Social Trend Watch – Edition 12

Platform Update – IG Launches Live Test of Pinned Posts

I know it’s only the end of April, but I think I have officially lost track of how many updates IG have rolled out in 2022 so far…

For select users only, IG has launched a new test option to pin three images to your profile, meaning pinned posts will be pushed to the top of the post grid on profile displays. In a sense – you can already do this when posting Stories and then using the Highlights option.

But – this new feature will enable users, influencers and brands to highlight the most important content on their feed in a different way, for example:

  • Entertainment Brands – NOW, Amazon Prime and Netflix all utilise the key content strand of ‘What’s new/returning to the service this month’ – therefore to ensure maximum visibility on new releases and key catalogue titles, this post could be pinned to ensure maximum talkability around the featured titles.
  • Product Posts – Competition or giveaway posts could be pinned to the top of feeds until closing, to ensure maximum engagement through comment entrants.
  • Collaboration Posts – With another brand, influencer or celebrity could be pinned to the top of feeds to raise awareness of the collaboration and ensure maximum engagement with the announcement or launch content.

Yes, It’s Actually Happening

I’m sure all of us have seen the news that Elon will acquire Twitter for the small sum of $44 billion dollars (around a third of Musk’s personal wealth).

But what does this acquisition truly mean for the future of the platform? What is Musk’s master plan to generate more money from the app? Could Musk switch to a subscription-only model for all users? 

Topline – Musk’s starter point in the overhaul is to take Twitter private, reduce reliance on ads, enabling for more free speech. Musk has been vocal about free speech on the platform, often criticising TW moderation efforts – therefore will likely be a key focus of the new owner’s reign of the platform.

Shortly after the announcement, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted the following:

  • “Twitter has a purpose and relevance that impacts the entire world. Deeply proud of our teams and inspired by the work that has never been more important.”

Prompting many to believe owner Elon will have the CEO title too or appoint a new CEO/COO of Twitter.

Shout out and a spotlight to the brands below nailing reactive copy-led posts to this announcement:


Entertainment News

The Batman is getting a sequel:

  • Announced by Warner Bros. at CinemaCon, RPatz will return as the Caped Crusader.
  • Premiering in March, and grossing $134M. opening weekend in the US, The Batman has been the biggest opening weekend of 2022 so far.

Barbie has a release date:

  • Warner Bros. were on a roll at CinemaCon yesterday, announcing that Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s Barbie will hit US theaters on July 21st, 2023.
  • The cast list continues to grow, with WB recently announcing that Sex Education stars Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa and Connor Swindells will feature, alongside Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Simu Liu and Will Ferrell all in currently undisclosed roles.

May Series Drops – Here’s a quick round-up of what’s new/returning to our screens:

  • Devils S2 – Stream on NOW & Sky Atlantic
  • The Flight Attendant S2 – Stream on NOW, Sky Max & HBO Max
  • The Staircase – Limited Series – Stream on NOW, Sky Max & HBO Max
  • The Time Traveler’s Wife – New Series – Stream on NOW, Sky Atlantic & HBO
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi – New Series – Stream on Disney+
  • Stranger Things S4 – Stream on Netflix