Hey readers! Here’s our hot take: There’s a lesson to be learned from Kate Mackz for creators and audiences. When I think about my favorite creators, I have a strong sense of where they stand socially and politically. That isn’t because my favorite creators are political commentary accounts; it’s because their values come through their content. That might be through how they interact with the wider culture, the communities they represent, the environment, or their local area. For creators and audiences, it might be worth thinking about what a platform can do and who we should give platforms to.
🎵 Top Sounds 🎵
Our curated picks of the top sounds on TikTok
Charli remains queen of trending sounds. This sound has been used for everything from doomed romantic interest fan edits to videos of creators feeling themselves.
Struggle 😫
A sound for times of struggle.Use this sound for moments of Western melancholy. Alternatively, use this sound to depict a conversation where one person has more responsibility than the other (see: Darshen).
The Argument Isn’t Making Sense 🤨
As one creator said, this sound is what Jubilee debates sound like.A great trend for all of us who’ve tried to make plans as adults.
🔉Sound Highlight 🔉
Mood: 🙂↕️
Use this sound for moments of recognition or when you’ve heard particularly juicy gossip.
🌟Trend Highlight 🌟
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Creators are surprising their bosses, parents, and friends by completing the phrase “I’m so hungry I could eat…” with someone unexpected from that person’s past.
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The Balerinna Cappucinna isn’t just a trending sound— it’s part of a host of Italian AI voice trending sounds known as “Italian Brainrot.”
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‘Nichetok’ edits like this have been on my FYP more and more. These edits usually combine videos with similar ‘vibes’ in a niche. This video combines clips of Lynch and his filmography with other clips that fit the niche.
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Creators are pairing the song Money from Cabaret with quick cuts of issues they want to draw attention to. As ever, it’s about capitalism, baby.
💫 Post Highlight 💫
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Bobs are powerful. The Denver Zoo may not have a Moo Deng but they do have an orangutan with a bob and that’s basically the same thing.
👀 Platform News 👀
Platform updates, new features, and what’s new on social
LinkedIn is making moves toward monetization for video creators.
Another TikTok ban extension might be granted by Trump if no deal is reached by June 19th.
Reels could become a separate app, or at least it appears Meta is considering it. IMO it’d be a big mistake.
Over 1.5 million Americans are now full-time digital creators, up 7.5x from 2020.
☕ The Zeitgeist ☕
Hot topics and discourse from across the internet
Black boy joy is infectious. A group of young men has been going viral for trying out activities that Black men aren’t expected to do.
Duolingo is in hot water again after announcing they’re going “AI-first” as a company. Attitudes towards AI are not exactly positive right now, with trust in AI down among the public, according to research conducted by KPMG and the University of Melbourne.
AI Trump Pope isn’t an image we needed, but it’s what we got. I can only assume the Trump team saw Conclave’s streaming numbers.
🥡 The Takeaway 🥡
What marketers are taking away from trends
What TikTok needs is more news and better news.
The Daily Mail dominates on TikTok. With 21.9 million followers and a simple format, they’re able to get headlines (clickbait, breaking, and otherwise) in front of millions. It’s not cutting-edge journalism that brings viewers. It’s the sheer quantity of content. Not unlike their articles, the Daily Mail gets content out quickly, often developing stories from other online sources.
The ubiquity of the Daily Mail on TikTok compared to other non-tabloid news orgs (for the record: The New York Times has 1.8 million followers, WashPo 1.8 million, and BBC News 7.8 million) is concerning. And that’s just official news sources. News influencers also take up a huge chunk of news content watched on social media.
So, what can organizations do to reach people with quality news? Perhaps, part of the answer is competing with quantity. Posting more frequently might get stories more regularly on feeds. There’s also competing on YouTube— an arena where more right-leaning news orgs are competitive. Just search a breaking story and you’re sure to get quick results from Sky Australia and GBN (anecdotal: more reliable news sources take a little longer to get content up, if at all). Committing to content isn’t optional. It’s essential if we want a digital news ecosystem that isn’t dominated by conservative narratives.
As a social impact marketer, it’s hard to ignore how news is being consumed on social media and how a quick, reiterable, content strategy is putting some tabloids ahead of the game.