match, pouring a cup of coffee, or making your surroundings unique and different, you might get the user to stop and check out what’s next. You’ve probably seen a lot of influencers tell a story while cooking or putting on makeup, or where people will lead with the juiciest part of the story and then cut back to the full conversation after. This is how they stop your thumb!

Let’s talk about the benefits of Memes

We’ve all come across a meme and found it relatable, then shared it with that one friend who has already received 10 memes and reels from you that day. Whether it’s relatable, funny, or informative, we often share videos or images for various reasons. When you link a trending meme to your niche, you can really increase your exposure! Also, it can show your company’s human side when pushing a message or product without seeming overly forceful.

Check out these memes we made for our own channel

Us vs. Them

Sometimes we just need a little nudge to validate why we should go with a certain product or service. The Us Vs. Them tactic is great for converting indecisive people.

Different ways to showcase reviews

The direction social media is heading suggests a shift towards more authentic and genuine lo-fi content, as mentioned earlier. That’s why I appreciate the green screen review (below, far right). I would trust that way more than a polished ad with a testimonial placed on top.