Degrassi, Using the Bird Method to Find a Wife, and Why I Might Become a Chargers Fan
Should I rewatch Degrassi? Say yes. Tell me to do it. TikTok wants me to.
Happy Tuesday! I’m sorry I missed Friday’s post, but I was running low on energy last week. I slept through last Tuesday evening and the rest of the week was a struggle to stay awake.
Aside from the sleepiness, it’s been a good week. On Thursday, my favorite horror franchise came out with another movie and I really liked it. On Saturday, I got to sit in a field of sunflowers and enjoy how beautiful nature is. Today, I found out some work for a client won an award. After I write this, I’m going to go eat some double chocolate cake bites.
A little over two years ago, I had just been promoted into a role I tried to turn down and I mentioned to my manager that I wanted to win more awards. I had just started winning awards and I was hungry for more. Then I got laid off and honestly, I’ve been wondering if it would ever happen again. I really wish I could be satisfied with my ability to remain employed after two layoffs in two years, but I really think I needed this win to let me feel like I’m good at this. It’s easy to feel like you’re bad at all this when pitches are lost, posts don’t perform, and accounts don’t grow.
Since I’ve started working again, it feels like life is throwing a lot of these "reminders that I’m good at my job” my way. I’m seeing follower accounts grow as a result of the way I’m engaging as a brand. I’m starting to bring more creator brand collabs to life. I’m not sure if I’m on my A game because I’m still scarred from being unemployed or if the Universe just wanted to throw me a bone, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Social Media Updates:
Threads is Testing Adding New Accounts Not Tied to Instagram Accounts
I’ll be honest—I don’t see Threads becoming a real Twitter competitor without the ability to create an account that isn’t tied to an Instagram. They’re missing out on an audience that doesn’t use Instagram and maybe doesn’t care for it. Like dads. I bet you know a dad that had a Twitter long before they had an Instagram because Twitter was where they talked about sports and Instagram is where their daughter posts selfies and photos of their Starbucks drinks. If that feels a little too 2013 for you, that’s because it’s a very real conversation I had in 2013.
TikTok Adds More Accessibility Features, Including Alt Text
For Global Accessibility Awareness Day announced several new accessibility features, including alternative text for photo posts during (OR AFTER!!!) publishing, the ability to increase the color contrast within the app, and bold text support. TikTok also mentions that they’re testing “a new feature that leverages artificial intelligence to generate alt text which will be read out loud by screen readers.” I mentioned in early April that I think there’s going to be a social search benefit here. Alt text helps add more context for search engines and isn’t TikTok trying to be the next Google?
Brands Doing Cool Things:
Degrassi
Is anyone else having a weird week with TikTok? Personally, my feed is becoming hyper-focused on Degrassi and The N because I watched ONE VIDEO about a Degrassi podcast. On the brand side, I’m seeing every single off-channel/outbound/whateveryoucallit comment vanish into thin air. I see them when I’m logged in as the brand, but if I try to view the same comment section on a personal or burner account, the brand’s comment is missing.
As a result of TikTok being wonky this week, I was fortunate enough to have the official Degrassi account hit my feed.
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So obviously, then I had to go check out their Instagram. It feels like I’m back on Tumblr. I’m about to go rewatch all of Degrassi. It’s probably not helping that I’m in the middle of rewatching Ginny & Georgia before the new season comes out and see former Degrassi actors there.
Los Angeles Chargers
I’m shopping for a new NFL team because I don’t feel too attached to my childhood team anymore and the Minecraft schedule release videos from the Los Angeles Charges made me follow them.
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Following them meant TikTok showed me their post with BTS for making that video. I feel like brands feel uncomfortable with BTS content (you can do more than just post a carousel of photos that show people standing around cameras and posing products just right!!) and I feel like the way that the Los Angeles Chargers team walks us through the schedule release process is really approachable.
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Empty Comment Sections
Nathaniel is Using the Bird Method to Find a Wife
Nathanial went viral a little over a week ago with his posts chronicling his attempt to find a wife by dancing like a bird. His earlier posts had brand comments, but the brands fell off. There’s nothing that irks me more as a community manager than brands that don’t stick around and try to join the community. It feels like a brand just trying to be funny in the comment section for free ad space. But before I get into that and what I do instead, enjoy some bird time.
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If there’s a creator posting a “day x of doing y” video and I want to comment on it as a brand, I’m bookmarking that video so I know to check back and look at that creator’s page every day to see if there’s another video I want to comment on. I don’t want to just use that comment section for free ad space one time—I want that creator and that community to feel like this brand is actually invested in the story and the outcome. It doesn’t matter if it’s the bird method, Gigi baking with Eloise, or someone polishing a rock every day until it reflects back like a mirror. I’m gonna try to show up consistently for that creator and that audience.