Trend of the Week – #MealPrep: Pre-making weekday lunches and dinners on a Sunday night really gained momentum around 2013, but today the internet is obsessed with #MealPrep. And some people can’t handle the pressure.
TikTok Stickers: Similar to Snap and Insta, this week TikTok launched a new sticker pinning option in videos, which enables you to attach a sticker to an object in the clip and it will stay in place, and change size relative to the video’s movement. Also, check out Conviva’s new extremely thorough TikTok Benchmarks & Strategy Guide here.
What It’s Like to Own a Viral Dog: The owner of Mister Bubz (aka “the canine grumpy cat”) explains what it takes to have a famous internet dog. For example, he’s not insured, but he is trademarked and copywritten.
Twitter Planning Calendar: Check out Twitter’s key milestones in the month of March here. Download the full 2020 calendar here.
The Floor is Lava: This week Snapchat launched ‘Ground Transformation’ AR effects that can change the ground into water, lava, etc. Look for even more of these AR layer innovations in the coming months.
Online Friending Apps: Apps like Hoop and Yubo aren’t for dating or buying stuff or playing games. Instead, these “social discovery” apps are supposedly for making platonic friendships online. Key quote: “These apps pitch themselves as alternatives to outlets that already specialize in online connections, like Facebook and Instagram. They say they are better at helping young users meet like-minded people outside their existing circles.” After a week of using them, so far they aren’t super impressive but don’t have a ton of spam. Yubo was once called “Tinder for Teens” but seems to have cleaned itself up. It’s a trend to watch.
App of the Week: Talkr Live is a “shallow fake” app that that makes your pictures talk. Take an existing photo and use your mouth to make it say anything, export it as a video and share away. Works best on iPhone X or newer devices.
Insta of the Week: Charlene is Walmart employee who is worth your follow because of her frowning selfies and ridiculously posed photos while at work: @walmart5450
GREG SWAN 