Welcome to the February edition of our Social Media Roundup! The world of social media & marketing is fast paced - blink and you’ve missed new trends, updates and launches and as busy Social Media Managers, entrepreneurs, and freelancers, it’s hard to keep up right? We know just how hard it is to juggle your to-do list AND stay on top of everything new in the world of social media so we have got you! Our monthly roundup summarizes the main updates on all the social platforms, gives you some of the latest trending audios and talks about what has been trending this month. Ready? Let’s go!
Polls in comments - after being in testing for a while now, Instagram has finally rolled out polls in post comments! You can now add a poll to your post caption to encourage more interaction and engagement in your comments section. We love this little update as it encourages your audience to engage with very little effort. You could even use it to get valuable feedback and opinions from them.
Grid Preview - Instagram is currently testing a “grid preview” where users will be able to view their posts on their grid before posting (of course rapidely users can already do this on the platform!).
Reel Carousels - Instagram are working on carousels within Reels, which will enable users to post multiple videos and/or still images in a single Reels post (which TikTok users will be used to as you can already do this on there).
Locate your friends – Instagram are reportedly working on a “Friend Map” feature which will help users on the platform see where their friends are on a map. Spotted by infamous leaker Alessandro Pauluzzi, the updated might look something like this:
TikTok
Shopping - TikTok is diversifying its shopping tool & testing a new feature to transform user videos into shopping opportunities. The technology automatically identifies objects in videos & prompts viewers to explore similar products for purchase on TikTok Shop.
Creative Centre – TikTok’s Creative Center is now available on desktop. The platform features an ever-growing suite of creative resources where you can discover the latest trends, ad examples, best practices, and tools to create quality and effective TikTok ads.
LinkedIn is removing its “creator mode” from the platform. But don’t worry, the tools that come with it are staying (apart from the profile hashtags that highlight topics a member likes to talk about fueling rumors that hashtags are less relevant on the platform).
Threads
Meta has shared valuable information on how the Threads algorithm works. The main thing to note is that the platform is ranked by an AI system which impacts the “for you” feed. In fact, they don’t even mention the word ‘algorithm’ at all! Instead, they call it an artificial intelligence (AI) system. Head to the article on Meta’s website to read the report in full!
Trending Audios
There have been some fun trending audios on Instagram this month! Our favorite has to be Beyonce’s “Texas Hold Em”. The iconic singer has made musical history again by being first black female singer to top the Spotify US and Apple Music US charts with a country song. The catchy audio is of course all over Instagram & TikTok and at the time of writing is the no.1 trending audio on the app. We think it works well for all different types of reels & businesses! Browse some of the top reels created using the audio here for inspiration and try it out for yourself!
Here are some of our other favorite trending audios this month (tap on the image to take you to the audio):
Did you know you can browse all the latest trending audios on Instagram on rapidely? Each week our team hunt for the best and most relevant trending audios and provide helpful tips and ideas on how you could use each one for your brand!
What’s Trending right now on Social Media?
Superbowl
The 2024 Superbowl took place earlier in the month and of course that meant that the internet was full of funny and relatable memes which are still going strong! Think plenty of Usher and woman of the moment Taylor Swift with boyfriend Travis Kelce! We couldn’t resist posting one ourselves, check it out here.
Awards Season
With awards season well under way, BAFTA & SAG Awards memes are popular just now too. We just love how people get creative with the red carpet, fashion and celebrity reactions. Roll on the Oscars in March which will be the next big meme trend! Check out one of our favourite BAFTA Awards memes from travel company Contiki below.
Taylor Swift
With fans currently flocking to Taylor Swifts sold-out world tour, social media is awash with concert memes and reels and we are here for it! We are loving users get creative with concert goers video footage to promote their brands. Take a look at Winnies Party Hire’s reel here – we love it this! Why not try remixing the video yourself or using the audio & lip-syncing to illustrate just how fabulous your products or services are!
Roundup
There you have it! A round-up of everything that’s coming soon, in testing and trending in the world of social media right now. Come & join our Instagram gang for all the latest social media updates as well as weekly tips & advice on how to grow your brand using social media.
Looking to get organized & streamline all your social content? Try rapidely (its free!) where you can plan, create, schedule and manage your social content all in one place!
