Welcome to the October edition of our Social Media Roundup! The world of social media and marketing moves quickly - blink and you might miss new trends, updates, and launches. As busy social media marketers, entrepreneurs, and content creators, it’s tough to keep up, right? We understand how tough it is to juggle your to-do list while staying on top of all that’s new in the world of social media so our monthly roundup summarizes key updates across the main platforms, highlights the latest trending audios, and covers what’s been popular on our feeds this month. Say goodbye to spending hours trawling the internet and your social feeds - our guide is all you need! Ready? Let’s dive in!
Social Media News
Carousels in reels feed – Instagram carousels are having a major moment right now and here’s why! Adam Mosseri recently shared that adding music carousels makes them eligible to show up in the reels feed (amongst other tips you can see here). We’re already seeing this in our reels feed and think it’s great news as it will help expand the reach of our posts!
Best Practices – Instagram recently introduced "Best Practices," an Education Hub for creators in the professional dashboard. The section provides tips to help creators optimize content, expand their reach, and achieve their goals. This update is rolling out just now so if you don’t have it yet, don’t worry, it’s coming soon! Take a look at Adam Mosseri’s post on it here.
Reels Performance Tips In-Stream – In a similar vain to best practices, Instagram is currently experimenting with new notes on Reels in-stream which will explain why your reel is performing well in the app. This one is still in testing so not a confirmed roll out yet!
Halloween features - Instagram has announced some spooky features for Halloween, including keyword-triggered animations in DMs, Stories templates and a Halloween font. Creators are divided over this - some are enjoying the seasonal fun whilst others are poking fun at the “pointless” update whilst seemingly overlooking other much-requested updates they deem to be more important.
TikTok
Flip Story - TikTok has been rolling out a new "Flip Story" feature, allowing users to add a surprising twist to Stories by flipping between two photos which they hop adds a layer of fun and surprise to storytelling.
Expanded Subscriptions for Creators - TikTok expanded its subscription options by letting creators offer tiered perks, such as exclusive content and private chat options for subscribers, enhancing monetization possibilities.
Threads
Reels to Threads – Threads are testing a new feature that will let you share Instagram Reels directly to Threads.
YouTube
3 Minute Shorts - YouTube extended the length of its Shorts videos to 3 minutes, giving creators more flexibility within the short-form format.
Meta
AI updates – Meta have announced some BIG updates to their AI tools including being able to talk to Meta AI on Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram DM, AI photo editing, answering questions with an image and generating story backgrounds. See our post here for more in-depth info about these changes!
Trending Audios
Let’s talk trending audios! A trending audio teamed with a great video and concept can elevate a reel from ok to amazing! Let’s look at what audios have been trending this month:
Guilty - This trend features an audio clip of a courtroom scene where someone is found guilty on three counts. Users participate by sharing three actions they're "guilty" of, often displayed humorously. They create videos of themselves being "caught" in funny situations or holding up signs that read "guilty," while accompanying text explains what they're admitting to. The trend allows for a playful and light-hearted confession of everyday habits or quirks that their audience can relate to. Explore the audio & examples here.
When I’m being chased by the police… – Set to the audio "(I Just) Died In Your Arms" by Cutting Crew, this trend features users humorously "running" away from the police, typically in slow motion. The text on screen reads, "When I'm being chased by the police and they say the subject is/has [insert feature, accolade, or occupation]." Examples include, "...a natural blonde," "the best fitness instructor in London," or "has great fashion sense." This playful trend is a fun way for users to highlight a unique trait or selling point of their brand while showing off their light-hearted side. Explore the audio & examples here.
Here are some of our other top trending audios this month (tap on the image to take you to the audio):
Psst! 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?
Noughties Heartthrobs Resurgence
Ever since Joshua Jackson’s viral moments on the red carpet and on-stage at the 2024 Emmy Awards, paired with Adam Brody’s new Netflix hit, It Starts With Us, social media has been swooning hard over these two icons. Users have been crushing HARD on the pair a with our feeds being flooded with memes, reels and remixes celebrating how the former teen heartthrobs have aged like fine wine. Throwbacks to Jackson’s beloved role as Pacey in Dawson’s Creek and Brody’s quirky character in The OC are fuelling a wave of noughties nostalgia and endless admiration for these nougties heartthrobs (and we are here for it!).
NO-vember
NO-vember is a trend and social movement that encourages people to say "no" to certain habits, pressures, or obligations during the month of November. The focus is on prioritizing well-being and self-care by setting boundaries and being mindful of commitments. Social media users are sharing what they're saying "NO" to this month. Users are encouraging people to set boundaries by saying "no" to extra demands, harmful habits, unnecessary spending, and excessive screen time, all in the interest of mental and physical well-being. The focus is on simplifying life, practicing self-care, and avoiding burnout as the holiday season approaches.
Roundup
There you have it! A round-up of everything that’s coming, 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.
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