What’s Hot?

What’s hot this week? Well, it’s certainly not the weather, as my phone tells me it “feels like -1 degrees”. So snuggle up inside and read our lovely blog, where we’ll encourage you to get ghosted by Jay-Z, find a job on TikTok, buy some pre-loved clothes and look at the latest sounds on Snap. Don’t you feel toasty already?

Jay-Z ghosts us

This week, Jay-Z broke records when he joined Instagram. No, he didn’t hit a million follows the fastest, a title currently held by Angelina Jolie since August, Rupert Grint before her, and David Attenborough before him. I’m sure that’s SOMEONE’S dream dinner party trifecta, right…?

Jay-Zs achievement was a little different: he became the only account in the whole world followed by Beyonce. Her ‘Following’ tally was always zero, the most baller move I’ve ever seen. I guess he gets a one-up since she’s his wife and all, but hey, she doesn’t follow her Mum or Solange. Maybe Beyonce has a secret account, like Matt Damon’s odamnmatt, where she makes it up to her nearest and dearest. Who knows and why do I spend time thinking about things like this?

Jay-Zs stint on Instagram was short lived. He joined the day the movie he produced, The Harder They Fall, was released and shared a poster. The next day? His account had finished, into thin air, and with it Beyonce’s following count dropped to zero. The baller is back.

CareerTok

Remember when it was a huge thing for young people to write their CV on a piece of card and stand at busy tube stations in a suit, looking for a job? Multiple lockdowns and social distancing mean that even Oxford Circus doesn’t get the same football as before, but fortunately entrepreneurial young people have found a new way to get their CV out there: TikTok.

#CareerTok is a relatively new sub-genre of the channel, with CV tips, interview advice and even opportunities being shared. As the Great Resignation continues, TikTok proves itself to be an incredibly insightful and useful tool for jobseekers. Especially jobseekers who love to dance.

Depop goes Green

This week, Depop was officially certified as climate neutral! As if the Gen Z brand wasn’t cool enough…

Depop is a pre-loved clothes site owned by Etsy and based in the UK (basically, a cooler eBay, a more local Vinted, and more variety than your standard charity shop).

The marketplace’s sustainable fashion plan states that it offsets all sources of 1-3 greenhouse gas emissions, meaning you should definitely download it and start shopping and selling.

Add yours

Do you have a hot story this week? Add yours by commenting on our LinkedIn post!

Yes, that was a cheap shot at engagement – mimicking Instagram’s latest this week. A new sticker appeared called ‘Add Yours’, where users set a photo challenge (e.g., OOTD, favourite summer photo, top eight from October) for followers to get involved with.

Once someone replies, they get built into the thread, creating an endless loop of photos. It sort of works – for brands and influencers it’ll be useful to get audience engagement, feedback and UGC. But for regular Instagram users? Insta is much less of a ‘posting’ platform compared to say TikTok, where a duet function makes sense. Insta users are way less likely to just post on their Stories to jump on a trend, meaning the usage of the sticker will likely be left to certain circles and communities. Let’s wait and see.

Sounds on Snap

We all know that one of the reasons for TikTok’s success is its huge library of sounds, turning everyday conversations into worldwide memes, song snippets into full dance routines, and an old skittles ad into… a weird little dance (are you a little lad who loves Berries and Cream?)

Snapchat is trying to keep up with a brilliant partnership: Since collaborating with NBCUniversal, snippets from US Office and Shrek are now available to add to your snaps.

Oh, how the turntables…